Recently I have applied Permanent residence (PR) for my family. This article is prepared to share the checklist with the list of documents needed.
Introduction
The Permanent Resident visa, or eijuken (永住権), is the Holy Grail for many foreign workers in Japan—it means you don’t have to renew your visa every year or three years (or five if you’re really lucky). It also means you no longer have to rely on your employer for sponsorship, and you are no longer restricted in the kinds of work you can do.
Also remember that your residence card itself is still only valid for seven years. After seven years, you have to bring in your residence card, your passport and a new photo along with an Application for Extension of the Valid Period of the Residence Card details can be found here. Other than that, you are free to enjoy Japan without ever having to worry about your visa status again!
Background
I have PR in Japan. During my PR application many years back, I have not applied PR for my family members (wife, kids). This article covers the checklist that is needed for applying PR for family members. My suggestion is to apply PR for all family members along with your application.
Many people have this question – Do I need an agent / Immigration lawyer to apply PR ?
My answer is no. You can apply for PR by yourself. It’s not that difficult. You need to spend some time collecting all necessary documents. You can download checklist
Please note application form have to be prepared for each member in your family. You need one set of below documents for each member.
| No | Details | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| You need to prepare below items | ||
| 1 | PR application form ( 永住許可申請書・eijuken shinsei-sho ) | App form link PDF App form link Excel(recommended) |
| 2 | Photograph x 1 | Size is 4cmx3cm Photo specs Where to take photos in Japan Photos can be taken at immigration office building also Those under the age of 16 do not need to submit a photo. |
| 3 | Marriage certificate (for wife) | |
| 4 | Birth certificate (for kids) | |
| 5 | Reason Letter (理由書) | Word doc – Sample letter for Wife Word doc – Sample letter for Kids Print only the Japanese page. Please change English as needed and translate to Japanese. |
| 6 | Letter of guarantee | Link to form |
| 7 | Copy of health insurance card | Keep copy of all members |
| 8 | Passport | A copy of the ID page in your passport Keep copy of all members |
| 9 | Copy of residence card | Copies of the front and back of your residence card (在留カード・zairyu card) Keep copy of all members |
| 10 | Copy of Bank Book | Take copy of statement for 3-4 months including front page with your name |
Below documents you can collect from your office | ||
| 11 | Employment certificate | zaishoku shomei sho / 在職証明書 |
| 12 | Income certificate / withholding slip | Shotoku shōmei-sho genzenchōshū-hyō 所得証明書・源泉徴収票 You can get this at your workplace |
Below documents you can collect from local city office | ||
| Proof of income (所得・shotoku), payment of residence taxes (住民税・juminzei) and Certificate of residence | ||
| 13 | Proof of payment of your residence taxes | Nozei shomeisho(納税証明書) Submit this for three years. |
| 14 | Total taxation amount document. | Kazei shomei-sho(課税証明書) Submit this for three years. |
| 15 | Certificate of residence | Juminhyo (住民票) Get this document with all family members data on it. |
| Other documents | ||
| 16 | Fudōsan tokibo / 不動産登記簿 | This document is needed if you own house/apartment in Japan This document is issued by Legal Affairs Bureau / 法務局 in your area Map for Edogawa area More search results in Google |
| 17 | National Tax documents from Tax office | The document is called Nozei Shomeisho No. 3 (納税証明書（その3）) You can get this document from TAX Office Map for Edogawa South Tax Office More search results in Google |
| 18 | Pension Documents | A printout page of pension payment record per month from Nenkin Net You must register with Nenkin Net from Japan Pension Service website in advance and it takes around 5 days to complete the registration. Nenkin Net website In my case I went to the nearest pension office and requested a document and they provided a print out. |
Guarantor Requirements A guarantor guarantor (身元保証人・mimoto hosho-nin) is needed when you are applying PR for you. In case you already have PR and you are applying for your family, you can be the guarantor. The guarantor must be a Japanese national or permanent resident, and has no obligation beyond providing the documentation below. | ||
| 1 | Letter of guarantee (身元保証書・mimoto hosho-sho) | Link to form |
| 2 | Employment certificate | zaishoku shomei sho / 在職証明書 |
| 3 | Last 1 year tax certificate (both kazeishomeisho and nozeishomeisho) | 直近１年分の課税証明書、納税証明書 Get this at the City Office. |
| 4 | Certificate of residence | Juminhyo (住民票) Get this at the City Office. |
FAQs
Why I need Permanent Resident?
Permanent Resident: Foreigners who wish to maintain their nationality but engage in any activities without any restriction in Japan.
How Long Do You Have to Wait for PR application processing?
The application for Permanent Resident could take a very long time to be processed (4 to 12 months in general) and you still have to renew your current visa if it will expire before your Permanent Resident application is approved.
What is the validity of the residence card?
The residence card itself is only valid for seven years. After seven years, you have to bring in your residence card, your passport and a new photo along with an
Application for Extension of the Valid Period of the Residence Card details can be found here.I am planning to leave Japan for an extended period of time. What will happen to PR?
If you plan to leave Japan for an extended period of time, you need to return to Japan at least once every 12 months to retain your permanent residence status. You can extend that period to five years if you apply for a special re-entry permit. A single re-entry costs ¥3,000, while multiple is ¥6,000.
It usually takes 4 to 12 months or so to get the result of your PR application. If your current visa is to expire before you get permanent visa, don’t forget to extend your current visa.
What are the benefits of having PR?
- 1. No restriction in the kind of activities you can engage in.
- 2. No more visa renewal, the Permanent Resident visa is valid for life (although it is still necessary to renew the Residence Card every 7 3. years and Re-entry Permit if you will be outside of Japan for more than one year)
- 4. Easier to get loans from Japanese banks
To compare between Permanent Resident vs Naturalization click here
In case I need a guarantor, is there any financial or legal obligation to the guarantor?
The guarantor for the permanent residency application has only a moral obligation, and no legal obligation. Therefore, the guarantor will not be held legally responsible for any of the applicant’s actions or fees.
Note: This article was first published on the All Japan Association of Indians (AJAI) on 28th March 2021. It is republished here with permission from the author, Sreekumar BA.
