2022-05-172022-07-07

When you apply for naturalization in Japan, there is no fee for the application itself. However, there is a fixed fee for obtaining the required documents or for hiring an administrative scrivener.

You can save money by submitting the application yourself, but this does not mean that it will not cost you anything, as you will still have to obtain the necessary documents yourself.

Breakdown of the cost of the naturalization application

The cost of a naturalization application generally consists of the fees listed in the table below.

The final amount payable will depend on whether you request the assistance of an administrative scrivener and the content of the documents submitted.

Expense items	Estimated amount
Application fee for naturalization permit	0 yen
Fee for issuing documents in the home country	Service fee set by home country
Fee for issuing documents in Japan	Total fixed fees for government offices, employers, schools attended, etc.
Transportation fee at the time of interview	Fee depending on the means of transportation (a few hundred yen if you use a train or bus)
Proxy	Approximately 100,000 to 200,000 yen as compensation for an administrative scrivener

Estimated cost for applying for naturalization on your own

If you apply for naturalization on your own, you will only have to pay the transportation fee for the interview and the fee for issuing the documents. Please note that the required documents are not uniform and the type and number of copies vary depending on the applicant.

Fee for issuing documents in your home country

Since the naturalization application requires proof of ancestry and family relations, you must request the certificates from the consulate or embassy. For example, you may need the following documents:

• Citizenship certificate
• Birth certificate
• Parents’ marriage certificate
• Other documents proving family relations
• Notice of loss of citizenship

For reference, here are various emission fees in China and South Korea

▼In the case of China (per copy).

Approximately 70 yuan (about 1,300 to 1,400 yen in Japanese yen)

* Applies to birth certificates, single certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce certificates.

▼In the case of South Korea (per copy)

110 yen + Postage stamp fee for a reply.

* Applies to family certificates, basic certificates (certificates of personal affairs such as birth, death, and name change), marriage certificates, and adoption certificates.

Fees for issuing documents in Japan

In Japan, there are a number of documents that have a fixed fee for issuance. Here is a guideline for the amount of the fee charged by the authority for the documents to be submitted.

▼Documents issued for government agencies (example)

• Certificate of information recorded on foreign resident registration file: approximately 300 yen/copy.
• Copy of certificate of residence and of family register: 300 yen to 750 yen
• Certificate of payment of taxes (national tax/local tax): 300-400 yen
• Registration certificate of birth certificate: Free ~ 300 yen

You will also need to request documents from your workplace, your school of origin, your bank, and in some cases medical facilities. These cost a few hundred yen per copy, but if you also need a medical certificate, just ordering it will cost between 3,000 and 7,000 yen.

▼Documents issued by private organizations (example)

• Certificate of graduation, certificate of enrollment
• Certificate of account balance
• Certificate of registered matters (for directors, etc.).
• Medical certificate from your doctor (in case of disability or illness).

Transportation costs for the interview

Two to four months after submitting the naturalization application, the Legal Affairs Bureau will ask for an interview. There is no fee for the interview itself, but the cost of transportation depends on the distance and number of applicants.

Fee for naturalization authority [when employing a scrivener]

If you want an administrative officer to apply for naturalization on your behalf, it costs about 100,000 to 200,000 yen per applicant. The same amount is not charged for all family members, and with the exception of the main applicant, the fee is generally cheaper.

The average fee for naturalized citizens is summarized in the results (link) of Reiwa’s statistical survey of second-year compensation.

Items	Market price
Consulting fee	0 yen to 8,000 yen
Agency fee (for the applicant)	100,000-200,000 yen per person*Includes interview fee, translation fee for documents from home country, etc.
Agency fee (for the family)	50,000-70,000 yen per person
Actual costs	Various fees for issuing documents, etc.

For employees

The average application fee for a person employed by a company and living on his or her salary is about 170,000 yen (rounded down to the nearest thousand). Looking at the fee by dividing it into units of 100,000 yen, about 64% of respondents paid between 100,000 and 200,000 yen, and 23.9% paid more than 200,00 but less than 300,000 yen.

Cases requiring extraordinary measures can be expensive, costing more than 500,000 yen.

For business managers or sole proprietors

The fee for foreigners who run their own businesses is slightly higher, about 250,000 yen (rounded down to the nearest thousand). For about 42% of respondents, the amount was between 200,000 and 300,000 yen, and for about 28%, it was between 100,000 and 200,000 yen.

Similarly, cases requiring difficult measures amount to more than 500,000 yen.

In the case of “simplified naturalization", for foreigners who have territorial and blood relations in Japan

Foreigners married to Special Permanent Residents or Japanese citizens qualify for a procedure called simple naturalization.

The average cost of simple naturalization is about 170,000 yen, but only about 14% of respondents paid more than 250,000 yen.

Conclusion │ Advantages of applying for naturalization assistance

When you apply for naturalization, it costs several thousand yen in total to obtain all the necessary documents. The cheapest way to apply is to do it yourself, but keep in mind that it will take some time to obtain all the necessary documents.

Also, keep in mind that it will take at least one to two years to learn whether or not your naturalization application has been approved. If documents are missing or incomplete, it will take longer and in some cases, the application will be denied. Although there is a certain fee, to be on the safe side, you should consider hiring an expert.

▼Advantages of hiring a scrivener to assist you with the naturalization application

• It is easier to get approved
• The process can be completed faster
• You no longer have to worry about naturalization yourself
• Even if you are asked for documents in free format (statements, etc.), you can easily prepare them