News Japan to double residency requirement for citizenship

Japan prepares to tighten its nationality and residency rules by extending the minimum period foreign nationals must live in the country before applying for citizenship and by introducing a Japanese-language requirement for permanent residency. The government is drafting the revisions in coordination with the ruling coalition and could come into effect as early as next year. The move follows pressure from coalition partner Nippon Ishin, which has argued that the existing standards are overly relaxed. In response, PM Takaichi directed officials to re-examine the current system, setting the review process in motion.

For citizenship, the policy on length of time in Japan will be changed from the current "five years or more" to "in principle, 10 years or more." However, the Nationality Law itself, which specifies the "five years" minimum, will not be amended. Instead, the stricter rules will be implemented through changes in how the law is applied. "The Nationality Law only sets the minimum conditions," a senior Justice Ministry official said. "It is not as if we have always granted citizenship with just five years of residence." The official also said the ministry will provide sufficient public notice before the new operational rules are implemented. The Nationality Law lists several conditions for justice minister to grant citizenship, including the "five year" minimum, being 18 or older, being of good conduct, and having financial independence.

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Japanese language ability sufficient for daily life is also required, in principle. In 2024, 12,248 citizenship applications were filed, of which 8,863 (70%) were approved.

The government and ruling parties also plan to tighten requirements for permanent residence permits. Current guidelines explicitly require applicants to have lived in Japan for at least 10 years, in principle, to have no record of paying fines or serving a prison sentence, and to have fulfilled public obligations, such as paying taxes and social insurance premiums.