Application for permission for permanent

residence 1

 Foreign nationals who are the spouse of a Japanese national, permanent

resident, or special permanent resident
 Foreign nationals who are the child of a Japanese national (including
adoptive children), permanent resident, or special permanent resident

Documents to be submitted

 "Applicant" refers to the foreign national wishing to permanently reside in

Japan.
 "Spouse" refers to a Japanese national or permanent resident who is
married to the applicant described above.
 All certificates issued in Japan must have been issued within three
months prior to the submission of the application.
1. Application form for permission for permanent residence - 1 copy
* This form is available at Regional Immigration Services Bureaus.
You can also access it via this page.
2. Photograph (4 cm long x 3 cm wide) - 1 photograph
o A sharp, clear photo of the applicant facing forward with no hat,
cap, or head covering taken against a plain backdrop with no shadows; must
have been taken within three months prior to submitting the application.
o The photograph should be attached to the photograph section of
the application with the name of the applicant written on the back of the
photograph.
o Applicants under the age of 16 do not need to submit a
photograph.
3. One of the following documents, to prove the relationship

(1) If the applicant is the spouse of a Japanese national:

Family register of the spouse (version with all information included) - 1 copy
 (2) If the applicant is the child of a Japanese national:

Family register of the Japanese national (version with all information included) -

1 copy

(3) If the applicant is the spouse of a permanent resident:

One of the following documents, to prove their marriage:

1. Marriage certificate - 1 copy

2. Equivalent documents (those which prove the relationship between the
applicant and their spouse) - as required
(4) The applicant is the child of a permanent resident or special permanent

resident:

One of the following documents, to prove parentage:

3. Birth certificate - 1 copy

4. Equivalent documents (those which prove the relationship between the
applicant and their permanent resident or special permanent resident parent)
- as required
4. Residence certificate (which lists all the members of the household) - as
required
* Please omit the My Number (Individual Number), but include all other
information.
5. One of the following documents, to prove the applicant's employment (or

that of the person charged with their support)

(1) Those who are employed by a company or other organization:

Certificate of Employment - 1 copy

(2) Those who are self-employed:

1. Tax return - 1 copy

2. Business permit, where applicable - 1 copy
* Applicants who are self-employed must provide proof of said employment.
(3) Other

Documents (in any format) explaining and demonstrating the nature of

employment - as required

* Should both the applicant and their spouse be unemployed, then a document

(in any format) explaining their circumstances will be required.

6. Documents outlining the status of the applicant's income and tax

payments for the past three years (and/or those of their principal supporter).

o While applications made from July 1, 2019 onwards have required

the submission of No. 3 tax certificates related to withholding tax, Special
Income Tax for Reconstruction, self-declared income tax, consumption tax,
local consumption tax, inheritance tax, and donation tax, those who applied on
June 30, 2019 or before should be aware that they may also be asked to do so.
o For children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents, and
special permanent residents, please submit documents for the most recent
year.
(1) Documents proving the payment status of individual inhabitant taxes

a. Tax certificate (or tax exemption certificate) for individual inhabitant taxes,

and a tax payment certificate (showing gross income and taxes paid for one

year) for the past three years - 1 copy of each

o These are issued by the municipal office of one's municipality of

residence.
o If the above certificate lists both one year of gross income and
taxes due (including whether they were paid), no additional documents are
necessary.
o In the event that one's municipal office is unable to issue three
years' worth of documents, please submit as many items from that time frame
as possible.
o If records are unavailable due to reasons such as having newly
entered Japan or having moved recently, please inquire at the nearest Regional
Immigration Services Bureau for guidance.
b. Documents proving that the past three years of individual inhabitant taxes
have been paid in a timely manner (bankbook copies, receipts, etc.)
o This only applies to applicants whose individual inhabitant taxes
were not subject to special collection (deducted from their salary) over the past
three years.
o Applicants whose individual inhabitant taxes were subject to
special collection (deducted from their salary) do not need to submit the
documents required by b. Please submit only the documents requested in a.
(2) Documents proving the payment status of national taxes

Specifically, No. 3 tax certificates for withholding tax, Special Income Tax for

Reconstruction, self-declared income tax, consumption tax, local consumption

tax, inheritance tax, and donation tax.

o These documents are issued by the tax office which oversees

one's area of residence. For locations of local tax offices and instructions on
how to request forms, please visit the National Tax Agency website.
o When requesting No. 3 tax certificates, they will certify that there
was no tax payable on the requested items at the time they were issued, so
there is no need to specify the date range.
o Please submit tax certificates for each of the five items listed
above.
(3) Other

One of the following, to prove income:

12. Bankbook copies - as required

13. Equivalent of a above - as required
7. Documents outlining the status of the applicant's pension and medical

insurance premiums (and/or those of their principal supporter).

o While applications made from July 1, 2019 onwards have required

the submission of documents proving the payment status of public pension and
medical insurance premiums, those who applied on June 30, 2019 or earlier
should be aware that they may also be asked to do so.
o Please submit the following documents pertaining to enrollment in
the national pension plan or medical insurance system in the past two years.
(Applicants who paid into multiple forms of pension and/or medical insurance
must submit documents for each one.)
o For children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents, and
special permanent residents, please submit documents for the most recent
year.
o When submitting documents (including copies) that display a
person's pension number, medical insurance number, or other such
numbers/symbols that identify the insured person, please black them out well
enough to render them illegible.
(1) Documents which prove payment of public pension insurance premiums

over the past two years

o Please thoroughly black out the applicant's personal pension

number if it appears on any of the documents being submitted.
o Those who are paying into pension plans other than the national
pension plan (such as employee pension plans) should submit the documents
listed in either a or b.
o Those who have been enrolled in the national pension plan for the
past two years should submit the documents listed in c, in addition to those from
either a or b.
o Applicants who have been continuously paying into their pension
plan for the past two years do not need to submit item c. If it will be difficult to
submit records for the full two-year period (24 months), please explain the
circumstances in a separate document (any format), in addition to those from
either a or b.
a. Pension Coverage Regular Notice (Nenkin Teiki Bin) (document that lists all
of the recipient's pension records to date)
o Those who have received their Regular Notice notification from
the Japan Pension Service (on their 35th, 45th, or 59th birthday) should submit
all the documents listed under the "〇ねんきん定期便 (必ずご確認ください)"
section of the table of contents.
o Although yearly postcards are sent with pension updates, these
may not be submitted as evidence, as they do not include the applicant's
contributions over all time periods.
o Those who would like a copy of their Pension Coverage Regular
Notice (Nenkin Teiki Bin) (a document that lists all of the recipient's pension
records to date) may submit an application with the Japan Pension Service
using the contact information listed below. When submitting an application,
please state that "全期間分(封書)を交付希望" - that you would like "documents
for the entire period, in a sealed envelope." (It will take around two months to
receive the documents.)
Contact information/phone number
Pension Coverage Regular Notice/Internet Pension Number: 0570-058-555
(Navi-Dial)
When calling from a phone that begins with "050," please dial: 03-6700-1144
b. Screenshots of Nenkin Net "Monthly Pension Records"
o Nenkin Net services are only available in Japanese.
o They may be accessed from the Japan Pension Service
homepage (link provided below). Please be aware that the registration process
may take up to five business days.
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/n_net/index.html
o Provided that the applicant has paid into the national pension plan
for the past two years, they may then select the "国民年金の年金記録(各月の納
付状況)" (National Pension Payment Records (Monthly Payment Status)) from
the "各月の年金記録" (Monthly Pension Records) section, and submit a copy of
that screenshot.
c. National pension insurance premium receipts (copy)
o Those who have been enrolled in the national pension plan for the
past two years should submit a copy of their receipts for that period. If it will be
difficult to submit those records, please explain the circumstances in a separate
document.
o Applicants who have been continuously paying into the national
pension plan for the past two years (24 months) and are able to submit a copy
of their pension payment receipts do not need to submit the items listed in a)
and b) above.
(2) Documents which prove payment of medical insurance premiums over the

past two years

When submitting documents (including copies) that display a person’s medical

insurance number or other such numbers/symbols that identify the insured

person, please black them out well enough to render them illegible.

a. Health insurance certificate for the insured (copy)

o Those who are currently registered in a health insurance plan

should submit verification.
o Applicants who have been continuously enrolled in health
insurance for the past two years do not need to submit items b through d.
b. National health insurance certificate for the insured (copy)
o Those who are currently registered in the national health
insurance program should submit verification.
c. Certificate of national health insurance premium payment (taxed)
o Those who have been enrolled in the national health insurance
plan for the past two years should submit verification.
d. National health insurance receipts (taxed) (copy)
o Those who have been enrolled in the national health insurance
plan for the past two years should submit a copy of their receipts for that period.
If it will be difficult to submit those records, please explain the circumstances in
a separate document.
(3) In cases where the applicant owns a business that provides social insurance

If the applicant is a business owner who provides social insurance, they must

submit documents proving both the recent payment of public pension and

medical insurance premium payments as stated above. Furthermore, they must

submit either documents in a or b related to public pension or medical insurance

premiums for their business for the period over the past two years during which

they were the business owner.

* For business owners who have difficulty submitting copies of the health

insurance documents listed above, please provide either a certificate proving

the payment status of social insurance premiums, or an application for their

confirmation (issued by the Japan Pension Service). In addition, please also

submit documents proving the status of payment of health insurance

association management premiums by the health insurance association. These

are available at the health insurance association that services one's area of

business.

a. Health insurance and employee's pension insurance receipts (copies)

o The applicant (business owner) must submit receipts for the entire
two-year period in which they were charged with running the business. If they
applicant is unable to submit receipts for the entire two-year period, they should
submit the items listed below.
b. Either a certificate of proof of payment or an application for the verification of
social insurance premiums (no matter which document is submitted, it should
clearly show payment/non-payment)
o For the application form and more details on how to apply, please
refer to the Japan Pension Service website. To obtain a certificate of proof of
payment, use the link provided below and go to "1. 社会保険料納入証明書"
(Certificate of Social Insurance Payment) and select the "社会保険料納入証明申
請書" (Application for Certificate of Social Insurance Payment). Please select "
一括用のみ" (Batch Use Only) for the output section and "延滞金含む" (Including
Arrears) for the certificate section.
For applications for the verification of social insurance premiums, use the link
provided below and go to "2. 社会保険料納入確認書" (Verification of Social
Insurance Payment) and select the "社会保険料納入確認 (申請) 書 (未納の有無
を確認する場合)" (Application for Verification of Social Insurance Payment (For
Payment/Non-Payment by Applicant) form.
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kounen/jigyonushi/sonota/20140311.html
o Using the "サイトマップ" (Site Map) on the Japan Pension
Service home page, click "年金について(しくみや手続き全般)" (Pensions
(Structures & General Procedures) ) on the "厚生年金保険" (Employees'
Pension Insurance) page; click on the "事業主向け情報" (Information for
Business Owners) column; then click "事業主向け情報(その他)" (Additional
Information for Business Owners) and "納入証明書・納入確認書" (Payment
Certificates & Payment Verification).
8. Presentation of passport
9. Presentation of residence card or certificate of alien registration
10. Materials related to guarantor

11. (1) Guarantor form

* This form is available at Regional Immigration Services Bureaus. You can also
access it via this page.
o The guarantor is typically the spouse.
(2) Documents pertaining to the guarantor

Please submit the following from a to c:

2. Documents proving employment - as required

A certificate of employment, or a certified copy of a company's registration
certificate
 3. Documents proving income (for the past year) - as required
* The two items listed above should be submitted in conjunction with those
requested in items 5 and 6.
4. Residence certificate - 1 copy
* In cases where the certificate is the same as the one being submitted by the
applicant for Item 4, then one copy is sufficient.
* Please omit the guarantor's Individual Number (My Number).
12. Presentation of proof of identity
* If the application is being submitted by someone other than the applicant (the
person submitting it should refer to this page), and proof of identity is required to
confirm that they are qualified to do so. Even if a person other than the
applicant is submitting the application documents, the applicant’s actual
passport and residence card must be presented (as listed in items 8 and 9).
However, a copy is permitted in cases where a certificate of alien registration is
serving as their residence card.
 It should be understood that other materials may be requested after the
application has been submitted.

Reminders

1. If the documents to be submitted are in a foreign language, attach

Japanese translations.
2. As a general rule, submitted documents cannot be returned. If you wish
for them to be returned for a special reason, such as difficulty obtaining new
originals, make a request for their return at the time of application.
3. The pages listed below offer guidelines and reference materials for
applications for permission for permanent residence.
o Guidelines for permission for permanent residence
o Guidelines for permission for permanent residence for those
recognized for their contributions to Japan
o Example cases of approval/denial of permission for permanent
residence based on applicants’ contributions to Japan
4. For more information, please contact either the Regional Immigration
Services Bureau with jurisdiction over your place of residence or
the Immigration Information Center (Tel: 0570-013904 or 03-5796-7112).