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🇯🇵 Japan · Permanent Residency

Permanent-residence routes: eligibility, required years of residence, and the official application steps — including any investment routes where a country offers them.

Quick answer

Japanese permanent residence usually requires around ten years of continuous residence (less for spouses of Japanese nationals or high-skilled professionals under a points system), a stable income and good conduct. The Immigration Services Agency decides.

Permanent residence in Japan (eijū-ken) lets you live and work without status-of-residence restrictions or renewals of period of stay. The standard requirement is around ten years' continuous residence (with several years on a work or other qualifying status), but the Highly Skilled Professional points system can shorten this to three years (70 points) or one year (80 points). Applications are decided at the discretion of the Minister of Justice via the Immigration Services Agency (ISA), which tightened screening in 2026.

  • Standard route: roughly ten years' continuous residence, with several years held on a work or other qualifying status of residence.
  • The Highly Skilled Professional points system can reduce the wait to three years (70+ points) or one year (80+ points).
  • Applicants must show good conduct, stable independent income and a clean record of tax and social-insurance payments; screening has tightened recently.
  • Permanent residence is granted at the discretion of the Minister of Justice via the ISA — confirm current requirements before applying.

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Choose your PR route

    Most applicants qualify by long residence (generally 10 years, with recent work status), or faster via the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points route or marriage to a Japanese national.

  2. 2

    Confirm the qualifying period and conduct

    Meet the residence period, hold a valid long-term status, show good conduct, stable income and paid taxes/pension.

  3. 3

    Prepare a guarantor and documents

    Arrange a guarantor (often employer or spouse) and gather tax, pension, employment and residence records.

  4. 4

    Apply at the Immigration Services Agency

    File the permanent-residence application at your regional Immigration Services Agency office; processing can take several months.

  5. 5

    Receive permanent residence

    Once granted, your status has no renewal of period of stay, though you renew the residence card periodically and keep re-entry permits for long trips.

  6. 6

    Understand rights and path to citizenship

    Permanent residents can work in any field; naturalization is separate (generally 5 years’ residence) and Japan does not permit dual nationality for adults.

Checklist

  • PR route (10-year residence / HSP points / marriage)
  • Residence period + good conduct + stable income
  • Taxes + pension paid
  • Guarantor + documents
  • Application at Immigration Services Agency
  • Permanent status (renew card + re-entry permit)
  • Work in any field
  • Naturalization separate (no adult dual nationality)

Official authorities

Frequently asked questions

How long until I can apply for PR in Japan?

Generally about ten years of continuous residence, but highly-skilled professionals can qualify in as little as one to three years under the points system.

What are the main requirements?

Stable finances, tax and pension compliance, good conduct and a guarantor; the exact bar depends on your status.

Does PR expire?

PR status is indefinite, but you need a re-entry permit for long trips abroad and must carry residence documentation.

Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.

Government portals

This topic in other countries

🇺🇸 United States 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇦 Canada 🇦🇺 Australia 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
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