Japan's Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission (永住許可に関するガイドライン) — requirements under the version revised on 24 February 2026 (Reiwa 8)
Source material is a Japanese government announcement (in Japanese); this page is a summary.
The guidelines list 3 statutory requirements and, beneath them, the detailed items (period of residence; absence of a fine or imprisonment; performance of public duties; holding the longest period of stay; conformity with landing permission criteria etc.; public health). Requirement (i), good conduct, is stated as "observing the law and leading a daily life that is not socially criticised as a resident", and requirement (ii), sufficient assets or skills for an independent living, as "not becoming a public burden in daily life, and being expected to lead a stable life in the future in view of the assets or skills held". For the 10-year residence rule, special provisions (1) to (8) each set their own requirements and periods: a spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident must have a substantive marital relationship continuing for 3 years or more and have resided continuously for 1 year or more; their biological children etc. must have resided continuously for 1 year or more; a holder of the "Long-Term Resident" status must have resided continuously for 5 years or more; a recognised refugee or a person recognised as a complementary protection target must have resided continuously for 5 years or more after recognition; a person recognised as having contributed to Japan in fields such as diplomacy, society, the economy or culture must have resided for 5 years or more; a person carrying out the prescribed activities at a public or private organisation located within the area of a regional revitalization plan, and recognised as having contributed through those activities, must have resided continuously for 3 years or more; and under the Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance, 70 points or more requires 3 years or more, 80 points or more requires 1 year or more, and a person meeting the criteria of the Special Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance requires 1 year or more of continuous residence. Public duties are evaluated not only by whether payment has been completed but by whether it was performed within the original payment period; where it was not, the guidelines state that this is, as a rule, evaluated negatively. On the period-of-stay requirement, Note 1 provides that during the period until 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9) a person holding a period of stay of "3 years" is treated as "residing with the longest period of stay", and that for a person holding a period of stay of "3 years" as of 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9), the same treatment applies only to the first disposition received within that period of stay. The judgment on "contribution to Japan" is to be made by reference to the separate guideline on "contribution to Japan".
Key facts
| Definitions of statutory requirements (i) and (ii) | (i) Good conduct = "observing the law and leading a daily life that is not socially criticised as a resident". (ii) Independent living = "not becoming a public burden in daily life, and being expected to lead a stable life in the future in view of the assets or skills held" |
|---|---|
| Residence period as a rule | Continuous residence of 10 years or more as a rule, including 5 years or more of continuous residence with a work-related status (excluding "Technical Intern Training" and "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1") or a residence-based status |
| How public duties are evaluated | Taxes, public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and notifications etc. required under the Immigration Control Act. Even if paid by the time of application, failure to perform within the original payment period is, as a rule, evaluated negatively |
| Longest period of stay requirement | Holding the longest period of stay under Appended Table 2 of the Enforcement Regulations. Note 1: until 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9) a period of stay of "3 years" is also treated as the longest; for a person holding "3 years" as of that date, the treatment applies only to the first disposition within that period |
| Special provision for spouses and biological children | A spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident: substantive marital relationship continuing for 3 years or more plus continuous residence of 1 year or more. Their biological children etc.: continuous residence of 1 year or more |
| Years for the "Long-Term Resident", refugee, contribution and regional revitalization provisions | "Long-Term Resident" status: 5 years or more of continuous residence / after recognition as a refugee or complementary protection target: 5 years or more of continuous residence / recognised contribution in fields such as diplomacy, society, the economy or culture: 5 years or more of residence / activities falling under item 36 or 37 of Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 131 of 1990 (Heisei 2) at a public or private organisation within a regional revitalization plan area, with recognised contribution: 3 years or more of continuous residence |
| Special provisions for highly skilled professionals | Under the Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance, 70 points or more requires 3 years or more and 80 points or more requires 1 year or more; a person meeting the Special Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance criteria requires 1 year or more of continuous residence (each also stated in the form of points recognised as of a point in time before the application date) |
| Requirements not applied | A spouse or child of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident does not need to meet requirement (1) good conduct or (2) independent living. A recognised refugee, a person recognised as a complementary protection target, and a third-country resettlement refugee do not need to meet (2) |
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The Immigration Services Agency of Japan publishes the "Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission (永住許可に関するガイドライン, revised 24 February 2026 / Reiwa 8)". The guidelines list 3 statutory requirements: (i) the person is of good conduct; (ii) the person has sufficient assets or skills to make an independent living; and (iii) the person's permanent residence is recognised as being in the interests of Japan. The guidelines describe (i) as "observing the law and leading a daily life that is not socially criticised as a resident", and (ii) as "not becoming a public burden in daily life, and being expected to lead a stable life in the future in view of the assets or skills held". The residence requirement under (iii) is, as a rule, having resided in Japan continuously for 10 years or more, including 5 years or more of continuous residence with a work-related status (excluding the statuses "Technical Intern Training" and "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1") or a residence-based status. The guidelines also require that the person has not been subject to a fine or imprisonment, and has properly performed public duties such as paying taxes, paying public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and making the notifications prescribed by the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. On the performance of public duties, the guidelines state that even where taxes (premiums) have been paid by the time of application, a failure to perform within the original payment period is, as a rule, evaluated negatively. In addition, the person must hold the longest period of stay prescribed in Appended Table 2 of the Regulations for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act for the status of residence currently held, must conform to the landing permission criteria etc. prescribed by Ministry of Justice ordinance, and must pose no risk of being harmful from the standpoint of public health. However, Note 1 provides that, during the period until 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9), a person holding a period of stay of "3 years" is also treated as "residing with the longest period of stay". A spouse or child of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident need not satisfy (i) and (ii); a recognised refugee, a person recognised as a complementary protection target, or a third-country resettlement refugee need not satisfy (ii). Separately, the guidelines set out 8 special provisions to the 10-year residence rule.
Background — why this change
The guidelines are posted on the Immigration Services Agency website under "Residency procedures > Published materials > Status of residence > Responses to regulatory reform requests", as material related to the "3rd Report on the Promotion of Regulatory Reform (Council for Regulatory Reform, 22 December 2003 / Heisei 15)" and the "3-Year Plan for Promoting Regulatory Reform and the Opening of Markets (Cabinet decision of 19 March 2004 / Heisei 16)". The currently posted version is titled "Guidelines on Permanent Residence Permission (revised 24 February 2026 / Reiwa 8)". The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Appended Table 2 of its Enforcement Regulations are cited as the basis for judging the requirements. The "landing permission criteria etc. prescribed by Ministry of Justice ordinance" means, in addition to the criteria set by the "Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria Pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act", the requirements set by the public notice concerned where residence has been permitted as falling under the "Public Notice Providing for the Activities Listed in the Right-hand Column of Table 1-5 of the Act pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2" (Designated Activities Notice) or the "Public Notice Providing for the Status Listed in the Right-hand Column of the Long-Term Resident Section of Appended Table 2 pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2" (Long-Term Resident Notice). The special provisions cite the Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance ("Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria in the Right-hand Column of the Highly Skilled Professional Section of Table 1-2 Appended to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act"), the "Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria for Special Highly Skilled Professionals", Article 5, paragraph 16 of the Regional Revitalization Act (Act No. 24 of 2005 / Heisei 17), and items 36 and 37 of Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 131 of 1990 (Heisei 2). For "contribution to Japan", readers are directed to a separate guideline on "contribution to Japan". The posted page carries no explanation of which items were changed by this revision.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
Summaries reflect national-level programs. Municipal (city/ward/town) programs may differ — confirm with the official desk before applying.
FAQ
Are any statuses of residence excluded from the "5 years or more" part of the 10-year requirement?
Guideline 1(3)(a) excludes, in parentheses, the statuses "Technical Intern Training" and "Specified Skilled Worker No. 1" from work-related statuses. Accordingly, within the 10 years or more of continuous residence, 5 years or more of continuous residence with a work-related status other than these 2, or with a residence-based status, is required.
How is it evaluated if taxes or premiums were paid after the due date?
The note marked ※ on the line following 1(3)(b) states that, regarding the performance of public duties, even where taxes (premiums) had been paid by the time of application, a failure to perform within the original payment period is, as a rule, evaluated negatively. The public duties covered are the payment of taxes, the payment of public pension and public medical insurance premiums, and the notifications etc. prescribed by the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
If my period of stay is "3 years", do I fail the longest-period-of-stay requirement?
Note 1 provides that during the period until 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9), a person holding a period of stay of "3 years" is treated as "residing with the longest period of stay" under 1(3)(c). It further provides that for a person holding a period of stay of "3 years" as of 31 March 2027 (Reiwa 9), the same treatment applies only to the first disposition received within that period of stay.
For a "Long-Term Resident" or a recognised refugee, how many years replace the 10-year rule?
Special provisions 2(2) to 2(5) each specify this: continuous residence in Japan for 5 years or more with the "Long-Term Resident" status (2(2)); for a recognised refugee or a person recognised as a complementary protection target, continuous residence for 5 years or more after recognition (2(3)); for a person recognised as having contributed to Japan in fields such as diplomacy, society, the economy or culture, residence in Japan for 5 years or more (2(4)); and for a person who carries out activities falling under either item 36 or item 37 of Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 131 of 1990 (Heisei 2) at a public or private organisation located within the area of a regional revitalization plan certified under Article 5, paragraph 16 of the Regional Revitalization Act (Act No. 24 of 2005 / Heisei 17), and is recognised as having contributed to Japan through those activities, continuous residence for 3 years or more (2(5)). For "contribution to Japan", readers are directed to a separate guideline on "contribution to Japan".
What happens to the 10-year rule if I have highly skilled professional points?
Under special provisions (6) to (8), a person with 70 points or more in the points calculation of the Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance is covered where they have resided continuously for 3 years or more while maintaining the necessary points as a "highly skilled foreign professional", or where they are recognised as having held 70 points or more when the points calculation is made as of the point 3 years before the date of the permanent residence application and have resided while holding 70 points or more continuously for 3 years or more. For 80 points or more the structure is the same with a period of 1 year or more. A person meeting the criteria of the Special Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance is covered where they have resided continuously for 1 year or more as a "special highly skilled professional", or where, having resided continuously for 1 year or more, they are recognised as meeting those criteria as of the point 1 year before the application date.