What do you need to naturalise and acquire Japanese nationality? The Nationality Act (for people from mainland China and Taiwan)

In short: naturalisation is the system by which a foreign national applies to acquire Japanese nationality, and it requires the Minister of Justice's permission (Article 4 of the Nationality Act). The requirements for ordinary naturalisation are six: having had an address in Japan continuously for five years or more; being 18 or over with capacity to act under one's national law; good conduct; being able to make a living; in principle losing one's previous nationality on naturalisation (prevention of dual nationality); and observing the Constitution (Article 5 of the Nationality Act). Spouses and children of Japanese nationals have relaxed requirements under simplified naturalisation (Articles 6, 7 and 8). Preparing the naturalisation-permission application documents and consultation is handled by the administrative scrivener, but in principle the application is made by the person appearing at the Legal Affairs Bureau or District Legal Affairs Bureau, and an administrative scrivener cannot apply for naturalisation on the person's behalf. Renouncing nationality and obtaining the home-country family register or notarial certificate are for the home country's notary bodies and consulate; residence-status procedures are procedures of the Immigration Services Agency; and where inheritance or registration is involved, for a judicial scrivener or tax accountant — each handed off separately, on the premise that you contract with each as an independent business. Sale and management of inherited real estate is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business. This article is general information and does not guarantee the feasibility of an individual naturalisation or that requirements are met. The final decision is made by the Minister of Justice. Our office receives no referral fee.

What is the difference between naturalisation and permanent residence, and which should you choose?

Naturalisation and permanent residence are often confused but are fundamentally different systems. Naturalisation acquires Japanese nationality to become Japanese (basis: the Nationality Act; window: the Legal Affairs Bureau); permanent residence obtains the residence status "permanent resident" while remaining a foreign national (basis: the Immigration Act; window: the Immigration Services Agency).

Item	Naturalisation	Permanent residence
Status obtained	Japanese nationality (become Japanese)	Residence status "permanent resident" while foreign
Governing law	Nationality Act	Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act
Window	Legal Affairs Bureau / District Legal Affairs Bureau	Immigration Services Agency
Original nationality	In principle lost (prevention of dual nationality)	Retained
Voting rights, etc.	Obtained	Not obtained

Which suits you varies with your own circumstances — whether you want to keep your original nationality, how you view voting rights and status in Japan. This explains the difference between the systems; the final choice is made by the person. For the whole picture of switching from residence status, see also Residence status for foreign business owners (Business Manager visa) and company formation.

What are the requirements (address, livelihood, conduct, prevention of dual nationality)?

The requirements for ordinary naturalisation are set out in Article 5, paragraph 1 of the Nationality Act. There are six.

Requirement	Content
Address	Having had an address in Japan continuously for five years or more
Capacity	Being 18 or over and having capacity to act under one's national law
Conduct	Good conduct (judged overall from tax payment, compliance with laws, etc.)
Livelihood	Being able to make a living by the assets or skills of oneself or a spouse or other relative sharing living expenses
Prevention of dual nationality	Being stateless, or in principle losing one's previous nationality on naturalisation
Observance of the Constitution	Not having plotted to destroy by force the Constitution or a government established under it, etc.

The age in the capacity requirement changed from "20 or over" to "18 or over" on 1 April 2022. The prevention-of-dual-nationality requirement has an exception where one cannot lose nationality regardless of one's own will (Article 5, paragraph 2). There is also simplified naturalisation relaxing the address requirement, etc., for children and spouses of Japanese nationals and people born in Japan (Articles 6, 7 and 8). For example, a spouse of a Japanese national may receive a relaxation combining marriage and a certain period of residence. Which provision you fall under is checked after gathering documents.

What documents do people from mainland China and Taiwan prepare at home?

Documents proving status relationships prepared at home differ by country's system. Mainland China has no family-register system like Japan's, so status is proved by notarial certificates. Taiwan has a household-registration system, so household-registration documents are used.

Origin	Examples of home-country documents mainly prepared
Mainland China	Birth notarial certificate, kinship notarial certificate (showing the relationship of parents, siblings, children, etc.), documents proving nationality, etc. Some are unnecessary, e.g. if born in Japan
Taiwan	Household register, removed household register, documents showing status relationships such as marriage and birth

China does not recognise dual nationality, and a Chinese citizen residing abroad who voluntarily acquires foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality (Article 9 of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China). Taiwan (the Republic of China) handles loss of nationality on the home-country side after permission for naturalisation. These documents often need a Japanese translation, and depending on the recipient, notarisation, consular authentication or an apostille may be required. The need differs by document and recipient, so see also Distinguishing authentication of foreign-related documents (apostille, notarisation, consular authentication).

What is the flow of a naturalisation application and where do people stumble in review?

A naturalisation-permission application is made, in principle, by the person appearing at the Legal Affairs Bureau or District Legal Affairs Bureau that has jurisdiction over their address (for under-15s, a legal representative applies on their behalf). At a preliminary consultation the required documents are confirmed; after gathering them the application is received, followed by an interview and investigation; when the Minister of Justice grants permission it is announced in the Official Gazette, and Japanese nationality is acquired from the date of announcement (Article 10).

Have a question about your situation?

Tell us about your residency, permit or administrative procedure enquiry.

Chat on LINEContact us

People stumble on the continuity of the address requirement (which can be broken by a long absence), tax payment and traffic offences relating to the conduct requirement, explaining the livelihood requirement, and obtaining and translating home-country documents. The administrative scrivener can support the preparation and organisation of these documents and advise where to fill gaps. However, the final judgement on whether requirements are met is made by the Minister of Justice, and an administrative scrivener cannot carry out on the person's behalf a procedure requiring the person's appearance. Naturalisation is also not subject to the immigration application-agency system.

Who should you consult where residence status, inheritance or registration is involved?

Before and after naturalisation, other systems may be involved. Each is on the premise that you contract separately as an independent business.

• Renewal or change of residence status before naturalisation → procedures of the Immigration Services Agency (residence procedures). These have a different window and governing law from naturalisation itself
• Renunciation or loss of nationality at home, and obtaining the home-country family register or notarial certificate → the home country's notary bodies and consulate. A Japanese administrative scrivener does not do this on your behalf
• Inheritance disputes or interpretation of foreign law where inheritance arises before or after naturalisation → a lawyer
• Inheritance registration and other real estate or company registration → a judicial scrivener
• Inheritance tax, income tax and other tax → a tax accountant
• Sale and management of inherited real estate → a real estate broker (Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business)

What the administrative scrivener handles is preparing and organising the naturalisation-permission application documents, organising home-country and translated documents, organising materials to pass to each professional, and attending consultations. For the governing law of inheritance involving foreign nationality, see Procedures where an heir resides overseas or is a foreign national. For the flow of engagement, see Engagement Flow; for fees, see Fee Schedule; and for the whole range of work handled, see Services. We also handle consultations in Chinese (traditional and simplified) and English. Our office receives no referral fee.

FAQ

Q. What happens to my original nationality if I naturalise?
A. Because Japan does not, in principle, recognise dual nationality, on naturalisation you in principle lose your previous nationality (the prevention-of-dual-nationality requirement). People from mainland China are said to automatically lose Chinese nationality on acquiring Japanese nationality; people from Taiwan handle loss and other procedures on the home-country side after naturalisation. Individual handling depends on the home country's system.

Q. Can I leave the whole naturalisation application to an administrative scrivener?
A. The administrative scrivener can support the preparation and organisation of documents and consultation, but the application is in principle made by the person appearing at the Legal Affairs Bureau or District Legal Affairs Bureau. Naturalisation is not subject to the immigration application-agency system, and an administrative scrivener cannot apply on the person's behalf.

Q. Is the five-year address requirement reset if I go abroad in the meantime?
A. Because the continuity of "continuously" is examined, residence may be judged to have been broken by a long absence, etc. How much breaks it is judged on individual circumstances, so organise your entry and exit records and check in advance. The final judgement is made by the Minister of Justice.

Q. Will an administrative scrivener guarantee that I meet the naturalisation requirements?
A. No. The administrative scrivener handles organising documents and support in consultation, but whether requirements are met and whether naturalisation is permitted are judged by the Minister of Justice. This article too is general information and does not guarantee an individual permission.

Sources (Primary Information)

• e-Gov Law Search, "Nationality Act" (Act No. 147 of 1950), Article 4 (naturalisation requires the Minister of Justice's permission), Article 5 (conditions for ordinary naturalisation; the age in paragraph 1, item 2 is 18 or over from 1 April 2022), Articles 6 to 8 (simplified naturalisation) and Article 10 (effect arising by announcement in the Official Gazette) (accessed 2026-09-29)
• Ministry of Justice, "Naturalisation Permission Application" (conditions for naturalisation, the application made by the person appearing at the Legal Affairs Bureau or District Legal Affairs Bureau with jurisdiction over the address, required documents, review and announcement in the Official Gazette) (accessed 2026-09-29)
• Legal Affairs Bureau, "Documents attached to the naturalisation-permission application (for people of Chinese (Taiwanese) nationality)" (examples of home-country documents: notarial certificates for mainland China, household-registration documents for Taiwan) (accessed 2026-09-29)
• Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, Article 9 (a Chinese citizen residing abroad who voluntarily acquires foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality) (accessed 2026-09-29)

This article is general information and does not guarantee the feasibility of an individual naturalisation, whether requirements are met, whether documents are needed, or the effect of procedures. Preparing the naturalisation-permission application documents and consultation is for an administrative scrivener, renunciation or loss of nationality at home and obtaining home-country documents for the home country's notary bodies and consulate, residence-status procedures for the Immigration Services Agency, inheritance disputes and interpretation of foreign law for a lawyer, inheritance and other registration for a judicial scrivener, inheritance and income tax for a tax accountant, and sale and management of inherited real estate for a real estate broker, each as an independent business under a separate contract. A naturalisation application is a procedure in which the person appears at the Legal Affairs Bureau, and an administrative scrivener cannot apply on the person's behalf. Consultation on inherited real estate is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business, and our office receives no referral fee. The individual decision is made by the Minister of Justice after a meeting. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real estate broker.