THE LATEST JAPANESE PERMANENT RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS IN 2026: KEY CHANGES, ADVANTAGES AND POINTS TO NOTE

For foreign nationals who have studied and worked in Japan for many years, Permanent Residence (永住許可 – Permanent Residence) is an important long-term goal. Once granted Permanent Resident status (永住者), a foreign national is no longer subject to the same restrictions on activities and period of stay as many other statuses of residence. However, Permanent Residence is a separate status that is subject to specific requirements and individual assessment.

In 2026, Japan updated its Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (永住許可に関するガイドライン) on 24 February 2026. One notable change concerns the requirement relating to the longest period of stay, which will officially come into effect on 1 April 2027. Therefore, applicants preparing their applications in 2026 should clearly distinguish between requirements currently in force and those scheduled to take effect.

1. What Is Permanent Residence in Japan?

Permanent Residence is not the same as Japanese citizenship.

When a foreign national is granted Permanent Resident status (永住者), they retain their existing nationality but are allowed to reside in Japan indefinitely without the same restrictions on period of stay or permitted activities that apply to many other statuses of residence.

This provides greater stability in areas such as:

• Working and changing jobs.
• Choosing a suitable occupation.
• Living in Japan on a long-term basis.
• Making long-term family and financial plans.
• Avoiding repeated applications to extend the period of stay.

However, Permanent Residence does not mean that all legal obligations cease to apply. Permanent Residents must continue to comply with Japanese laws and fulfil their applicable public obligations.

2. Basic Requirements for Permanent Residence in 2026

Under the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence revised on 24 February 2026, the main requirements can be broadly divided into three areas:

① Good conduct and compliance with the law

Applicants are expected to have lived and conducted themselves in Japan in accordance with the law, without conduct that would make them unsuitable as members of Japanese society.

② Ability to support oneself financially

Applicants should have sufficient assets, skills or an appropriate source of income to maintain a stable livelihood and avoid becoming a burden on public services.

③ Permanent residence must be considered to be in Japan's interests

This category includes various factors such as:

• Length of residence.
• Legal status.
• Payment of taxes.
• Payment of public health insurance and pension contributions.
• Compliance with obligations under immigration regulations.
• Current status of residence.
• Current period of stay.
• Other matters relating to the applicant's status of residence.

3. The 10-Year Residence Requirement Remains an Important General Rule

For ordinary cases, an applicant for Permanent Residence is generally required to have resided continuously in Japan for at least 10 years.

Within this period, the applicant is generally required to have spent at least five continuous years under an appropriate work-related or residence status. Importantly, periods spent under Technical Intern Training (技能実習) and Specified Skilled Worker (i) (特定技能1号) are not counted towards these five years.

This is particularly important for Vietnamese technical interns and workers.

For example, a person may have the following history:

3 years of Technical Intern Training → 5 years as a Specified Skilled Worker (i) → 2 years under another work-related status

It would not be correct simply to add all these periods together and conclude that the person has satisfied the five-year requirement for residence under an eligible work-related status.

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan also explains that periods spent in Japan under 技能実習 and 特定技能1号 are not counted towards this five-year work-related residence requirement. By contrast, periods spent under 特定技能2号 may be counted as eligible work-related residence.

4. Not Every Applicant Needs to Complete 10 Years of Residence

There are certain cases where shorter residence periods may apply.

These are specific exceptions under the relevant rules. Therefore, the 10-year requirement should not automatically be applied to every applicant.

5. A Major Change in 2026: The Requirement Concerning the Period of Stay

This is one of the most important points when discussing the latest Permanent Residence requirements.

Under the revised guidelines dated 24 February 2026, an applicant for Permanent Residence is required, in principle, to hold the longest period of stay available for their current status of residence.

However, there is a transitional arrangement.

During 2026

The transitional rules continue to allow a person holding a three-year period of stay to be treated as satisfying the requirement concerning the longest period of stay.

From 1 April 2027

This transitional treatment will change. In principle, applicants will need to hold the longest period of stay available under their current status of residence, rather than automatically being treated as meeting the requirement simply because they hold a three-year period of stay.

There is also a transitional provision for people who hold a three-year period of stay as of 31 March 2027, provided their Permanent Residence application is dealt with within the applicable transitional period.

What does this mean?

It should not be interpreted as:

“From 2026, people with a three-year visa cannot apply for Permanent Residence.”

A more accurate interpretation is:

“In 2026, transitional arrangements still apply to holders of a three-year period of stay; from 1 April 2027, the requirement concerning the longest available period of stay will be applied more fully.”

This is an important point for people planning to apply for Permanent Residence during 2026–2027.

6. Taxes, Pension and Public Health Insurance Require Particular Attention

Another important aspect of the current guidelines concerns the fulfilment of public obligations.

Applicants for Permanent Residence are expected to properly fulfil obligations relating to:

• Taxes.
• Pension contributions.
• Public health insurance.
• Notifications and other obligations under immigration regulations.

Importantly, the current guidelines indicate that even if a tax or other public obligation has been fully paid by the time the application is submitted, failure to make the payment by the required deadline in the past may, in principle, be viewed unfavourably.

This means that the assessment is not necessarily limited to:

“Has the outstanding amount now been paid?”

It may also consider:

“Was the obligation fulfilled on time?”

For this reason, people planning to apply for Permanent Residence should keep proper records of their tax, insurance and pension payments throughout their period of residence in Japan.

7. The Application Documents Can Be Extensive

The Immigration Services Agency requires different documents depending on the applicant's status of residence and individual circumstances.

For certain applicants, the documentation may include evidence of income and tax payment for the previous five years.

Depending on the circumstances, applicants may also be required to provide documents demonstrating their public pension and public health insurance payment status for the previous two years.

Therefore, people who are considering Permanent Residence should develop the habit of:

• Keeping tax-related documents.
• Checking their pension payment status.
• Checking their public health insurance status.
• Making payments on time.
• Retaining payment records where necessary.
• Completing required residence-related notifications correctly.

These are not matters that should only be considered shortly before submitting a Permanent Residence application.

8. Advantages of Being Granted Permanent Residence

Being granted Permanent Resident status (永住者) can provide several significant advantages.

Greater freedom in employment

Permanent Residence does not impose the same occupational restrictions as many work-related statuses of residence. Permanent Residents can generally change jobs without having to change their status of residence simply because their occupation changes.

No fixed period of stay

Permanent Resident status does not have a fixed period of stay in the same way as many other statuses of residence. However, this does not mean that Permanent Residents no longer need to manage their Residence Card or comply with other legal obligations.

Greater stability for long-term planning

Not having to repeatedly renew a time-limited status of residence can provide greater stability when planning:

• Employment.
• Family life.
• Housing.
• Finances.
• Long-term residence in Japan.

9. Points That Applicants Need to Prepare For

The current requirements can be viewed as criteria that applicants need to prepare for, rather than simply as “barriers”.

① A long residence history

For ordinary cases, the 10-year continuous residence requirement remains an important criterion.

② Technical Intern Training and Specified Skilled Worker (i)

Periods under Technical Intern Training and Specified Skilled Worker (i) are not counted towards the five-year work-related residence requirement mentioned above. This is particularly important for Vietnamese technical interns.

③ Tax, pension and insurance records

Not only the amount paid, but also whether public obligations were fulfilled by the required deadlines may be relevant to the assessment.

④ The period-of-stay requirement will become clearer from 2027

People currently holding a three-year period of stay should pay particular attention to the transitional arrangements and the new requirement taking effect from 1 April 2027.

⑤ Documentation should be maintained continuously

Applicants should prepare their records over a number of years rather than focusing only on the period immediately before submitting their application.

10. A Change to the Application Fee Also Requires Attention in 2026

At present, the Permanent Residence application fee is JPY 10,000 when permission is granted. This amount was increased from JPY 8,000 to JPY 10,000 on 1 April 2025.

However, a significant increase in the fee is currently being considered in 2026. According to documents published by the Immigration Services Agency, a proposal would increase the Permanent Residence fee to JPY 200,000, with a proposed implementation date of 1 October 2026.

As this is part of an ongoing legislative and administrative process, the amount of JPY 200,000 should not be presented as an already effective requirement as of August 2026. Applicants should check the official information before submitting their application.

This section should also be updated if the article is used after 1 October 2026.

11. Does Permanent Residence Mean That There Are No Further Obligations?

No.

Permanent Resident status provides greater stability in terms of residence, but Permanent Residents must still comply with Japanese law and fulfil their applicable public obligations.

Japan is also reviewing its system for managing Permanent Resident status, including measures relating to cases where Permanent Residents fail to fulfil certain public obligations. The Immigration Services Agency explains that these adjustments are intended to ensure that the system operates appropriately and maintains fairness among people who fulfil their obligations.

In simple terms:

Permanent Residence provides greater stability of residence, but it does not eliminate legal obligations.

12. What Should International Students and Technical Interns Pay Particular Attention To?

For Vietnamese nationals who begin their journey in Japan through study or Technical Intern Training, Permanent Residence is generally a long-term residence and career objective rather than something that can be achieved after only a few years.

A possible pathway may be:

Study in Japan → Graduate → Obtain an appropriate work-related status → Build eligible residence and professional experience → Meet income, tax, insurance and pension requirements → Consider applying for Permanent Residence

For technical interns:

Technical Intern Training → Move to an appropriate work-related status → Build the required eligible period of employment → Meet the other requirements → Consider applying for Permanent Residence

In particular, it is important to remember that periods under 技能実習 (Technical Intern Training) and 特定技能1号 (Specified Skilled Worker (i)) are not counted towards the five-year work-related residence requirement under the ordinary Permanent Residence route. Therefore, understanding the long-term career pathway from the beginning can help workers plan their residence in Japan more effectively.

13. Summary of the Key Points in 2026

CONCLUSION

Japan's Permanent Residence requirements in 2026 include several developments, particularly regarding the period of stay and the fulfilment of public obligations.

One of the most important points for applicants to understand is that the requirement concerning the longest available period of stay will be fully applied from 1 April 2027, while transitional arrangements for holders of a three-year period of stay remain relevant during 2026.

For international students and technical interns, Permanent Residence should be viewed as part of a long-term residence and career plan. Choosing an appropriate status of residence after graduation or completion of Technical Intern Training, maintaining stable employment, and fulfilling tax, insurance and pension obligations properly and on time can all be important when preparing for a future application.

The rules and fees relating to Permanent Residence continue to be updated. Before submitting an application, applicants should therefore check the latest information from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and assess their circumstances against the applicable requirements.

Important: This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice or a determination of an individual's eligibility for Permanent Residence. The decision to grant Permanent Residence is made by the relevant Japanese immigration authorities based on each individual application.

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