The Verdict: Need More Info
Naturalisation comes after years living in Japan, so your first step is a residence status to get there. Look at our Skilled Migration, Marriage and Diaspora & Religious Return routes for Japan to find the one that fits.
No naturalisation provision supplies residence. A work status needs a degree or equivalent experience and an employer. The business route has needed ¥30 million in capital since October 2025. A Japanese spouse or Japanese ancestry makes everything shorter.
The Nationality Act still says five years, but since 1 April 2026 the Ministry of Justice has expected ten as a rule. That is a change to screening, not to the Act, and it applies to every case decided from that date, including applications already lodged. Unless a family provision applies, plan on ten years.
Japan also requires you to give up your present nationality before naturalisation completes.