Getting the nationality of any country is a debatable issue. Some people are born with nationality, while others have to fight for it. People take pride in getting the nationality of some countries. Getting a foreign nationality is a difficult task. One has to make difficult choices to pursue their dreams.

As per the nationality law, a person who wants to get Japanese nationality needs to take permission from the Justice Minister. He needs to become a naturalized citizen after clearing all the legal formalities. This process is called naturalization. For the naturalization process, you need to submit documents for local legal formalities mentioning your livelihood, job, or business, your tax payments, and your motive behind getting Japanese citizenship. As per the Justice ministry, the process of taking Japanese citizenship takes about 6 months to a year and some naturalized process takes a time of 18 months to get final approval. The naturalization is more than just showing your interest. The legal requirements are mentioned below.

Duration of Stay

You should have a valid visa from the Immigration Bureau of Japan at the time of the request, and you should be a resident of Japan at the time of application. Also, you should be living in Japan for 5 years. The immigration bureau also confirms that for how long you stayed in Japan in 365 days. The period spent on a student visa is not included in these 5 years.

Age

You should be 20 years old or older than the official age in your home country. This restriction does not apply to dependent children under the age of 20.

Code of Conduct

Your code of conduct should be good. You should not get involved in any crime or trouble in society. Even a traffic offense can also affect citizenship applications. If you are enrolled in the Japanese national pension system, then you need to show the document depicting your pension. You cannot apply for Japanese citizenship unless you provide the required documents. You are evaluated on whether you can reside in Japan as a law-abiding Japanese national.

Livelihood

Sufficient income is required to get Japanese nationality. Your earnings are checked. If your spouse is helping you to have a stable living, this will be an additional point. In case if you are a student, then it is checked whether you have a sufficient allowance for your parents. Moreover, if you are married then you need to prove that you are living with your spouse legally.

Abiding the Japanese Constitution

To get a Japanese nationality, you should not have the nationality of another country or you should not have applied for another nationality.

Japanese Language Skills

You should be proficient in Japanese writing and reading, and your skills should be similar to Japanese school students. You should know about hiragana, katakana, and Kanji. You should be able to communicate with your officer in charge who is handling your case. It is better to analyze whether you are filling these requirements or not.

Stay at Japan

To get a Japanese nationality, it is important to stay in Japan, 80% of the time. If as a businessman you travel overseas 100 days or more per year, then you will not be eligible for Japanese nationality.

Documentation

Different documents are required for the process of Japanese nationality. Some of the important documents are:

1. Summary of business

2. Salary payment status

3. Social status document

4. Summary of relatives

5. Certificate of residence

6. Resume

The documents that show your objective for taking the Japanese nationality are

1. Certificate of residence

2. Document of the oath

3. Certification of skills and qualification

4. Certificate of tax payment.

5. Maps of your residence and workplace.

Document regarding the location of the resident and workplace is generated by the legal affair office that governs the area in which you are residing. It is a very tedious task to complete all this documentation. This whole process takes the time of 10 months or more than 1 year. The time limit varies from case to case. After the completion of the assessment, the minister of justice announces the approval of the application in the official gazette and the bureau of legal affairs calls in the applicant. The officer of the bureau of legal affairs approves the notice and a personal identification card is issued. After having the identification card, you should report to the local municipality office by the specific date. When your Japanese nationality is formally approved then your family gets registered in Japan and you will get your resident card from the immigration bureau. This is the way you get Japanese citizenship.

Vote at Election

Once you are a Japanese national, you don’t need to have a registration card and you will have a right to vote at elections. You will get a Japanese passport and you can move around Japan freely.

Wrapping Up

It is a very tedious task to collect all the information and gather all the documents to apply for Japanese citizenship. Make a checklist so you don’t miss out on anything.

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