2025-03-09

Permanent residence is one of the major goals for foreigners who have lived in Japan for a long time. Normally, you must reside in Japan for at least 10 years to obtain permanent residence, but if you marry a Japanese national and become his/her spouse, the requirement is 3 years or more, which significantly shortens the time period. However, strict criteria are set.

What is permanent residence?

A foreigner must have a status of residence in order to live, work, and go to school in Japan. In this case, there are time restrictions on the scope of work and part-time work. However, if you become the spouse of a Japanese national or the spouse of a permanent resident, you can obtain “Permanent Resident Status” and there are no restrictions regarding work.

This “right of permanent residence” also includes the case of being the biological child of a Japanese national (including special adoption), the biological child of a permanent resident, and the biological child of a special permanent resident.

How does a spouse of a Japanese national obtain permanent resident status?

In order for a person married to a Japanese national, or his/her spouse, to obtain permanent resident status, the following documents must be submitted or presented at the counter.

　(1) Permanent Residence Permit Application Form

　(2) One photo (4 cm x 3 cm)

　(3) Documents proving your identity (any one of the following)

　　　・ A copy of the spouse’s family register (certificate of all items) (1 copy)

　(4) Certificate of residence for all family members (household) including the applicant (one copy)

　(5) A document certifying the occupation of the applicant or his/her dependents (one copy)

　　　　Certificate of employment, copy of tax return or business license (self-employed), etc.

　(6) Income and tax certificates of the applicant or his/her dependent(s) (for the last 3 years)

　(7) Certificate of payment of public pension and insurance premiums for the applicant or his/her dependent(s)

　(8) Passport or Certificate of Eligibility (to be presented)

　(9) Resident card (to be presented)

　(10) Letter of Guarantee (1 copy), Copy of Driver’s License, etc. (1 copy)

　(11) Document proving identity (to be presented)

　(12) Letter of understanding (1 copy)

　(13) Commission fee (8,000 yen)

What are the points to be noted in the procedure?

There are five points to be noted in order for a Japanese spouse to obtain permanent resident status.

First, the marriage must have continued for at least three years and the spouse must have resided in Japan for at least one year. In principle, to obtain permanent residence, the applicant must have resided in Japan for at least 10 years, but in the case of a spouse of a Japanese national, the period of stay must be at least 3 years.

Second, the applicant must have a stable household income. Although there is no clear published standard for “how much income or more”, the application may not be approved unless the household income is at least 3 million yen.

Third, there must be no delinquent payments of pension, public insurance premiums, or taxes. In particular, delinquencies for the three years prior to application will be strictly scrutinized, so if you are in arrears, it is advisable to apply three years after the delinquency has been cleared.

Fourth, the applicant must not be a danger to public health. Specifically, the applicant must not have any infectious diseases that can be transmitted to others, such as Class I infectious diseases, Class II infectious diseases, Class III infectious diseases, Class IV infectious diseases, Class V infectious diseases, new influenza and other infectious diseases, designated infectious diseases, and new infectious diseases.

Fifth, you must have no criminal record. Aside from minor traffic violations, you have never been fined or imprisoned.

Conclusion

A foreigner who becomes the spouse of a Japanese national can obtain permanent resident status after at least three years of marriage. However, in addition to the number of years of marriage, there are several other requirements, such as whether or not the marriage is a “real marriage” and whether or not there is a stable income for the household. It is also important to have good conduct, i.e., no tax delinquency, no criminal record, etc.