2025-04-25

We often hear the terms “permanent residence” and “permanent residence visa,” but what is the difference? What are the requirements for obtaining a permanent residence visa, and what are the things to pay special attention to? We will explain in detail with examples.

What is permanent residence?

Permanent residence, as the name implies, is a right that allows a foreigner to reside permanently in Japan. Generally, a status of residence has a fixed-term “period of stay. However, permanent resident status does not have a period of stay, and once acquired, a foreigner can stay in Japan indefinitely.

However, there are strict criteria to obtain a permanent residence visa. First, the applicant must be of good conduct. Minor offenses such as traffic violations are not a problem, but if you have repeatedly violated the law or committed other crimes, you may find it difficult to obtain permanent residence.

Second, the applicant must have sufficient assets or skills to live and work in Japan. However, this is not a problem if the applicant’s household, not the foreign national applying for permanent residence, has assets or a source of income.

Finally, it must be in the best interest of Japan that the foreign national applying for permanent residence reside in Japan. This includes working in Japan and contributing to society, not being in arrears with taxes, etc.

What is a Permanent Resident Visa?

A Permanent Resident Visa is a status of residence that allows permanent residence in Japan. Therefore, many people think that a Permanent Resident Visa = permanent residence, but strictly speaking, this is not the case.

A Permanent Resident Visa is one of the many statuses of residence, and a Permanent Resident Right is the right to continue to live in a country for a long period of time. Therefore, it would be accurate to say that a foreigner living in Japan can apply for a “status of residence/permanent resident” to the Immigration Bureau and obtain a “permanent resident visa” once permission is granted.

What are the points to note when applying for a Permanent Resident Visa?

In principle, a foreign national who has resided in Japan for 10 years or more and has been working or residing with resident status for 5 years or more of this period is required to obtain a permanent resident visa.

There are a few points to keep in mind when applying for this permanent resident visa.

First, there is the application period. As mentioned earlier, you are required to stay in Japan for 10 years or more, but it is generally recommended that you apply about two months prior to that date, rather than waiting until exactly 10 years have passed. This is because it takes about 4 to 6 months for the examination after the application is submitted. In other words, since the 10-year period of stay is fulfilled between the time the application is submitted and the permission is granted, it is acceptable to apply about two months before that time.

Next is the guarantor. Along with the application form, a “Letter of Guarantee” is required, and it is necessary to find someone who can act as a guarantor for the foreigner applying. However, the guarantor must be a Japanese national or a foreigner with a permanent resident visa. Also, considering the purpose of the guarantor, it is best to avoid people who are unemployed.

Lastly, there must be no delinquent social insurance premiums as well as taxes. The person who works in the company is deducted from the salary, and the arrears are unlikely to be thought, but the person who is self-employed pays it by himself, and be careful enough from an increase in ankouri.

Conclusion

Permanent residence and permanent residence visa are usually used in the same way, but strictly speaking, they are somewhat different. It may be easier to understand if we say that permanent residence is a right and a permanent residence visa is a procedural name.