Eligibility quiz
Were you born in Japan?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Japanese passport
Japanese citizens can get a Japanese passport for international travel and entry to Japan.
Passports normally last 10 years for applicants aged 18 or over and five years for those under 18.
Live in Japan for life
Japanese citizens can live anywhere in Japan without a residence permit or renewal.
They are also recorded in a family register.
Study in Japan
Japanese citizens can attend school or university in Japan without immigration permission.
Work in Japan
Japanese citizens can take any lawful job, run a business and change activities without immigration permission.
Visit other countries
Japanese passport holders can visit some destinations without a visa or get one on arrival for a short stay, depending on the destination’s rules.
Get help abroad
Japanese embassies and consulates can help citizens abroad after accidents, crime, disasters, conflict, terrorism or kidnapping.
They can issue passports and other documents, but cannot pay all costs or override local courts.
Vote in elections
Japanese citizens can vote in national elections from age 18 if they meet the election rules.
To vote from abroad, they must register as an overseas voter and receive an overseas voter certificate.
Use public healthcare
People living in Japan are generally covered by public health insurance through an employer or their municipality.
Use social support
People aged 20–59 with an address in Japan are generally covered by the National Pension; payments depend on contributions and eligibility.
Japanese citizens aged 20–64 living abroad can generally join voluntarily, with some exceptions.
Eligible residents may also qualify for welfare and other benefits.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your local office
Find the Legal Affairs Bureau or authorized branch responsible for the address where you live in Japan.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Japan Legal Affairs Bureau handles naturalization applications for your city?”
Book a consultation
Call your local office to book an in-person nationality consultation.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I contact the Japan Legal Affairs Bureau in your city to book a naturalization consultation?”
Attend your consultation
Go to your local office for your consultation. If you are applying for a child under 15, ask the office who should attend.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I attend a naturalization consultation at the Japan Legal Affairs Bureau in your city?”
Pick up the forms
Get the application for permission to naturalize and the supporting forms from your local office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get Japan naturalization application forms from the Legal Affairs Bureau in your city?”
Fill in the forms
Fill in the forms, including your statement of why you want to become Japanese, which you should generally write by hand. Leave the declaration unsigned until the office accepts your application; a parent or legal representative signs for a child under 15.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Japan application for permission to naturalize?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the documents your local office asks for.
See required documentsHand in your application
Bring your completed forms and documents to your local office and submit them in person; if you are 15 or over, you must go yourself, and for a child under 15, a parent or legal representative applies. There is no application fee.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an application for permission to naturalize at the Japan Legal Affairs Bureau in your city?”
Wait for the decision
Wait while your application is reviewed, and respond if the office asks you to correct anything or provide more documents.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I submit a Japan application for permission to naturalize?”
Look for the announcement
If your application is approved, look for the announcement in the Official Gazette. You become Japanese on the date of the announcement and can then apply for a Japanese passport.
Find the announcementSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I find a Japan naturalization permission announcement in the Official Gazette?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Bring your birth certificate and any birth records the office asks for to show your relationship to your parents. For a birth reported in Japan, get a certificate of the details reported from the municipality that received the report; if it is unavailable, bring a certificate that the report was accepted.
Marriage certificates *
Bring the marriage records the office asks for to show your family relationships. If relevant, include divorce records and records of any changes to family relationships.
* Only if you or a relevant family member married.
May need translationJapanese family register *
Get the Japanese family register extract the office asks for to show your family relationships. This can concern a parent, adoptive parent, child, spouse or former Japanese national.
* Only if you have a relevant Japanese family connection or were formerly Japanese.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Citizenship can be lost
Citizenship ends if you voluntarily acquire or choose another nationality, or renounce Japanese citizenship.
People with multiple nationalities must choose one before 20 if acquired before 18, or within two years if acquired later; failure after a minister’s notice can lead to loss.
A child born abroad with two nationalities loses Japanese citizenship from birth if it is not reserved when the birth is reported.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
r/JapanVisa
English Reddit group for people interested in Japanese citizenship and visas
Join on RedditFor Foreigners Living In Japan
English Facebook group for people living in Japan interested in Japanese local life
Join on Facebookr/movingtojapan
English Reddit group for people living in Japan interested in Japanese visas
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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