What is the period required to apply for naturalization?

Time required to prepare for naturalization application

When applying for naturalization, you may be concerned about the time it takes to prepare.
After all, there are so many things to prepare when applying for naturalization.
The documents you need to prepare will vary depending on your status of residence, butIt takes approximately 2 to 3 monthsIt has been with.
The reason why it takes so long is because there are so many documents that need to be collected.

To apply for naturalization, you must first consult the Legal Affairs Bureau.
At that time, if it is determined that you meet the requirements for naturalization application, you will receive a list of documents required for application.
Collect documents according to the list.

There are various types of documents, but they can be broadly categorized as follows.

• ● Documents created by yourself
• ● Domestic government documents
• ● Documents issued by a company, etc.
• ● Documents proving your identity to be obtained from your home country

Since we have to collect all of these things, we absolutely need 2 to 3 months.
Especially when ordering documents from your home country, it takes time to obtain them, so if you postpone it, it may take even longer.

Also, in order to collect documents from government offices, you must visit them on weekdays.
If you can only take weekends off due to your work schedule, you may have to take time off to collect documents.

What's even more troubling is that not all official documents are collected in one place.
No matter how efficiently you go around, it will be quite difficult to collect everything in one or two days, as you will have to go to various places, such as municipal offices and tax offices, to obtain it.

For these reasons, it is better to allow approximately 2 to 3 months as the period required for naturalization application.

may not be applied at any time

Not everyone can apply for naturalization at any time.
This is because you can consult with the Legal Affairs Bureau before applying to see if you meet the requirements.

Don't forget the following requirements:

• ● Have an address in Japan for more than 5 consecutive years
• ● Must be 20 years of age or older and have the capacity to act according to the law of the home country.
• ● Being good

Continuing for more than 5 years meanskeep working on itI have lived in Japan for 5 years.
For example, if you lived in Japan for 2 years, then lived abroad for 1 year, then returned to Japan and lived there for 3 years, you would not meet the requirements because you have not lived continuously for 5 years.
The first two years are not counted.
Moreover, the working status of residence requires that you have worked for three years or more, which is a very difficult requirement.

However, as an exception, this requirement period will be shortened for those who have lived in Japan for more than 10 years or those who hold a visa such as a spouse of a Japanese national.
またSimple naturalizationThere is a system called ``residence requirements'' for those who fall under this system.
It is a good idea to check whether this applies to you when you consult the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Also don't forgetBeing good.
In thisYou will be asked whether you have paid your taxes and pension without any arrears, and you will be asked to submit documents from the past several years as proof..

In this way, a certain number of years of stay is required in order to meet the requirements, so it is not possible to apply whenever you feel like it.

In principle, the Legal Affairs Bureau should make a reservation before going

To apply for naturalization, you must first go to the Legal Affairs Bureau, but even if you go suddenly, they will not accept your application.
Although not all, many legal affairs bureaus offer consultation on naturalization.Reservation systemThis is because it is.
If you wish to go for consultation, be sure to make a reservation by telephone in advance at the legal affairs bureau of your choice.

The ease with which you can make an appointment for a consultation varies by legal bureau, so some may be able to do so right away, while others may have a hard time getting one.
This is all luck, so I have no choice but to call many times without giving up.

As long as you can make a consultation appointment with the Legal Affairs Bureau, all you have to do is consult about naturalization on the day of the appointment.
Once you know what documents you need, let's get started.

It is important to note that an appointment is required to submit documents.
Even at this time, depending on the timing, it may be difficult to get a reservation.
What is more troublesome is that the documents have a deadline.Likely to expireis that there is
Even if you are lucky enough to make an appointment and submit your documents, if you are asked for additional documents, you will have to make another appointment after collecting them.

Therefore, you will likely have to make appointments and visit the Legal Affairs Bureau many times until you can apply for naturalization.
Of course, if you are unable to schedule a consultation date or submit documents, the time it takes to apply for naturalization will be extended accordingly.

Period from application to interview

Even if you collect all the documents and submit them to the Legal Affairs Bureau, it does not mean that you will be able to get an interview right away.
Basically, after submitting, you will have to wait for the contact from the Legal Affairs Bureau to inform you of the interview schedule.
That period isApproximately 2 to 6 monthsDuring this period, the Legal Affairs Bureau will do the following:

• ● Inspection of submitted documents
• ● Inquiries to government agencies
• ● Document review
• ● Personal background check

Investigators may come to your neighborhood or business and interview you.
We may even come directly to your home to investigate.

I want to be carefulNotification is required when leaving the countryThat's the point.
Even if something happens to your family in your home country and you have to return to your home country immediately, please don't forget to notify us.

Also, in principleDocuments submitted at the time of applicationJudgment will be conducted based on.
Therefore, for some reason after applying,Changes in living environment such as moving, changing jobs, getting married or having childrenIf this happens, be sure to report it to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
If you neglect to do this, you may give a bad impression during the examination.
As a general rule, if there are any changes from the submitted documents, please be prepared to report them each time.

It is also necessary to be careful about behavior after applying for naturalization.
If you feel relieved after submitting documents and make a mistake, such as leaving the tax payment deadline behind, it will have a negative impact on the examination.
Don't let your guard down until your naturalization application is actually approved and you are naturalized in Japan.

If you are asked for additional documents, please collect and submit them immediately.
Please note that the longer the period is, the longer the naturalization application will take.

Period from application to results

The period from the application for naturalization until the results are known is approximately11 to 15 months will be important.
This is the period up to the interview mentioned above plus the period of 6 to 8 months to know the result of the interview.
Basically, it is better to think that the naturalization application will take more than a year.

In principle, interviews are not repeated and are completed in one session.
It is only the applicant himself and the person in charge of the Legal Affairs Bureau.
In the case of a spouse visa, a Japanese spouse may be present.

The purpose of the interview isConfirm application detailsand the applicantConfirmation of Japanese language abilitywill be the main one.
Since you are naturalized as a Japanese, it is natural that your Japanese ability will be checked.
There are no difficult questions, and you are basically just asked about what is written in the documents you submitted.
As long as you can speak smoothly, there shouldn't be any problems.
Others may require additional documentation.

If the interview is successfully completed, the documents will be sent to the Minister of Justice, and permission or non-permission will be given at the discretion of the Minister of Justice.
Despite your best efforts, you may still be rejected.

またRegardless of whether the naturalization application is permitted or not, the notification will be sent to the applicant himself/herself..
If naturalization is permitted,official gazetteIt is also listed there, so you may want to check there.
Naturalization will take effect from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Naturalized IDOnce the issuance date is decided, go to the Legal Affairs Bureau on that day and receive the issuance.
Then, complete the procedure for naturalization notification at the municipal office.

Because the procedure is as described above, it may take several days even after the results are known.

Summary

The naturalization application process can be broadly divided into three periods: application preparation, interview, and results.
Everything takes time, so it will take about 11 to 15 months in the end.
It is better to think of the naturalization application as a big application that takes more than a year.

It is not possible to apply for naturalization at any time.
You must meet the application requirements, so be sure to check whether you can apply.

In addition, you have to go to the Legal Affairs Bureau many times to apply.
However, many legal affairs bureaus have an appointment system for consultation desks for naturalization applications, so advance reservations are essential.
If you are thinking about applying for naturalization, please contact your local Legal Affairs Bureau by phone.

Related article

• What is the flow until the naturalization application is approved?
• Procedures required after naturalization, name change
• [Summary] Naturalization conditions and procedures that you should know if you want to "naturalize"

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