Recently, there has been an increasing number of foreigners who has decided to settle in Japan for study or to start their own career. In particular, there has been a major increase in numbers of business owners or managers who wants to acquire Japanese citizenship in order to ensure stable business engagements.
Therefore, today I would like to introduce the conditions and points to note about Japanese Nationality acquisition(naturalization) for foreign business owners.
The advantage and disadvantage for foreign owners acquiring citizenship
After becoming a Japanese National, your passport and family registrations will be in Japanese and you will be treated as same as any other Japanese. Complicated procedures will not be necessary when obtaining notifications and official documents from the city hall or government agencies.
In addition, with a permanent residence visa, there is a chance of deportation and revocation of status, but that won’t happen if you have Japanese citizenship.
As for disadvantage, if you want to go back to your home country for a long period of time it might require you to get permission or apply for visa in order to enter or stay.
Requirements to obtain citizenship
There are few conditions you must meet in order to successfully contain your citizenship.
1. Residence requirement – must have an address in Japan for more than 5 consecutive years.
2. Ability requirement – must be 20 years or older and have the ability to judge.
3. Diplomatic requirement - no criminal records or punishments, paid all taxes, and have good reputations.
4. Ability to make a living requirement - must be able to work and earn a steady income
5. Nationality requirement - willing to give up one’s native nationality for Japanese Nationality.
6. Ideological conditions – Do not belong to any groups or organizations that threatens the sovereignty of Japan.
7. Language requirement – must be fluent in Japanese and be able to read and write in Japanese.
The above requirements might be more relaxed for Japanese spouses or for those who are born in Japan.
To note, not all people is eligible even if you live in Japan for more than 5 years.
Business owner’s special conditions
-stable business for more than three terms without a loss or deficit
-anyone who has a business management visa must still have a 3 years period before expiration
-have social insurance and made all necessary tax payments
Above conditions must be proven with corresponding documents.
Caution points for business owners who’s thinking about applying
1. Manage your business well in order to keep 3 years visa status
2. Enrollment in social insurance
3. Stable sales income and net profit from business
Foreign business owners or managers who is considering naturalization, please contact us if you need advice or help. We can provide consultation on how to increase your sales and assist you to get your citizenship successfully.
