Japan Permanent Residency: Requirements, 6 Key Review Factors, and the 2027 Rule Changes | Supervised by Administrative Scrivener

Permanent residency (officially, the "Permanent Resident" status of residence) is one of the ultimate goals for foreign nationals living in Japan. Once permanent residence is granted, the restrictions on your activities (what kind of work you can do) and on your period of stay (visa renewals) are lifted, making your life in Japan far more stable. That said, permanent residents remain subject to residence management — including renewal of the residence card — and the systems for revocation of status of residence and deportation still apply to permanent residents. It is not the case that "once you get it, you are unconditionally safe forever."

The legal basis for permanent residence permission is Article 22 of the Immigration Control Act. The requirements fall into three broad categories: (1) being of good conduct (the good conduct requirement), (2) having sufficient assets or skills to make an independent living (the independent livelihood requirement), and (3) the person's permanent residence being recognized as in the interests of Japan (the national interest requirement). When you break these three requirements down into what the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) actually examines in practice, they can be organized into 6 factors. This article explains each of these 6 factors in turn.

In recent years, permanent residence has seen a series of stricter reviews and system reforms, and much of the information available online is based on outdated standards. This article is based on the latest information as of July 2026 (including the ISA guidelines as revised on February 24, 2026).

Factor 1: Years of Residence — The 10-Year Rule and Shortcut Routes

The first gate for permanent residence permission is your years of residence. As a rule, you must have resided in Japan continuously for 10 years or more, and of that period, you must have resided continuously for 5 years or more under a work-related status such as Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services or a residence-based status.

One point to watch: periods of stay under the "Technical Intern Training" and "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" statuses do not count toward this 5-year requirement ("Specified Skilled Worker (ii)" does count). If you transitioned from Technical Intern Training to Specified Skilled Worker, you need to confirm exactly where your count starts.

"Continuously" means your residence has continued without interruption. Even if you left Japan using a re-entry permit, spending long periods outside Japan may mean you are not regarded as having resided "continuously." In practice, a single absence exceeding 3 months, or total absences exceeding 100 days in a year, are said to be warning thresholds — but these are practical rules of thumb, not codified standards.

On the other hand, the following applicants benefit from shortened residence requirements:

• Spouses of Japanese nationals, Permanent Residents, or Special Permanent Residents: a genuine marital relationship that has continued for 3 years or more, plus continuous residence in Japan for 1 year or more
• Biological children (and certain others) of Japanese nationals, Permanent Residents, or Special Permanent Residents: continuous residence in Japan for 1 year or more
• Long-Term Residents: continuous residence in Japan for 5 years or more
• Highly Skilled Professionals with 70 points or more: 3 years (you must have continuously maintained 70+ points throughout those 3 years)
• Highly Skilled Professionals with 80 points or more: 1 year (continuous maintenance of the points for 1 year is required)
• Special Highly Skilled Professionals (J-Skip): 1 year
• Persons recognized as having made a contribution to Japan: 5 years

Regarding the Highly Skilled Professional points exception, a recent guideline revision made explicit that you must have continuously maintained the qualifying points throughout the relevant period — not just at the time of application. Be sure to verify your points calculation for past dates as well.

Furthermore, applicants who qualify under the spouse or biological-child exceptions are exempt from the good conduct requirement and the independent livelihood requirement; only conformity with the national interest is reviewed. However, your record of fulfilling public obligations such as taxes and pension is still examined as part of the national interest assessment, so it is not the case that "nothing gets checked." For the requirements of the spouse visa itself, see our guide to the Spouse or Child of Japanese National status (spouse visa).

Factor 2: Your Current Period of Stay — "3 Years" Is Only Acceptable Until March 2027

This requirement is easy to overlook, but extremely important. Under the main text of the guidelines, you must hold the "longest period of stay" available for your current status of residence. For most work-related statuses, the longest period of stay is 5 years.

Until now, however, a transitional practice has continued under which a period of stay of "3 years" is deemed to be the "longest period of stay." This treatment will continue until March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9), but will be abolished from April 1, 2027, after which you will in principle need to hold the longest period of stay (5 years in most cases). This change was officially confirmed by the guideline revision of February 24, 2026 and the ISA announcement of the same date.

If you currently hold a 3-year visa, your options fall into the following three patterns:

1. Apply by March 31, 2027 and receive the decision by that date — Your application will be reviewed under the current "3-year deeming" practice.
2. You hold a "3-year" period of stay as of March 31, 2027 — You are covered by the transitional measure, limited to a first application on which you receive the decision within that period of stay.
3. Neither of the above applies — Your first priority becomes obtaining a "5-year" period of stay.

Note that permanent residence reviews are widely reported to take a long time in practice. Rather than assuming "I'll make it if I apply by the end of March," we recommend starting your preparation early, factoring in the review period (see the practical information section below for the realities of processing times).

Also note that the February 24, 2026 revision explicitly added conformity with the landing permission criteria and related standards as a requirement.

Factor 3: Taxes, Pension, and Health Insurance — "On-Time Payment" Is Now an Explicit Standard

The most common problem area leading to denials in permanent residency reviews is the fulfillment of public obligations. "Public obligations" here means the proper fulfillment of tax payment, payment of public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and the notifications and other duties prescribed by the Immigration Control Act.

Particularly important is a rule now written explicitly into the current guidelines: even if you have completed payment by the time of application, payments not made by their original deadlines are, in principle, evaluated negatively. The idea that "paying everything off right before applying will be fine" does not work under today's review standards.

The retroactive review period and the required documents are roughly as follows:

• Resident tax: For work-related statuses, taxation certificates and tax payment certificates for the most recent 5 years; for spouses of Japanese nationals or Permanent Residents and other family-based statuses, the most recent 3 years; for biological children and similar, the most recent 1 year. In addition, you must submit materials showing that payments during that period were made by the deadlines (copies of bank passbooks, receipts, etc.). If your resident tax was collected via special collection (withheld from salary) for the entire period, materials proving on-time payment are not required.
• Highly Skilled Professional exception: Shortened to 3 years' worth for those with 70 points, and 1 year's worth for those with 80 points.
• National taxes: You must submit a Tax Payment Certificate No. 3 proving no outstanding payments across 5 tax categories: withholding income tax and special reconstruction income tax; self-assessed income tax and special reconstruction income tax; consumption tax and local consumption tax; inheritance tax; and gift tax.
• Public pension and public medical insurance: Materials showing your payment record for the most recent 2 years (1 year for biological children and similar). Records from Nenkin Net (the official online pension record service) and receipts for National Pension and National Health Insurance payments qualify.

If you used the National Pension exemption or deferral systems through proper official procedures, that alone does not immediately result in denial, but how it is evaluated in the review is decided case by case.

Public obligations also include the notification duties under the Immigration Control Act, such as notifying immigration within 14 days of a change of address or organization of affiliation. Missed notifications at the time of a job change or a move can also count against you, so review your past notification record.

As a pre-application self-check, confirm the following:

• Resident tax: paid on time for the most recent 5 years (3 years for spouse-based statuses)
• National taxes: no outstanding amounts across the 5 tax categories (provable with Tax Payment Certificate No. 3)
• Pension and health insurance: paid on time for the most recent 2 years
• You have kept receipts and records proving payment
• No missed notifications to immigration regarding address, organization of affiliation, etc.

Keeping your receipts and payment records as a daily habit is also a major asset when the time comes to apply.

Factor 4: The Good Conduct Requirement — Criminal Records and Traffic Violations

The good conduct requirement is described in the guidelines as "observing the law and living daily life as a resident in a manner not subject to social criticism." The accompanying notes cite not having been sentenced to a fine or imprisonment, in addition to the proper fulfillment of the public obligations described above.

As mentioned under Factor 1, applicants who qualify for the spouse or biological-child exceptions are not required to satisfy this requirement itself.

As practical rules of thumb (not codified standards), the situation can be organized as follows:

• Even minor traffic violations (parking violations, failure to stop, etc.) can count against you if there are several within roughly the most recent 5 years. In practice, an often-quoted rule of thumb is that "5 or fewer minor violations within the last 5 years" is usually not fatal — but this is not a published standard, and the evaluation shifts depending on the combination with other factors.
• Serious violations or criminal penalties such as drunk driving or driving without a license are major negative factors regardless of how many times they occurred.
• If you have been sentenced to a fine or imprisonment, the realistic approach is to apply after a certain period has passed (in practice, roughly 5 years for a fine and roughly 10 years for imprisonment are cited as rules of thumb) while demonstrating a good residence record during that time. These, too, are only practical rules of thumb.

Factor 5: The Independent Livelihood Requirement — How Income and Assets Are Assessed

The independent livelihood requirement means "not being a burden on the public in daily life, and being expected to lead a stable life in the future in light of one's assets or skills." This requirement is judged on a household basis, so even if the applicant personally has no income, it can be satisfied through a spouse's income or similar. Applicants who qualify for the spouse or biological-child exceptions are exempt from this requirement.

Regarding income, no explicit monetary standard exists in the laws or guidelines. In practice, however, a household annual income of around ¥3,000,000 is often cited as a benchmark, with an additional roughly ¥600,000–¥800,000 per dependent commonly said to be required (our site's assessment uses ¥700,000 as a mid-range figure). These are purely practical rules of thumb: meeting the figure is no guarantee of approval, and conversely, falling somewhat short may still be weighed together with other circumstances.

Pay attention to the number of years reviewed as well. For work-related statuses, your income for the most recent 5 years is examined (this tracks the number of years of taxation certificates you submit). Even if only your most recent income is high, a significant dip in the past may require explanation — and the same applies if you have a gap in income right after changing jobs.

Be especially careful with claiming many overseas relatives as dependents. Including cases aimed at tax deductions, the more dependents you have, the higher the required household income climbs — which tends to work against you. Immigration also verifies whether you are actually remitting money and supporting them in reality.

As for savings, they can serve as supplementary material when your income falls slightly below the benchmark range, but the practical sense is that savings cannot fully substitute for insufficient income.

Note that a review of the independent livelihood requirement and income standards is reportedly under consideration within the government, but the content and timing are undecided. For now, prepare on the basis of the current practice described above.

Factor 6: Overall Assessment — Guarantor, Notifications, and Other National Interest Elements

Even if you clear all five factors above, a final overall assessment awaits. Conformity with the national interest includes, in addition to fulfilling public obligations, posing no risk of harm from a public health standpoint, and — as made explicit in the February 24, 2026 revision — conformity with the landing permission criteria and related standards.

Your application requires a guarantor (in principle, a Japanese national, Permanent Resident, or Special Permanent Resident living in Japan). Since 2022, the documents required from the guarantor have been simplified; currently, a letter of guarantee and a copy of a document establishing the guarantor's identity are generally sufficient. The guarantee is a moral responsibility — the guarantor does not bear legal financial liability.

In addition, applications filed on or after October 1, 2021 require submission of a "Letter of Understanding." This is a document acknowledging that you will report any changes arising after application — such as tax delinquency, criminal penalties, or receipt of public assistance. In other words, what happens between your application and the decision is also part of the review. Do not let your guard down after applying: keep making payments and filing notifications on time.

Beyond this, the statement of reasons — explaining why you need permanent residence — is a key document: effectively mandatory for work-based applications, and recommended as an optional submission even for spouse-based applications.

Representative application documents can be summarized as follows (they vary by status of residence):

• Permanent residence permission application form and photo
• Statement of reasons (why you need permanent residence)
• Documents establishing identity and occupation, such as a residence certificate and certificate of employment
• Resident tax taxation/payment certificates and materials showing on-time payment
• National tax payment certificate (No. 3), and pension/health insurance payment records
• Letter of guarantee and documents establishing the guarantor's identity
• Letter of Understanding

Obligations Continue After Approval — The Permanent Residence Revocation System Starting April 2027

Under the amended Immigration Control Act enacted on June 14, 2024 (promulgated June 21, 2024), a new revocation system for permanent residents was established as part of "ensuring the proper functioning of the permanent residence permission system." The effective date has been fixed by Cabinet Order (Cabinet Order No. 340 of 2025) as April 1, 2027. It applies to those who have already received permanent residence permission (Special Permanent Residents are excluded).

What matters most is the scope of this system. The ISA's official Q&A states clearly that the target is "a small number of egregious cases who no longer meet the requirements after receiving permanent residence permission," and that the system "is not aimed at the large majority of permanent residents." Cases where payment is impossible due to unavoidable circumstances such as illness or unemployment are not contemplated, and negligent offenses or cases resulting only in a fine fall outside Item 9. Revocation is also not contemplated for cases like inadvertently forgetting to carry your residence card.

Moreover, even if a ground for revocation applies, permanent residence is not immediately revoked. In many cases, an ex officio change to another status of residence such as "Long-Term Resident" is considered first. Even where revocation does occur, a departure preparation period not exceeding 30 days is designated; the procedure guarantees an opportunity to state your opinion and submit evidence; and if you object to the disposition, you can file a revocation lawsuit. Furthermore, the supplementary provisions of the amended act require that the person's past payment record and current living situation be given full consideration in applying the system.

Note that the concrete operational standards (guidelines) for revocation were still being formulated as of 2026, and the operational details are expected to be published going forward.

Practical Information: Fees and Processing Times

The current fee is ¥10,000 (paid by revenue stamp) upon approval. It was revised from ¥8,000 to ¥10,000 for applications accepted on or after April 1, 2025.

Meanwhile, on May 29, 2026, an amended Immigration Control Act raising the statutory ceilings on fees was enacted. The ceiling for permanent residence permission rises from ¥10,000 to ¥300,000, and the ceiling for extension of period of stay and change of status of residence rises to ¥100,000. These points are confirmed fact.

However, the actual amounts will be set by Cabinet Order going forward. A draft Cabinet Order setting the permanent residence permission fee at ¥200,000 has been presented, with a public comment period running from July 3 to August 2, 2026 (in progress as of this article's publication). Application is planned for applications accepted on or after October 1, 2026 — the criterion being the date the application is accepted, not the approval date. All of this may change until finalized. A fee reduction system for those in financial hardship is also expected to be established by Cabinet Order.

Many readers will wonder, "Should I apply while the fee is still ¥10,000?" But rushing to apply while you do not meet the requirements only raises your risk of denial. Applying in a state where you solidly satisfy all 6 factors matters far more than the difference in fees.

To lay out the timeline ahead: the fee revision around October 2026 (planned; to be finalized by Cabinet Order), then in April 2027 the abolition of the "3-year deeming" treatment and the start of the permanent residence revocation system. Where you place your own application should be designed around these two milestones.

As additional practical information: as of 2026, permanent residence permission applications are not eligible for online application and must be filed at the counter of a regional immigration services office. As for processing times, the official standard processing period is stated as 4 months, but in practice many cases take around 1 year, and cases of around a year and a half have been reported at congested offices in major urban areas.

Summary: The 6 Review Factors

To recap the 6 factors examined in the permanent residency review:

1. Years of residence — In principle 10 years (including 5 continuous years under a work or residence status). Shortened routes exist for spouses, highly skilled professionals, Long-Term Residents, and others
2. Period of stay — "3 years" is acceptable only until the end of March 2027. After that, the longest period of stay (5 years in most cases) is required in principle
3. Public obligations — The standard is "on-time payment" of taxes, pension, and health insurance. Resident tax is reviewed retroactively for up to 5 years
4. Conduct — No fines or imprisonment. Watch out for accumulated traffic violations
5. Independent livelihood — Stable household income. In practice, roughly ¥3,000,000 per year plus an addition per dependent is the benchmark (not a codified standard)
6. Overall assessment — Guarantor, notification duties, Letter of Understanding. From April 2027, the post-approval revocation system also begins

Permanent residence permission is a review of your entire residence record in Japan. Precisely because the system is in a period of change, thorough preparation and an accurate grasp of your current position are the surest path to approval. If you have concerns about your situation, consider consulting a specialist such as an administrative scrivener who handles immigration matters.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Permanent residence reviews are decided case by case, and the information in this article may not apply to every situation. The system, fees, and other details may change in the future. For advice on your specific case, please consult a qualified specialist such as an administrative scrivener or attorney handling immigration matters.