Japan Permanent Residence

An unlimited stay with no work restriction and no renewal, granted after ten years of residence or faster on a points score. Since October 2026 it also carries tests of household income, pension record and language, and it can be revoked for unpaid public dues.

Programme snapshot

Why it exists

Permanent residence is the end of the immigration ladder. It removes the employer link, the renewal cycle and the reporting that come with every work status. It is also the only status that survives unemployment, a change of career, or a period of caring for family.

Japan does not sell it. There is no investment route, and buying property or holding shares counts for nothing. Time, tax records and conduct are the currency.

The tests

The clock. Ten years of residence, five of them on a work or residence status. Seventy points on the Highly Skilled Professional table cuts it to three years, eighty to one, and J-Skip to one. A spouse of a Japanese national applies after five years of marriage and three years of residence.

The longest period rule. You must hold the longest period of stay available in your status. A three year grant is treated as the longest until 31 March 2027, after which only a five year grant satisfies it.

Household income. Measured against the average Japanese household of the same size. Income earned on a dependant visa is excluded, so a family that only clears the line because a spouse works part time fails.

Pension. A projection, not a receipt. The record and expected benefit must match what someone who paid thirty years at your income level would receive. Assets can cover a shortfall, and the benchmark is lower for younger applicants.

Language. Japanese at roughly N3, described as B1, is a formal consideration. Exemptions cover Highly Skilled Professional holders, spouses and children of Japanese nationals, six years of Japanese schooling, and children of permanent residents born in Japan.

Application flow

1. Check the clock. Count only the years on a status that qualifies, and confirm you hold the longest period available.
2. Pull your tax, pension and health insurance records. Gaps are the commonest refusal reason.
3. Assemble employment evidence, residence history and a statement of why you need permanence.
4. File at the regional immigration bureau. The fee is JPY 200,000 reported from 1 October 2026.
5. Expect six to twelve months and at least one request for further documents.
6. Keep paying public dues after the grant. Non-payment can revoke it from 1 April 2027.

Good fit

Someone who has held a work status for a decade, paid pension and health insurance without gaps, earns above the household benchmark, and intends to stay. A Highly Skilled Professional who reached 80 points and can apply after one year.

Poor fit

Anyone with pension arrears, a thin tax record, or household income below the benchmark for their family size. Anyone whose residence has only ever been granted in one year blocks. And anyone who assumes a clean five years is enough, because the residence rule is ten.

Watchpoints

1. The October 2026 revision applies to applications filed from 1 April 2027. Parts apply to files already pending.
2. Dependant income does not count toward the household benchmark.
3. The three year period rule closes on 31 March 2027. After that, five years is the minimum grant that qualifies.
4. Absences matter. Six months in one go, or two and a half years in total across ten, is a negative factor.
5. The fee is reported, not confirmed. JPY 200,000 from 1 October 2026, per the BBC and KPMG. The fee schedule page could not be opened.
6. Revocation is real from April 2027. Unpaid tax, pension or insurance can cost you a status you already hold.

Sources

• Immigration Services Agency, Guidelines on Permanent Residency Permits, revised 1 October 2026, checked 2026-10-23
• Immigration Control Act, Article 22, checked 2026-10-23
• BBC and KPMG reporting on the fee increase, checked 2026-10-23