Good conduct requirement
You must comply with the law and lead a life that would not draw social criticism as a resident. This covers not only a criminal record, but also an accumulation of minor traffic violations.
PERMANENT RESIDENCE
Permanent Residence Application Support
Permanent Resident status carries an unlimited period of stay and no restriction on employment. It is examined far more strictly than other statuses. We explain the three basic requirements and the pitfalls that come up in practice.
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- Reapplication after refusal
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OVERVIEW
What is permanent residence?
Permanent residence is a status of residence granted based on personal status rather than a specific activity. The period of stay is unlimited and there is no restriction on the type of work you can do. You must satisfy the three requirements — good conduct, independent livelihood, and conformity with national interest — set out in the Immigration Services Agency's "Guidelines for Granting Permission for Permanent Residence." No matter how long you have lived in Japan, a single unnoticed mistake can still lead to refusal.
A permanent residence application commonly takes anywhere from around 10 months to over a year to reach a decision (and can take even longer depending on which regional office handles it). Because of this, it is important to check — well before applying — whether you have any late payments in the most recent 5 years, whether your income is adequate for the number of dependents you have, and whether every member of your household is properly enrolled in social insurance, and to build in a generous timeline.
Note that even after being granted permanent residence, the residence card itself must still be renewed every 7 years. For a detailed confirmation of the requirements and help preparing your application, please feel free to contact us.
REQUIREMENTS
Three basic requirements
Independent livelihood requirement
You must not become a burden on the public (such as needing welfare assistance), and must have a financial basis to sustain a stable, self-sufficient life long-term. There are practical benchmarks for income and how dependents are counted.
Conformity with national interest
This is assessed comprehensively across several factors: years of residence (in principle 10 years or more, including 5 years or more on a work-based or status-based visa), timely payment of taxes and insurance, and holding a period of stay of at least 3 years.
GOOD CONDUCT
① Good conduct in practice
Criminal record
You must have no history of imprisonment or fines for violating Japanese law.
Accumulated minor traffic violations
A surprisingly common cause of refusal is an accumulation of minor traffic violations (failing to stop, illegal parking, speeding, etc.). As a rough benchmark, roughly 3–4 or more violations over the past 5 years can be enough for "good conduct" not to be recognized.
LIVELIHOOD
② Independent livelihood in practice
Income benchmark
When applying for permanent residence from a work visa, a common practical benchmark is that the applicant's own annual income was ¥3 million or more in every one of the most recent 5 years.
Accounting for dependents
Where you have dependents (a spouse, children, parents overseas, etc.), the income benchmark rises by roughly ¥700,000–800,000 for each additional dependent.
Combining household income
Because this is assessed on the stability of the household as a whole, the income of a legally married spouse can be combined. However, even where you live together and share a household, the income of an unmarried partner cannot, in principle, be combined to strengthen the application.
Maternity/childcare leave
Where income temporarily fell below ¥3 million during the most recent 5 years due to maternity or childcare leave, this temporary dip can be flexibly treated as an unavoidable circumstance — provided you can show, with supporting documentation (such as an explanatory letter), that you returned to lawful, stable employment at your previous employer (or an equivalent position) after the leave.
NATIONAL INTEREST
③ Conformity with national interest in practice
A. Meeting the years-of-residence requirement
In principle, you must have resided in Japan continuously for 10 years or more, including at least 5 continuous years on a "work-based" status (such as Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services) or a "status-based" visa (such as Long-Term Resident). For example, 5 years on a "Student" visa plus 5 years under "Specified Skilled Worker Type 1" — 10 years in total — would still be refused, because neither period counts as work-based residence.
- Spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident: the 10-year requirement is waived where the marriage has had substance for 3 years or more, and you have resided in Japan continuously for 1 year or more
- Biological or special adopted child of a Japanese national or permanent resident: continuous residence in Japan for 1 year or more is sufficient
- Long-Term Resident: continuous residence in Japan for 5 years or more since acquiring Long-Term Resident status
- Highly Skilled Professional (points-based system): 3 continuous years of residence at 70 points or more, or 1 continuous year at 80 points or more, allows an application for permanent residence
B. "Proper" (i.e., on-time) fulfillment of public obligations — taxes, pension, health insurance
In recent practice, this is the most strictly examined point and the most common cause of refusal. Beyond income and resident tax, you must pay your public pension (National Pension, Employees' Pension) and public health insurance (National Health Insurance, Employees' Health Insurance) premiums "properly" — meaning by their due date. Simply having no outstanding balance at the end is not enough; examiners strictly check whether every payment was made by the deadline set by your municipal government, without a single day's delay. This is a particular risk for anyone who pays by individual notice rather than payroll deduction — such as someone between jobs, a sole proprietor, or a part-time worker — where even a single payment just a few days late can be enough to cause a refusal.
C. Holding a period of stay of 3 years or more
Your current status of residence must carry the longest available period of stay (currently 3 years). If your period of stay is still 1 year, your application will not be accepted, no matter how long you have lived in Japan.
COMMON PITFALLS
Three commonly overlooked pitfalls
① A late payment is not "reset" by paying it back later
Even if you later pay off unpaid taxes or social insurance premiums in a lump sum, the fact that you once failed to meet a deadline does not disappear. Once a single late payment occurs, you must build up a fresh track record — from that point forward — of paying everything on time, without a single day's delay, for the full 5 years (or 1–3 years, depending on the visa type) immediately preceding your application. To avoid an accidental missed payment, we strongly recommend setting up automatic bank transfer (direct debit) for any taxes, national health insurance premiums, or national pension premiums you pay by individual notice. A bank record of on-time direct debits is strong evidence of proper, timely payment.
② The public obligations of your ENTIRE household are checked
A permanent residence application examines not just the applicant, but the tax certificates and payment records, and the pension/insurance enrollment and payment status, of every family member living in the same household. If a spouse or child has unpaid or overdue taxes, or late health insurance payments, the application can be refused for the household as a whole failing to meet its public obligations — even where the applicant's own record is flawless. A very common failure case: a spouse who is no longer a dependent, having earned ¥1.3 million or more in annual income, forgets to switch to Category 1 National Pension enrollment, leaving payments unpaid or overdue.
③ The guarantor's role and social responsibility
A permanent residence application requires at least one guarantor (in principle, a Japanese national or permanent resident). Many people hesitate to serve as a guarantor, fearing they would have to shoulder joint liability for any debts or trouble the applicant causes — but under the Immigration Control Act, a guarantor's responsibility does not carry any legal obligation to pay money. It is limited to a moral responsibility — a commitment to guide the applicant's daily life and support their return travel costs if needed. Required documents include the guarantor's signed and sealed letter of guarantee, together with their own certificate of employment, certificate of residence (for the whole household, with the My Number omitted), and income/tax certificates for the most recent year.
FEE
Fees
- Immigration Services Agency fee
- ¥10,000 (only upon approval) — rising to ¥200,000 from Oct 1, 2026
- Our office fee
- From ¥165,000 (total)
The Immigration Services Agency fee will be revised from October 1, 2026. We will provide a formal quotation after hearing the details of your case. View the full fee schedule →
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Are there exceptions to the "10 years of residence" requirement?
Yes. Spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents need the marriage to have had substance for 3 years or more (and 1 year or more of residence in Japan); biological or special adopted children need 1 year or more of residence; Long-Term Residents need 5 years since acquiring that status; and Highly Skilled Professionals may need as little as 1 to 3 years depending on their points. Please contact us to confirm which category applies to you.
Q.I paid my resident tax late once last year — can I still apply for permanent residence now?
Once a late payment has occurred, you need to build up a fresh track record of paying everything on time for the full 5 years before applying, counted from that point forward. Exactly when you become eligible to apply depends on your specific circumstances, so please consult with us, including the timing and reason for the delay.
Q.Will my family's income and tax payment record be reviewed too?
Yes. Not only the applicant, but the tax/payment status and pension/insurance enrollment of every family member living in the same household is reviewed. If a spouse or child has unpaid amounts, this can affect the outcome even if the applicant's own record is fine, so please check your whole household's status in advance.
Q.Does being a guarantor carry the same legal liability as a debt guarantor?
No. A guarantor's responsibility under the Immigration Control Act does not carry any legal obligation to pay money — it is a moral responsibility limited to guiding the applicant's daily life and supporting their return travel costs if needed. That said, the guarantor does need to submit their own certificate of employment and tax/payment certificates.
Q.Can this be used to sponsor a family member from overseas, like a Certificate of Eligibility application?
No. A permanent residence application is only available to those already residing in Japan — it is either an application to change status to "Permanent Resident," or an application for permanent resident status acquired through birth in Japan. It is not a procedure for newly sponsoring someone from overseas.
Q.Do I need to renew anything after being granted permanent residence?
Your period of stay itself becomes unlimited, but the residence card must still be renewed every 7 years. If you forget to renew it, the card will expire, so please be careful.
Q.Can I reapply if my application was refused once?
Yes. We will confirm the reason for the refusal, analyze what was lacking — such as the independent livelihood requirement or your tax payment record — and support you in reapplying after making improvements. We welcome consultations for cases you handled yourself, or that were previously handled by another office.
Reference: Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Guidelines for Granting Permission for Permanent Residence (official Immigration Services Agency of Japan website)
CONTACT
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Your first consultation is free, and we accept cases from anywhere in Japan. If you are not confident in Japanese, we can assist you in English or Vietnamese.
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