Permanent residency in Japan: requirements, fee and the 2027 changes

The main requirements for permanent residency (永住, eijū) in Japan are 10 years of continuous stay, with at least 5 of those years on a work or residence-based status, plus good conduct, enough income to live on, and taxes, pension and health insurance paid on time. Spouses of Japanese nationals and highly skilled professionals can apply sooner. The fee is ¥200,000 for applications received from October 1, 2026. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA).

What are the basic requirements for permanent residency in Japan?

The law (Immigration Act, Article 22) sets three tests. ISA’s guideline explains how it applies them.

“Public duties” means taxes, public pension and public health insurance premiums, and the notifications the Immigration Act requires, such as reporting a new address. Late payment counts against you even if you paid everything before you applied.

You must also hold the longest period of stay available for your current status. Until March 31, 2027, ISA treats a 3-year period of stay as meeting this.

Spouses and children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents don’t have to pass the good-conduct and livelihood tests in law. They still need the other conditions.

Which years count toward the 10-year rule?

You need 10 years of continuous stay. Within that, at least 5 years in a row must be on a work status or a residence-based status (such as spouse visa or long-term resident).

Time on Technical Intern Training (技能実習) or Specified Skilled Worker (i) (特定技能1号) does not count as work status for this purpose.

Who can apply before 10 years?

ISA’s guideline lists shorter routes. These apply to applications made up to March 31, 2027.

For the highly skilled routes, you can also qualify if your points, counted at the date 3 years (or 1 year) before you apply, were already at 70 (or 80) and stayed there. This route is open even if you were not on the Highly Skilled Professional visa.

What changes for applications from April 1, 2027?

ISA published a revised guideline on October 1, 2026. It applies in full to applications made on or after April 1, 2027. Its income rules also apply now to applications made from April 1, 2026.

The main changes:

• Spouse route gets longer: 5 years of real married life and 3 years in Japan, instead of 3 and 1. Children of Japanese or PR need 3 years in Japan.
• Income test: your household income must stay above the average income of a Japanese household of the same size. Income of family members on a dependent visa (家族滞在) does not count. Relatives you support abroad add to your household size.
• Pension test: ISA compares your projected pension with what a person at that income level would get after 30 years in employees’ pension (厚生年金). Savings can make up a gap.
• Time abroad: in the last 10 years, a single trip of 6 months or more, or 2 years 6 months in total, counts against you without a good reason.
• Japanese ability: B1 level on Japan’s reference framework (日本語教育の参照枠) becomes a factor. Highly skilled applicants and their families, and people with 6+ years of Japanese schooling, are among the exceptions.
• Rules of life in Japan: ISA will check your understanding of Japanese rules, centered on its Living and Working Guidebook (生活・就労ガイドブック).
• School-age children must attend elementary or junior high school.

How much does permanent residency cost?

A reduced fee of ¥20,000 exists only for spouses and children of Japanese nationals, PR or special PR who are in serious financial hardship or need humanitarian consideration. You need proof, and you must apply at the counter: the online system can’t apply the reduction.

What documents do you need?

Lists differ by status. For work visas and dependents, ISA’s list includes:

• application form and a 4 cm × 3 cm photo
• a statement of reasons (理由書) explaining why you want PR, translated into Japanese if written in another language
• household residence record (住民票) without My Number (個人番号)
• proof of employment
• the last 5 years of resident tax certificates (課税証明書 and 納税証明書), plus proof you paid on time if tax was not deducted from salary
• national tax certificate (納税証明書 その3) for five tax types, from the tax office
• the last 2 years of pension and health insurance payment records
• a letter from a guarantor (身元保証書), normally a Japanese national or PR living in Japan
• passport and residence card (在留カード), shown at the counter

Spouses of Japanese nationals or PR submit 3 years of resident tax records instead of 5. ISA also publishes a self-check sheet: one “No” answer makes refusal likely.

For pension records, ask your pension office for the 被保険者記録照会回答票, or print from ねんきんネット. ねんきんネット is in Japanese only.

How long does it take, and how do you apply?

PR takes effect when you receive the new residence card. ISA lists no administrative appeal against a refusal.

If your visa runs out while you wait, see our visa renewal guide.

Can permanent residency be taken away?

Yes. A 2024 amendment to the Immigration Act adds new grounds from April 1, 2027: not following Immigration Act duties, intentionally not paying taxes or social insurance, and certain serious crimes with a prison sentence.

ISA’s Q&A says “intentionally” means you know you owe and can pay, but don’t. Missing payments because of illness or job loss is not meant to trigger it. Forgetting to carry your card is not meant to either. In most cases ISA expects to switch the person to long-term resident (定住者) rather than remove them.

PR holders also still renew the residence card, report address changes, and leave Japan on a re-entry permit. The special re-entry permit (みなし再入国) lasts 1 year from departure.

If you are deciding between PR and citizenship, compare them in permanent residency vs naturalization (帰化).

More guides: spouse visa in Japan, Japanese naturalization process, visa renewal in Japan, getting a mortgage without permanent residency.