This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）
Please note this first: what this article says is a forecast and a reading, based on debate in expert panels and elsewhere as of December 2025. It is not settled law, and it is not an official screening standard. With that said, we expect the move towards stricter screening for permanent residence to spread to 帰化 (naturalisation) screening as well. Longer check periods for public duties, and clearer requirements on financial independence, look likely to be the focus from here. Meeting your public duties in full, and building a consistent motivation, are the important steps.
A guide for people who want to know where naturalisation screening is heading and how to prepare for it.
This article deals with a forecast. What follows is a reading based on debate in expert panels and elsewhere as of December 2025. It is not settled law, and it is not an official screening standard. It is not the current naturalisation requirements themselves. When you actually consider applying, please check the law and the official information as they stand at that time.
Longer check periods for public duties, and clearer requirements on financial independence, are expected.
In permanent residence screening, the check period for public duties (tax, pension and health insurance) has become longer, and paying by the deadline has become an absolute condition. Following this, we expect screening to look not only at whether you met your duties over the past few years, but at your whole record of meeting them across your entire time living in Japan. Even for someone who holds permanent residence, if there is a history of neglecting public duties during that time, the risk of denial in a naturalisation application is expected to rise.
A naturalisation application is also said to call for a higher level of independence than a permanent residence application. We expect income guide figures matched to family size to become clearer, and large borrowings from consumer finance companies to count more heavily against you.
Objective proof of Japanese ability, and a wider definition of good conduct, are under discussion.
Current naturalisation screening checks Japanese ability through interviews and similar means, and this is said to depend largely on the officer's own judgement. In the future, it is possible that an objective measure will be discussed as a compulsory requirement, such as passing a certain level of the 日本語能力試験 (JLPT) or above. Good conduct already includes obeying the law, and it is said that in the future, keeping to social common sense and public morals may also be judged more strictly. Where there is a serious traffic offence such as drink-driving or reckless driving, obtaining approval is expected to become extremely difficult.
Meet your public duties in full, strengthen your Japanese study, and build a consistent motivation.
How the political debate will finally be turned into law is unknown, but overall, screening is seen as heading in a stricter direction. In any case, what we have set out here is not a settled change to the system. Please read it as a way of thinking: get yourself ready, and then apply.
Not only your record over the past few years. Your whole record across your entire time living in Japan is expected to be assessed.
Nothing is settled. But it is said that an objective measure, such as passing a certain level of the JLPT or above, may be discussed as a compulsory requirement in future.
Where there are large borrowings from consumer finance companies, you are expected to be seen as not financially independent, and this is expected to count more heavily against you.
No. It is a forecast and a reading based on debate in expert panels and elsewhere as of December 2025. It is not settled law, and it is not an official screening standard. Please keep it separate from the current naturalisation requirements.
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This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.