Those who think that only people of Japanese descent can naturalize as Japanese are mistaken. Anyone can change their nationality and obtain Japanese citizenship, as long as they meet various requirements. The thousands of foreigners present in Japan hold a permanent visa and end up believing that it is impossible to obtain Japanese nationality; some have reasons to prefer the visa over nationality.
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What is the difference between a visa and citizenship?
When a person has permanent residency, they are permitted to stay in Japan and have most of the rights of citizenship. A naturalized citizen, on the other hand, has all the rights that Japanese citizens have and cannot be expelled from the country, as they have come to belong to and be a citizen of that country. Another advantage and benefit of being a Japanese citizen is that you can have a Japanese port (the 4th most powerful), which allows entry into 147 countries without a visa, including the USA.
Only descendants or children of Japanese people can easily obtain nationality before reaching 3 months of age. Even if the person marries a Japanese woman, or a child of Brazilians is born in Japan, they do not receive nationality, but a permanent visa. Of course, any of these people can run after nationality if they meet the requirements that we will see below.
Most Brazilians living in Japan prefer not to try to obtain Japanese citizenship because, in addition to being a long process, Japan allows only 1 nationality; if you choose Japanese nationality, you cease to be Brazilian.
Requirements for naturalizing in Japan
Below we will see the minimum requirements to obtain Japanese nationality or citizenship:
- Be over 20 years old;
- “Living in Japan for more than 5 years (married to Japanese 3)”
- Do not stay more than 80% (72 days) outside of Japan during one year.
- “Have good mental health and no criminal record”
- Demonstrate the ability to yourself or your family;
- Show good behavior while staying in Japan.
- To have taxes up to date;
- Agree to renounce the nationality they hold;
- Having proficiency in the Japanese language;
If you meet these requirements and wish to obtain Japanese citizenship, you need to the Homukyoku (Legal Affairs Bureau) of the Ministry of Justice nearest to your home. that misconduct or criminal record is one of the reasons why Japan may reject your citizenship application.
Documents required to apply for Japanese Citizenship
In addition to the basic requirements, there is a huge list of documents you need to present when applying for Japanese citizenship:
- Nationalization request form;
- Form with first-degree relatives' data;
- Signed oath;
- Form with information about trips abroad;
- Personal Resume Form (detailed and in order);
- Form with a description of monthly subsistence expenses and bank s;
- Form with the payslip details, filled in and signed by the company;
- Declaration of children form, completed and signed by the applicant's father;
- Handwritten letter describing the reason for the desire for naturalization;
- University completion certificate (if applicable);
- Certificate of registration of Japanese driver's license;
- Certificate of personal data from the date you and your spouse entered Japan;
- Tax payment certificate (gensen e nozei shomeisho) for you and your spouse;
- Certificate of residence;
- Bank certificate;
- Birth certificate of the applicant and all of his/her siblings;
- Marriage certificate for you and your parents;
- Death certificates of the parents if they are deceased.
- Certificate of nationality;
- Map of the residence and workplace;
- Guarantor;
These are the documents you need, but we recommend checking everything before starting the process. Each case is different, so some procedures may be different from those mentioned in the article.
During the process to receive Japanese nationality, you will have an interview and they will possibly visit your home to check if everything is in order. The process takes between 8 months to over a year. Japan accepts the majority of applications (99%), and once approved, you will be invited to attend a seminar and submit your documents. Do you think it's worth having Japanese citizenship? I would like to see your opinion and experience in the comments.
