🇯🇵 Japan · Permanent Residency
Permanent residency and golden-visa paths: eligibility, required years, investment thresholds, and official checklists.
Quick answer
Japanese permanent residence usually requires around ten years of continuous residence (less for spouses of Japanese nationals or high-skilled professionals under a points system), a stable income and good conduct. The Immigration Services Agency decides.
Permanent residence in Japan (eijū-ken) lets you live and work without status-of-residence restrictions or renewals of period of stay. The standard requirement is around ten years' continuous residence (with several years on a work or other qualifying status), but the Highly Skilled Professional points system can shorten this to three years (70 points) or one year (80 points). Applications are decided at the discretion of the Minister of Justice via the Immigration Services Agency (ISA), which tightened screening in 2026.
- Standard route: roughly ten years' continuous residence, with several years held on a work or other qualifying status of residence.
- The Highly Skilled Professional points system can reduce the wait to three years (70+ points) or one year (80+ points).
- Applicants must show good conduct, stable independent income and a clean record of tax and social-insurance payments; screening has tightened recently.
- Permanent residence is granted at the discretion of the Minister of Justice via the ISA — confirm current requirements before applying.
Official authorities
- ISA — Application for permission for permanent residence
Official permanent-residence application procedure.
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan
National immigration authority.
Frequently asked questions
How long until I can apply for PR in Japan?
Generally about ten years of continuous residence, but highly-skilled professionals can qualify in as little as one to three years under the points system.
What are the main requirements?
Stable finances, tax and pension compliance, good conduct and a guarantor; the exact bar depends on your status.
Does PR expire?
PR status is indefinite, but you need a re-entry permit for long trips abroad and must carry residence documentation.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Prime Minister's Office of Japan — Official site of Japan's Prime Minister — cabinet policies, press conferences, policy statements
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Japan visa applications, overseas safety info, consular services, and diplomatic policy
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan — Residence status, work visas, permanent residency, and naturalization in Japan
- National Tax Agency (Japan) — Income tax, corporate tax, consumption tax filing and e-Tax online submission