2025-07-21

If a foreign national wishes to become a Japanese citizen, he/she must apply for naturalization. There are several requirements for this application. One of them is the “living requirement,” which determines whether or not a foreign national can lead a financially stable life in Japan in the future.

How to change nationality

At that time, it is necessary to provide as much detailed information as possible, such as when you came to Japan, what kind of status of residence you obtained and when, what kind of work you currently do, how much your annual income is, and whether you have a spouse, and if so, whether he/she is Japanese.

In order for a foreign national to change his/her nationality to Japanese, he/she must apply for naturalization. To do so, the applicant must first consult with the person in charge at the Legal Affairs Bureau that has jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence.

The reason why such detailed personal information is necessary is that it will determine whether you meet the requirements for naturalization and what documents and materials you will need when you actually apply for naturalization.

Requirements for Naturalization

There are six requirements for naturalization.

The first is the “address requirement. The second is the “capacity requirement. The second is the “ability requirement,” which requires that the applicant be an adult under Japanese law, that is, 18 years of age or older. In addition, the applicant must also have reached the age of majority under the laws of the applicant’s country.

Third, there is the “conduct requirement. The fourth is the “living requirement. The applicant must be able to live stably in Japan with the assets and skills of the applicant or a spouse with whom the applicant shares a common livelihood.

The fifth is the “requirement to prevent dual nationality. The sixth is the “Constitutional Compliance Requirement. This means that the applicant has not plotted or advocated the destruction of the Constitution of Japan, or the government established by that Constitution, by violence, or formed or joined a political party or other organization for such purposes.

Does debt affect it?

The fourth requirement, discussed earlier, concerns the assets and jobs of the applicant, spouse, and other family members. This means that a stable income is essential for the applicant to be approved for naturalization and to live in Japan as a Japanese citizen in the future.

So, if the applicant has debts, will it affect him or her? As it turns out, it does not have much of an impact.

When applying for naturalization, the applicant must submit a document titled “Summary of Livelihood. This is to show their livelihood status. There are two types of this document: one that lists monthly income and expenses and the current amount borrowed (debt), and the other that lists assets such as real estate, savings, stock certificates, and bonds.

The amount borrowed and debt listed includes mortgages and car loans. However, even if you have a high loan amount, as long as you make your monthly repayments on time, there is no problem. However, if the repayment is in arrears, or if the monthly loan is putting pressure on the applicant’s lifestyle, this may be considered a problem.

Summary

Even if an applicant for naturalization has debts or loans, as long as they are being repaid without difficulty, it is not considered a problem. However, if the monthly repayments are in arrears, or if the loan is putting pressure on the applicant’s lifestyle, this will be considered a problem.