2022.03.25
Naturalization (acquisition of Japanese nationality)

Nationality acquisition notification, naturalization application, permanent residence expert explains the difference

Three routes to acquire Japanese nationality

Japanese nationality can be obtained through the following three routes.

● Born
● Notification of acquisition of nationality
● Naturalization

Above all,Born'', parents must be Japanese citizens or be born in Japan, so if you are a native-born foreigner who wants to come to Japan and obtain a certificate,impossible route.

Birth is something acquired when a child is born.

● Father or mother is a Japanese citizen at the time of birth
● The father who died before birth was a Japanese citizen at the time of death.
● If you were born in Japan and both parents are unknown or stateless.

One of the above must be met.
If you are a Japanese who has lived in Japan for a long time, you must meet one of them, so basically you will automatically acquire Japanese nationality.
Therefore, if you are a foreigner who wants to acquire Japanese nationality after coming to Japan,Notification of acquisition of nationality"Or"Naturalization” You will have to choose between the two.

The notification of nationality acquisition and naturalization feel the same, but there are the following differences.

● Notification of acquisition of nationality: According to Articles 3 and 17 of the Nationality Act, those who meet certain requirements can obtain Japanese nationality by notifying the Minister of Justice.
● Naturalization: According to Articles 4 to 9 of the Nationality Act, Japanese nationality is granted upon the Minister of Justice's approval of a declaration of intent by a foreign national who wishes to acquire Japanese nationality.

I think you can see that each has different nuances.
Let's take a closer look at what this means in the next section.

What is a nationality acquisition notification?

Notification of acquiring nationality isMethods for acquiring nationality that Japanese children who have not acquired Japanese nationality can apply for.
As mentioned earlier, those who meet certain requirements can acquire Japanese nationality by notifying the Minister of Justice.

The requirements are the following three.

● Acquire nationality through recognition
● Reacquisition of nationality for those who did not reserve nationality
● Reacquisition of nationality for those who have not chosen nationality after receiving a notice

However, when it comes to actually updating, it is difficult to know which one applies to you.
Let's take a closer look at what the requirements are.

▼ Acquire nationality through recognition

In principle, a child born before marriage between a Japanese father and a foreign mother will not acquire Japanese nationality unless the father recognizes the fetus.
The important thing here isrecognized in fetusThat's the point.
Once the baby is born, it is no longer a fetus and therefore cannot acquire Japanese nationality by birth.
Since you will acquire Japanese nationality at birth, it is the theory that you should recognize the fetus while you are in your mother's stomach.

However, there may be various cases such as when the parents get married after birth and the father recognizes it, or when the parents recognize it but the parents get divorced.
Including such cases, notification is possible by satisfying the following requirements.

● The child is under 20 years old at the time of notification.
● The father who gave the recognition was a Japanese citizen at the time of the child's birth.
● The father who acknowledged the situation was a Japanese citizen at the time of notification.
　(If you have already died, you were a Japanese citizen at the time of your death)
● The child has never been a Japanese citizen.

If you are over 20 years old, you cannot acquire nationality through recognition..
Also, even if the child is a Japanese citizen, laterIf you have acquired foreign nationality, you will not be able to acquire Japanese nationality by submitting a new notification..
In that case, take another method.

▼Reacquisition of nationality for those who did not reserve nationality

This is true if a child born abroad has acquired both Japanese and foreign nationality by birth.
At this time, if you have not submitted a notification of reserving Japanese nationality along with your birth registration,You lose your Japanese nationality retroactively to the time of your birth..
However, in the case of a child who has lost Japanese nationality due to not retaining it, it is possible to reacquire it by filing a notification if the following requirements are met.

● Lost Japanese nationality without notifying nationality reservation
● The child is under 20 years of age at the time of notification.
● You have an address in Japan (your main residence at the time of notification is in Japan)
● I understand that I will lose my current nationality by acquiring Japanese nationality.

fundamentallyDual nationality is not allowedTherefore, at the time of acquiring Japanese nationality,Your current foreign nationality will be lost..

Also, it is important to keep in mind that you have an address in Japan.
This assumes that you live and live in Japan, not if you are temporarily staying in Japan for sightseeing or visiting relatives, for example.
Be careful when applying.

▼Reacquisition of nationality for those who have received a notice and have not chosen nationality

There are some difficult words, but the simple answer is to have one nationality by the age of 22.
This applies to dual citizens who have Japanese nationality and foreign nationality.
If you have dual citizenship before the age of 20 due to birth, or if you have dual citizenship after you reach the age of 20, you must choose either nationality.

● If you become a dual citizen before the age of 20:Until the age of 22
● If you become a dual citizen after reaching the age of 20:Within 2 years

If you do not select Japanese nationality within the above period, the Minister of Justice will be able to notify you in writing.
If you do not choose Japanese nationality within one month after receiving the notice, you will lose your Japanese nationality.So be careful.

However, if there are unavoidable circumstances, it is possible to make a notification by posting it in the official bulletin.
If you lose your Japanese nationality due to the notification, you can reacquire it if the following requirements are met.

● The loss of Japanese nationality is based on a notice published in the official gazette.
● Losing your current foreign nationality by acquiring Japanese nationality
● Notify the Minister of Justice within one year of knowing that you have lost your Japanese nationality.

After losing Japanese nationality, a foreign national has lost Japanese nationality without knowing the notification of the loss of Japanese nationality in the official bulletin.
If you later learn that you have lost your Japanese nationality, you can report it within a year.

What is naturalization?

What is naturalization?Acquiring the nationality of another country at one's own will.
When naturalizing in Japan, foreigners other than Japanese citizensObtaining Japanese nationality and becoming JapaneseRefers to.

There are many benefits to naturalizing in Japan.
First, as they fall outside the definition of a foreigner under the Immigration Control Act, they are not subject to the status of residence system.
You will also be freed from various obligations as a foreigner.
Of course, there is no concept of a period of stay for Japanese people to live in Japan, so there is no need for troublesome applications.
If you follow the law, you won't face any restrictions.
As long as you are a Japanese citizen and live in Japan, the government cannot interfere in your private life, so you are free to choose work, marriage, and divorce.

Naturalization has a strict examination, but by naturalizing you will be able to live as a Japanese, which will give you freedom all at once.

What is permanent residence?

Permanent residence is one of the residence statuses that can be obtained by applying for permanent residence, and is one of the higher statuses of residence.

Foreign nationals who have obtained a permanent resident visa can enjoy the following benefits:

● No restrictions on period of stay
● There are no restrictions on activities in Japan.

Basically, the status of residence must bePeriod of stayIs stipulated.
If you wish to stay longer than your period of stay, you must apply for permission to renew your period of stay each time and obtain permission from the Immigration Bureau.
For foreigners, it is very troublesome to prepare the documents at the time of this application, and it will be anxious days because it is not known whether permission will be granted.
However, once you become a permanent resident, there are no restrictions on your period of stay, so you will be freed from the hassle of renewing your visa.

In addition, each resident status allows you to only do the work assigned to you, so you have little freedom in choosing your occupation, but if you become a permanent resident, you can do any job you like.
The benefits of becoming a permanent resident are immeasurable, as it not only expands your career choices but also has a direct impact on your future life plans.
The point is that there are fewer documents to prepare for permanent residence application than for naturalization.

Summary

There are three ways to acquire Japanese nationality: "birth," "notification of nationality acquisition," and "naturalization."
Of these, "birth" is conditional on the parents being born in Japan or in Japan, so the options you can take are "notification of nationality acquisition" or "naturalization".
The application method for citizenship acquisition notification differs depending on the three types of patterns, so be sure to remember which requirements apply to you when submitting the notification.
When you naturalize in Japan, you become a full Japanese citizen and are freed from the constraints that existed when you were a foreign national.
If it is difficult to naturalize in Japan, there is an option to obtain a "permanent resident" status of residence.
If you are thinking of acquiring Japanese nationality, please refer to it.