Permanent Residency in Japan for Spouses of Japanese Nationals

This article explains when a foreign woman married to a Japanese man can apply for permanent residency in Japan, what immigration checks, and how permanent residency is different from becoming a Japanese citizen. In short: under the official guidelines, a spouse of a Japanese national can usually apply after the marriage has really continued for 3 years or more and she has lived in Japan for 1 year or more without a break. Paying taxes, pension and health insurance on time is very important.

Permanent residency is called Permanent Resident (永住者) in Japanese law. This article uses the official words so you can use them at the immigration counter.

What is permanent residency?

Permanent residency is a status of residence with no limit on your activities or your period of stay, but you keep your own nationality.

Permanent Resident is one of the statuses in "Appended Table II" of the Immigration Control Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法). The law describes it simply as a person whom the Minister of Justice permits to reside permanently. The Agency explains that this status has no limit on activities or period of stay, and that after permission there is no regular review such as a renewal of the period of stay. You do not need to renew your status every few years, as you do with the Spouse or Child of Japanese National status (日本人の配偶者等).

Permanent residency is not Japanese citizenship. You stay a citizen of your home country and keep your passport. Becoming a Japanese citizen is a different process called naturalization (帰化). It is explained near the end of this article.

What the law requires

The law has three conditions, but for the spouse of a Japanese national, two of them do not have to be met.

Article 22 of the Immigration Control Act says the Minister of Justice can give permission only when:

The person's conduct is good (素行が善良であること).
The person has enough assets or skills to support themselves (独立の生計を営むに足りる資産又は技能を有すること).
The person's permanent residence is in the interest of Japan (日本国の利益に合する).

The same article says that if the applicant is the spouse or child of a Japanese national, a permanent resident or a special permanent resident, conditions 1 and 2 do not have to be met. Condition 3, "in the interest of Japan," still applies to everyone.

So for you, the key question is condition 3. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan explains what it means in its Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (永住許可に関するガイドライン), revised on February 24, 2026.

The special rule for spouses: 3 years of marriage and 1 year in Japan

Most applicants need 10 years in Japan, but a spouse of a Japanese national needs a real marriage of 3 years or more and 1 year or more of continuous stay in Japan.

The guidelines say that, as a general rule, a person must have stayed in Japan continuously for 10 years or more. The guidelines then list special cases. For the spouse of a Japanese national, a permanent resident or a special permanent resident, the rule is:

The marriage has really continued for 3 years or more (実体を伴った婚姻生活が3年以上継続), and
You have stayed in Japan continuously for 1 year or more (引き続き1年以上本邦に在留).

Two words matter here:

"Really" means a marriage in real life, not only on paper. Immigration looks at whether you actually live as a married couple.
"Continuously" (引き続き) means without a break in your stay in Japan.

The 3 years count the marriage, and the 1 year counts your stay in Japan. The guidelines do not say the 3 years must all be in Japan. If you married abroad and lived together abroad before moving to Japan, ask the immigration office how your years are counted.

Meeting these periods means you can apply. It does not mean permission is automatic. The other points below are also checked.

Other points immigration checks

Even for spouses, the guidelines list several other points under "in the interest of Japan," and public duties are one of the most important.

The guidelines list these points:

Point	What the guidelines say
Criminal record	You have not received a fine or imprisonment (罰金刑や拘禁刑)
Public duties (公的義務)	You properly pay taxes, public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and you make the notifications required by the Immigration Control Act
Period of stay	Your current status has the longest period of stay allowed for it
Landing standards	Where rules for your status apply, you meet them
Public health	You are not a risk to public health

Public duties: pay on time, not only before you apply

The guidelines say that if you paid late, it is normally viewed negatively, even if everything is paid by the time you apply.

Public duties include:

Taxes, such as residence tax (住民税) and income tax
Public pension premiums (公的年金)
Public medical insurance premiums (公的医療保険), such as National Health Insurance (国民健康保険)
Notifications under the Immigration Control Act, such as reporting your address

The important point is timing. Paying old unpaid amounts just before applying does not erase the problem. If your husband supports you, his tax and insurance records are also checked (see the documents below).

The longest period of stay

You must hold the longest period of stay for your status, but until March 31, 2027, a 3-year period is treated as the longest.

For the Spouse or Child of Japanese National status, the periods are 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months, as explained in our spouse visa article. The guidelines say you must be staying with the longest period set in the rules for your status.

The guidelines add a transition note: until March 31, 2027, a period of stay of "3 years" is treated as the longest period. If you hold a 3-year period on that date, this treatment applies only to the first decision you receive during that period of stay.

So if your current card shows 1 year or 6 months, you may need to wait until you are given a longer period.

Documents for the spouse of a Japanese national

The Agency publishes a separate document list for spouses, and it asks for 3 years of residence tax records and 2 years of pension and insurance records.

Main items on the Agency's list for the spouse of a Japanese national:

Document	Notes
Application form for Permission for Permanent Residence (永住許可申請書)	1 copy, with 1 photo (4 cm x 3 cm)
Husband's family register (戸籍謄本)	Full certificate showing the marriage
Marriage certificate from your home country	1 copy
Residence record for the whole household (住民票)	My Number must be left out, nothing else
Proof of work	For example, an employment certificate (在職証明書). If self-employed, a tax return. Other cases: a written explanation
Residence tax certificates (住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書 and 納税証明書)	The most recent 3 years, plus proof you paid on time (for example, bank book copies), unless tax was taken from salary
National tax payment certificate (納税証明書その3)	For 5 types of national tax, from your local tax office
Proof of income	For example, bank book copies
Pension and health insurance records	The past 2 years
Family list (親族一覧表)	1 copy
Letter of guarantee (身元保証書)	Usually signed by your husband, with a copy of his ID
Letter of understanding (了解書)	1 copy
Passport and residence card	Show at the counter

The income and tax records cover you and the person who supports you. Certificates issued in Japan must be issued within 3 months. Documents in a foreign language need a Japanese translation.

The Agency also publishes a self-check sheet for spouses. It says that if even one answer is "No," the application is more likely to be refused, and that all "Yes" answers do not guarantee permission.

Where to apply, how long it takes, and the fee

You apply at the regional immigration office for your address, the standard processing period is 4 to 6 months, and the fee is now 200,000 yen if permission is given.

Where: the regional immigration office (地方出入国在留管理官署) that covers your address.
Who: you yourself, or an approved agent such as a registered lawyer or administrative scrivener (行政書士). The Agency says being busy with work or school is not accepted as a reason for not coming yourself.
When: before your current period of stay ends. If your period of stay will end while the permanent residency application is still being reviewed, you must also apply separately to extend your current status.
Processing time: the standard processing period is 4 to 6 months.
Appeal: there is no administrative appeal for this procedure.

Fee from October 2026

The fee was revised on October 1, 2026:

200,000 yen when permission is given, paid with revenue stamps (収入印紙)
Applications received by September 30, 2026 pay the old fee of 10,000 yen, even if permission comes on or after October 1
A reduced fee of 20,000 yen applies to applicants who meet certain conditions
A card fee may be added if a special type of residence card (特定在留カード) is issued

After you become a permanent resident

Permanent residency can be cancelled in some cases, and new rules about unpaid taxes start on April 1, 2027.

A 2024 amendment to the Immigration Control Act added new reasons to cancel permanent residency, such as not following duties under the Act, intentionally not paying taxes and public charges (故意に公租公課の支払をしないこと), and imprisonment for certain crimes. The Agency's guidelines on this were made in October 2026, and the Agency says it will start using them on April 1, 2027.

The law also says that, unless staying in Japan is not appropriate, the Minister changes the person to another status instead of making them leave. Still, the simple lesson is the same as before you apply: keep paying taxes, pension and insurance on time, and keep your residence card up to date.

Permanent residency or naturalization?

Naturalization makes you a Japanese citizen, and for a spouse the Nationality Act relaxes the residence and age conditions, but you normally must give up your old nationality.

Naturalization (帰化) is handled by a different office: the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局・地方法務局) for your address, not the immigration office. You must go there yourself to apply in writing.

General conditions (Article 5 of the Nationality Act)

The Nationality Act (国籍法), Article 5, lists six conditions, including:

Living in Japan continuously for 5 years or more
Being 18 or older and having legal capacity under your home country's law
Good conduct
Being able to make a living from your own, or your spouse's or relatives', assets or skills
Having no nationality, or losing your nationality when you become Japanese
Never having planned or joined a group that plans to destroy the Constitution or government by violence

The special rule for spouses (Article 7)

Article 7 says that for the foreign spouse of a Japanese national, conditions 1 and 2 above do not have to be met if either:

You have lived in Japan for 3 years or more continuously and live in Japan now, or
3 years have passed since the marriage and you have lived in Japan for 1 year or more continuously.

Conditions 3 to 6 still apply. In particular, condition 5 means you normally lose your current nationality. Article 5, paragraph 2 allows an exception only when you cannot lose your nationality by your own will and there are special circumstances.

Quick comparison

	Permanent residency (永住)	Naturalization (帰化)
Your nationality	You keep it	Normally you lose it
Where to apply	Regional immigration office	Legal Affairs Bureau
Spouse rule	Real marriage 3+ years and 1+ year in Japan (guidelines)	3+ years in Japan, or 3+ years of marriage and 1+ year in Japan (Article 7)
Passport	Your home country's	Japanese

Which is better depends on your life, your family and your home country's rules. Ask your embassy how your home country treats a change of nationality before you decide.

FAQ

How many years of marriage do I need before I can apply?

The guidelines say a real marriage of 3 years or more, plus 1 year or more of continuous stay in Japan. Meeting these periods lets you apply. Permission is still decided case by case.

Can I apply if my current period of stay is 1 year?

The guidelines require the longest period of stay for your status. Until March 31, 2027, 3 years is treated as the longest. With a 1-year period, ask the immigration office before you apply.

What happens to my permanent residency application if we divorce?

The special rule in the guidelines is for spouses of Japanese nationals. If you divorce, you must also report it to immigration within 14 days. Ask the immigration office how your application will be handled. Also see what happens to your spouse visa if you divorce.

Can I work freely after I get permanent residency?

Yes. Permanent Resident is a Table II status, and the Agency says it has no limit on the type of work under the Immigration Control Act. The spouse status also has no such limit; see can you work on a spouse visa in Japan.

Summary

Permanent residency (永住者) has no limit on period of stay or activities, and you keep your own nationality.
For the spouse of a Japanese national, the guidelines require a real marriage of 3 years or more and 1 year or more of continuous stay in Japan.
Paying taxes, pension and health insurance on time is checked. Late payment is normally viewed negatively.
You need the longest period of stay for your status. Until March 31, 2027, 3 years counts as the longest.
Standard processing is 4 to 6 months. The fee is 200,000 yen for applications received from October 1, 2026.
Naturalization (帰化) is a different process at the Legal Affairs Bureau, and you normally lose your old nationality.
Rules depend on each person's situation. In the end, please check with your regional immigration office or the Legal Affairs Bureau.

References

Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (永住許可に関するガイドライン, revised February 24, 2026): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyukan_nyukan50.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Application for Permission for Permanent Residence (永住許可申請): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-4.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, documents for permanent residence for the spouse of a Japanese national (永住許可申請1): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/zairyu_eijyu01.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Guidelines on cancellation of Permanent Resident status (永住者の在留資格の取消しに関するガイドライン): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/deportation/resources/nyukan_nyukan85_00002.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, the guidelines above (PDF, made October 1, 2026): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001416944.pdf (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Ministry of Justice, Nationality Q&A (国籍Q&A): https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/minji78.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Nationality Act (国籍法, Articles 5 and 7): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC0000000147 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Article 22, Appended Table II): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 (Checked on October 25, 2026)