2025-03-04

Naturalization is the process by which a foreigner residing in Japan acquires Japanese citizenship. Since this is a procedure for a foreign national to become a new Japanese citizen, there are many documents to be submitted and the screening process is quite strict. There are six conditions, and it can be said that the hurdles are considerably higher than those for procedures such as status of residence.

What is naturalization?

Naturalization is a system whereby a foreign national with a domicile and residence status in Japan acquires Japanese nationality.
The requirements for acquisition will be explained in detail later, but since Japan does not recognize dual citizenship, once naturalization is granted and a person acquires Japanese citizenship, he or she loses his or her existing foreign citizenship.

What documents are required to apply for naturalization?
The documents required to apply for naturalization are as follows. However, the required documents may differ depending on the applicant’s circumstances.
　・Application form for naturalization (a photograph of the applicant is required)
　・Documents describing the outline of the applicant’s relatives
　・Statement of reasons for naturalization
　・Resume
　・Documents outlining the applicant’s livelihood
　・Documents describing the outline of the applicant’s business
　・Copy of certificate of residence
　・Documents proving nationality
　・Documents proving kinship
　・Documents proving tax payment
　・Documents proving income
　・Documents proving the history of residence

What are the requirements for naturalization?

There are six major requirements to be approved for naturalization.
The first is the “address requirement. By the time of application, the applicant must have a continuous domicile in Japan. Even if you have an address in Japan, if you have lived abroad for a long period of time during the five years prior to the application, this may be considered a problem during the screening process.
The second is the “ability requirement. The applicant must be at least 20 years old and have the capacity to act according to the laws of his/her current nationality (at the time of application). For example, in countries such as Indonesia and Singapore, the age of majority is 21, so even if the applicant is 20 years old at the time of application, he/she will not meet this condition.
The third is the “good conduct requirement. Specifically, the applicant must not be delinquent in paying taxes, have never been convicted of a criminal offense, or have never committed a serious traffic violation.
The fourth is “living conditions. The applicant must be able to live on the assets and skills of his/her spouse or other relatives with whom he/she shares a common livelihood. It is advantageous if the applicant has assets, as well as skills and qualifications that will enable him or her to earn a living.
The fifth condition is the “dual nationality prevention condition. The fifth is the condition that the applicant has no nationality himself or herself, or that by acquiring Japanese nationality, he or she loses his or her current nationality.
The sixth and final condition is the “Constitutional Compliance Condition. The applicant must not have plotted or advocated the destruction of the Constitution of Japan or the government established under the Constitution by violence, or have formed or joined a political party or other organization for such purposes.

What are the precautions in the naturalization process?

After submitting the application and documents, the applicant will be interviewed. The questions asked by the Legal Affairs Bureau will vary from person to person. There is no set interview time, which also varies from person to person.
However, the questions will include information about your relatives, your future life and work, how you met your spouse, and why you wish to acquire Japanese citizenship. In other words, it is safe to assume that you will be asked about matters related to the contents of your application and documents. You should try to give accurate and truthful answers to the questions asked.

Conclusion

There are six conditions that must be met in order for your application for naturalization to be approved. In addition, the answers you give during the interview are also important. Since this is a system whereby the applicant loses his/her foreign nationality and acquires new Japanese nationality, particular attention should be paid to the documents to be submitted and the way the applicant handles himself/herself at the interview.