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Japan is set to introduce stricter requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, including higher income, pension and Japanese-language standards, as the government seeks to make the system more clearly defined.
Under the revised rules, expected to take effect in phases from October 1, applicants will generally have to demonstrate that their household income is above the average for Japanese households.
The income requirement will also apply retrospectively to applications submitted from April 2026 that remain under review.
Applicants will also need to show projected pension benefits equivalent to those received after 30 years of contributions to Japan’s employees’ pension system.
Savings or other financial assets may be used to make up any shortfall.
From April 2027, applicants are expected to demonstrate Japanese-language proficiency at around CEFR B1 or JLPT N2 level, along with an understanding of Japanese laws, taxation and social security systems.
The rules will also tighten requirements for spouses of Japanese citizens and permanent residents.
They will generally need to have been married for at least five years and lived in Japan for at least three years, compared with the current three-year marriage and one-year residence requirements.
Japan is also preparing expanded grounds for revoking permanent residency, including deliberate failure to pay taxes, pension or health insurance contributions and certain serious violations.
Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record 4.12 million, about 3 percent of the population, at the end of 2025, according to government data cited by Al Jazeera.
