Diaspora & Religious Return in Japan

You may already be Japanese, so check that first through our Citizenship by Descent route for Japan. If you are not, you qualify for Long-Term Resident status as the child of a Japanese national.

A child of a Japanese parent is usually Japanese from birth. The common exception is a birth abroad with another citizenship where no reservation of Japanese nationality was filed within three months.

Long-Term Resident status allows any job with any employer and no sponsor. It is granted for up to five years at a time, renewable, lets a spouse and unmarried minor children join you, and counts towards permanent residence after five years. There is no Japanese-language requirement at this generation.

You will need your parent's family register (koseki), your birth certificate and the records linking you. The usual process is a certificate of eligibility from a regional immigration office in Japan, then a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate.

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