The Japanese government has extended the residency requirement for foreign nationals applying for citizenship from five to ten consecutive years, as part of efforts to tighten the naturalisation process.
According to the Justice Ministry, the revised policy will take effect from April 1 and also introduces stricter documentation requirements for applicants.
As reported by the Economic Times on Tuesday, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi explained that the decision was aimed at addressing concerns about how easily citizenship could be obtained.
“The changes aim to address concerns that obtaining Japanese nationality has been easier than securing permanent residency. Lawmakers had raised questions in parliament last year, noting that citizenship grants voting rights, and argued it should not be simpler to acquire than permanent residency,” he said.
Under the updated guidelines, applicants will now be required to provide two years of social insurance records and five years of tax payment certificates, expanding on the previous criteria.
A ministry official noted that the changes are not expected to significantly affect applications.
“Naturalisation applications undergo comprehensive screening, and most successful applicants typically have lived in Japan for ten years or longer,” an official said.
The ministry clarified that the changes apply to administrative guidelines rather than the nationality law itself, which still officially stipulates a five-year residency requirement. However, officials said the updated measures are intended to align citizenship criteria more closely with those for permanent residency.
Applicants who submitted their requests before April 1 under the previous five-year rule will still be evaluated based on the existing criteria, with final decisions subject to the discretion of the minister.
The policy shift follows concerns raised by lawmakers, who argued that the process for acquiring citizenship should reflect its long-term legal and civic responsibilities.
In 2025, over 9,200 foreign nationals were granted citizenship, with most applicants coming from China and South Korea. In comparison, about 932,000 foreigners held permanent residency status in Japan as of June 2025.
