The Naturalization Process and Examination Period | A Complete Guide from Consultation to Approval

Introduction

Naturalization is the procedure by which a foreign national acquires Japanese nationality. Under Article 4 of the Nationality Act, a person can become a Japanese national by obtaining the permission of the Minister of Justice.

This article explains the flow from the preliminary consultation at the Legal Affairs Bureau through to permission for naturalization, divided into 10 steps, in an easy-to-understand way.

Overall Flow of a Naturalization Application

Step	Content	Estimated Time Required
1	Preliminary consultation at the Legal Affairs Bureau	1 day (by appointment)
2	Receiving instructions on required documents	On the day of the consultation
3	Collection of documents	2-3 months
4	Preparation of application documents	1-2 months
5	Application to the Legal Affairs Bureau	1 day
6	Responding to requests for additional documents	As needed
7	Interview	2-3 months after application
8	Decision by the Minister of Justice	—
9	Notice in the Official Gazette	—
10	Notification to the municipality	Within 1 month after the notice

Total time required: From the preliminary consultation to approval usually takes approximately 1 to 1.5 years.

Details of Each Step

Step 1: Preliminary Consultation at the Legal Affairs Bureau (by Appointment)

The first step in a naturalization application is a preliminary consultation at the Legal Affairs Bureau (Nationality Division) with jurisdiction over your area of residence. Consultations are by appointment, so you need to make a reservation by telephone in advance.

At the consultation, you explain your situation (residence status, years of residence, family structure, occupation, etc.) and confirm whether you meet the requirements for naturalization.

Step 2: Receiving Instructions on Required Documents

At the preliminary consultation, you will be presented with a list of required documents tailored to the applicant’s situation. The documents required for naturalization vary greatly depending on individual circumstances, so it is important to prepare in accordance with the instructions of the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Step 3: Collection of Documents (2-3 Months)

Collecting the required documents is the most time-consuming stage of a naturalization application. The main documents include the following.

Documents from your home country: Birth certificate, family relations certificate, nationality certificate, etc.
Japanese documents: Certificate of residence, taxation certificate, tax payment certificate, pension records, etc.
Other: Certificate of employment and salary, business outline, driving record certificate, etc.

Where documents must be obtained from your home country, it can take from several weeks to several months for them to arrive.

Step 4: Preparation of Application Documents

You prepare the application documents in accordance with the forms designated by the Legal Affairs Bureau. The main documents are as follows.

Application for permission for naturalization
Document setting out an outline of relatives
Curriculum vitae (education, work history, residential history, entry/exit history)
Document setting out an outline of livelihood
Sketch maps of your home and workplace

Step 5: Application to the Legal Affairs Bureau

Once all documents are in order, the applicant appears in person at the Legal Affairs Bureau to file the application. The documents are checked for deficiencies, and once accepted, the examination begins.

Note: The application cannot be submitted by an agent; the applicant must go to the Legal Affairs Bureau in person.

Step 6: Responding to Requests for Additional Documents

During the examination process, the Legal Affairs Bureau may request the submission of additional documents. Responding promptly helps shorten the examination period.

Step 7: Interview (2-3 Months After Application)

After the application is accepted, an interview is conducted by an official of the Legal Affairs Bureau. The following points are confirmed at the interview.

Whether there are any discrepancies in the contents of the application documents
Japanese reading, writing, and conversation ability
Motivation for naturalization
Living conditions in Japan

The interview is normally conducted in Japanese. Japanese ability at the level of everyday conversation is required.

Step 8: Decision by the Minister of Justice

After the examination at the Legal Affairs Bureau is completed, the Minister of Justice makes the final decision to grant or deny permission.

Step 9: Notice in the Official Gazette

When naturalization is permitted, a notice is published in the Official Gazette. Japanese nationality is formally acquired as of the date of publication in the Official Gazette (Article 10 of the Nationality Act).

Step 10: Notification to the Municipality (Naturalization Notification)

Within 1 month after the notice in the Official Gazette, you submit a naturalization notification to the municipal office (Article 102 of the Family Register Act). This results in the creation of a Japanese family register.

Estimated Examination Period

Situation	Estimated Examination Period
Typical case	8-12 months
Where documents are complex	1 year to 1.5 years
Where there are many additional documents	Sometimes more than 1.5 years

The examination period varies depending on the applicant’s circumstances and how busy the Legal Affairs Bureau is. In recent years, examinations tend to be conducted carefully, and cases taking about a year have become more common.

Our Support

For consultations regarding naturalization applications, please entrust them to Kaneko Hidetaka Administrative Scrivener Office.

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Languages: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese
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Serving Chiba, Tokyo, and nationwide (online consultation available)