2025-08-27

Naturalization refers to the process by which a foreign national acquires Japanese nationality. Can a naturalized person reacquire their original nationality, or naturalize again after reacquiring their original nationality? We will explain in detail.

What is Naturalization?

Naturalization is when a foreign national holding a residence status in Japan acquires Japanese nationality. To do so, they must submit the required documents and apply to the Legal Affairs Bureau or Regional Legal Affairs Bureau. Note that Japan does not recognize so-called “dual nationality.” Therefore, if you apply for naturalization and are granted Japanese nationality, you will lose your previous foreign nationality.

Can I regain my original nationality after naturalization?

Can a foreign national regain their original nationality after naturalizing in Japan (acquiring Japanese nationality)?

The answer is that “whether you can regain it depends on your original nationality.” If the laws of your original nationality permit the restoration of nationality, then you can regain it. Conversely, if the laws of your original nationality do not permit the restoration of nationality, you cannot regain it after naturalization.

For example, Article 16 of China’s Nationality Law states: “Applications for naturalization, renunciation, or restoration of nationality of the People’s Republic of China shall be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China. Upon approval, the Ministry of Public Security shall issue a certificate.” This means that in China, the Ministry of Public Security has jurisdiction over reviewing and approving applications to return to the original nationality (restoring Chinese nationality).

Similarly, South Korea also has procedures for nationality restoration. In this case, the process involves applying for “Acquisition through Restoration of Nationality” at the South Korean embassy.

Thus, many countries permit “nationality restoration” after acquiring Japanese nationality. To determine if your home country falls under this category, you should confirm with its government or embassy.

Can you reapply for naturalization after restoring your original nationality?

So, what if a foreign national naturalized in Japan, then restored their original nationality, but now wants to regain Japanese nationality again." What happens in this case?

Naturalization applications are a system where permission is granted after reviewing whether the requirements are met. Even if the person was Japanese in the past, at the time of application, they are already a foreign national. Therefore, outwardly, it is the same as a standard naturalization application. Thus, regaining naturalization (acquiring Japanese nationality) is possible under the system.

However, the circumstances at the time of the first naturalization application and the second naturalization application may differ. Therefore, just because naturalization was granted once does not necessarily mean the approval threshold is lower.

Summary

Whether you can regain your original nationality after naturalization depends on whether that country’s laws permit “reacquisition of nationality.” Furthermore, Japan’s system permits individuals who have regained their original foreign nationality to apply for naturalization again.