Permanent residency removes the renewal cycle, removes the restriction on what work you may do, and makes everything from a mortgage to a phone contract easier. Two things are worth understanding: what it takes to get, and — new — what could take it away.
The standard route
- Ten years of continuous residence, including five years holding a work status or a status as a spouse or child.
- Currently holding the longest period of stay available to you. In practice this means three or five years, so a run of one-year renewals is a blocker.
- Good conduct — no meaningful criminal record, including repeated traffic offences.
- Independent livelihood — stable income sufficient to support yourself and dependants.
- Public obligations met — tax, pension and health insurance paid, and paid on time.
- A guarantor resident in Japan.
The faster routes
- Highly Skilled Professional, 80 points: one year of residence. See our full Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points guide.
- Highly Skilled Professional, 70 points: three years.
- Spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident: generally three years of marriage with one year of residence. (If bringing family members, check our dependent visa guide).
- Long-term resident status: generally five years.
The points routes are worth checking even if you have never considered yourself a candidate — the table rewards degrees, salary, age and Japanese ability in combinations people underestimate.
The revocation rule
The 2024 amendment to the Immigration Control Act created a new power: the Minister of Justice may revoke permanent residency for wilful, sustained failure to pay taxes or social insurance premiums.
It takes effect on 1 April 2027. That date was fixed by Cabinet Order in October 2025 — so unlike some pending reforms, this one is not speculative. The Immigration Services Agency issued guidelines in September 2025, with operational detail still being finalised. Make sure you understand how Japanese residence tax and year-end adjustments work so you never miss a payment slip.
What the guidance indicates:
- The target is malicious cases — a pattern of avoidance, or substantial deliberate non-payment. Not a missed bill.
- There is a two-part test: first, whether something outside your control prevented payment — illness, job loss, genuine hardship. Only if not does it ask whether you knew of the obligation and chose not to pay.
- Revocation may result in a change to a different status rather than removal from Japan, depending on circumstances.
The practical reading: if you cannot pay, engage with the office and get an exemption or an instalment arrangement on record. An approved exemption is evidence of exactly the kind of good faith the test asks about. Silence looks like the thing the rule was written for.
Preparing an application
Assemble, typically covering the last few years:
- Taxation and payment certificates from your municipality
- Pension payment records — the Nenkin Net printout is usually acceptable
- Health insurance payment evidence
- Employment certificate and withholding slips
- Certificate of residence for your household
- A letter of guarantee from your guarantor
- A statement of reasons for applying
Processing commonly runs four months to over a year. Keep your status valid throughout — a pending PR application does not extend an expiring residence card, and you must renew separately if the date arrives (see our visa renewal documents checklist).
Before you apply
- Check your pension record on Nenkin Net now. Gaps from a job change or a student period are common and can often be resolved.
- Do not apply on a one-year status if you can wait for a three-year one.
- Settle anything outstanding and let a clean period build before applying.
The phrases
- 永住許可を申請したいです。 — Eijū kyoka o shinsei shitai desu. — I would like to apply for permanent residency.
- 年金の納付記録が必要です。 — Nenkin no nōfu kiroku ga hitsuyō desu. — I need my pension payment record.
- 分割で納付できますか。 — Bunkatsu de nōfu dekimasu ka? — Can I pay in instalments?
Where to confirm this
- Immigration Services Agency
- Our guide to the Highly Skilled Professional points system
- Our visa renewal documents checklist
- Our guide to residence card renewal
- Building long-term wealth in Japan with NISA and iDeCo
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 13 September 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.