2025-08-10

Application for naturalization is a procedure to acquire Japanese nationality. Therefore, there are strict requirements. However, when a child of a Japanese national or a child of a former Japanese national applies for naturalization, some requirements are relaxed.

Requirements for Normal Naturalization

There are six requirements for filing an application for naturalization and having it approved.

The first is that the applicant must have a continuous domicile and actually live in Japan up to the time of application for naturalization. This is called the “address requirement. However, even if you have an address in Japan, you may not meet this requirement if you have stayed in a foreign country for a long period of time during the five years prior to applying for naturalization.

Second, the person applying for naturalization must be an adult under Japanese law, that is, 18 years of age or older. This is called the “capacity requirement. In addition to this, you must also have reached the age of majority under the laws of the nationality you currently hold.

Third, you must not be delinquent in paying taxes, have never been criminally convicted, have never committed a serious traffic violation, etc. This is called the “background requirement.

Fourth, the applicant must be able to live on the assets and skills of his or her spouse or other relatives who share the same livelihood. This is called the “livelihood requirement. In other words, the applicant and his/her relatives living with him/her must have assets and the skills and qualifications to live in Japan sufficiently in the future.

Fifth, the person applying for naturalization must have no current nationality or must agree to lose his/her current nationality by acquiring Japanese citizenship through naturalization. This is called the “requirement to prevent multiple nationality.

And sixth, the applicant has not plotted or advocated the destruction of the Constitution of Japan or the government established under the Constitution by violence, or formed or joined a political party or other organization for such purposes. This is called the “Constitutional Compliance Requirement.

What is the relaxed requirement (1)?

If a child whose father or mother is Japanese applies for naturalization, the above requirements are relaxed.

First, the requirements stipulated in “Article 6 of the Nationality Law” are relaxed. If a “child of a former Japanese national (currently a foreign national)” applies for naturalization, the “address requirement” will be satisfied if any of the following applies

Child of a former Japanese citizen (excluding adopted children) (excluding adopted children) who was born in Japan and has continuously had a domicile or residence in Japan for 3 years or more
who was born in Japan and has continuously had a domicile or residence in Japan for 3 years or more, or whose father or mother (excluding adoptive parents) was born in Japan for 10 years or more (excluding adoptive parents) who was born in Japan
who has continuously resided in Japan for at least 10 years.

What is the relaxed requirement (2)?

Next, the requirements stipulated in “Article 8 of the Nationality Law” are relaxed. If a “child of Japanese national” applies for naturalization, he/she meets the “address requirement” if he/she meets any of the following requirements (1) through (3).

A child of a Japanese national who has a domicile in Japan
An adopted child of a Japanese national who has had a continuous domicile in Japan for at least one year and who was a minor under the laws of his/her home country (the laws of that country) at the time of adoption
A person who has lost Japanese nationality and has a domicile in Japan
A person born in Japan who has not had a nationality since birth and has had a continuous domicile in Japan for at least three years since that time Persons who have a domicile in Japan
If any of the following (1) to (3) apply, the “capacity requirement” has been met.

If your parents are Japanese or if you are applying for naturalization together with your family.
If your parents have already been naturalized in Japan.
If you are applying for naturalization together with your parents.
In the case of an adopted child, if the parents naturalize, the child will be adopted by a Japanese national and can apply for naturalization if the child meets the requirements of “having continuously resided in Japan for at least one year” and “being a minor under the laws of his/her home country at the time of adoption”.

In addition, the “living requirement,” which is a normal requirement for naturalization applications, is waived.

Summary

When a child of a Japanese national applies for naturalization, the “address requirement” is relaxed. In addition, if the child of a former Japanese national applies for naturalization, the “address requirement,” “capacity requirement,” and “living requirement” will be relaxed.