After living in Japan for a while now you think you feel at home here. A thought crosses your mind:
What if you just… stayed? Permanently?
And you decide to apply for permanent residency.
Japan’s Permanent Residency, called “Eijusha” or simply PR, is exactly what it sounds like. It lets you live in Japan without being tied to a visa that expires every one, three, or five years.
But there is a process one needs to go through in order to obtain it. And most people get confused in it because the rules change depending on who you are and what visa you currently hold.
But don’t worry, you’ve landed at the right place. In this post, you get everything broken down in simplest terms possible to understand.
What You Actually Get with PR
Before you start checking boxes, it helps to understand what you are working toward.
- No more visa renewals (you just renew your residence card every 7 years)
- You can work any job, start a business, freelance, whatever you want
- Banks and landlords treat you more favorably for loans and housing
- Your spouse and kids get more stable status too, and can eventually apply for PR themselves
One important thing to clarify: PR is not the same as citizenship. You keep your original passport and nationality. You just get to live here without restrictions. If you want a Japanese passport, that is a separate path called naturalization.
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How Long Do You Need to Live in Japan?
This is the part where most people get stuck, because the answer is: it depends.
Here is how it breaks down by visa type:
- Regular work visa (Engineer, Humanities, International Services, etc.): 10 years total in Japan, with at least 5 of those years on a work-based visa
- Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) with 70 points: 3 years
- HSP with 80 or more points: Just 1 year
- Spouse of a Japanese national or PR holder: 3 years of genuine marriage plus at least 1 year of living in Japan
- Long-Term Resident: 5 consecutive years
If you are on a student visa and just finished your studies, those years count toward the 10-year total, but only if you also had work-based status for at least 5 of those years.
If you have a degree, good income, and work experience, the HSP points system is worth paying attention to. Many people don’t realize but they are actually closer to 70 or 80 points!
The Income Question Everyone Asks About
You will often hear “you need 3 million yen a year” a lot. The truth is, this number is not wrong, but it is not the full picture either.
Here’s the thing. For work visa holders, around 3 million yen in annual income is treated as a rough minimum. So if even one year in your application documents shows income below that, it can raise questions.
For spouse or long-term resident visa holders, the situation is more flexible however. The government looks at total household income, not just yours individually. So if your partner earns well, your combined finances may satisfy the requirement, even if your own income is lower. That’s such a lifesaver, isn’t it?
Another important thing to keep in mind is that there is also an unwritten rule regarding this. If you have dependents (children, a spouse who does not work), you should add roughly 700,000 yen per dependent on top of that 3 million baseline. And the income on paper then should be enough to support it.
The lesson: stable, consistent income over several years matters more than a single high-earning year.
Three Things That Can Quietly Sink Your Application
This is the stuff no one tells you clearly. So pay utmost attention to it!
A Note on the New Fee Rules (2026 Update)
As of early 2026, the Japanese government has approved a bill to raise fees for residence-related applications, including a significant proposed increase for permanent residency applications.
The Japanese government has proposed increasing the PR application fee significantly, possibly up to ¥300,000 by 2027 to cover administrative costs. While it may still be around ¥10,000 right now, the price of staying forever is likely to go up very soon
If you are close to being eligible, it may be worth applying sooner rather than waiting to see how the fee structure settles.
What Happens If You Get Rejected?
Let’s address the elephant in the room. What happens if you get rejected even after doing your best to obtain it?
Firstly, rest assured your current visa is not affected. A PR rejection does not mean you have to leave Japan and you’re safe.
Secondly, look into what went wrong. Go back to the immigration office, ask for clarification on why you were rejected, and address those specific points before reapplying.
Most people wait several months to a year to build a stronger case. After knowing your mistakes you can come back stronger in your second attempt.
The overall approval rate sits somewhere around 50 to 60 percent, which means preparation and documentation quality genuinely make a difference.
Where to Start
By now, you would be clear as to what makes you eligible for PR and how to go about it.
If you think you are still serious about it, start by honestly reviewing these five things:
- How many years have you lived in Japan, and on what visa types?
- Is your income stable and above the 3 million yen range?
- Are all your taxes, pension, and health insurance payments current?
- Have you been in Japan for most of the year, most years?
- Is your employment history clear and documented?
If you can answer yes to most of those, you may be closer than you think, go for it.
If not, now is the time to fix them. Fix them and submit your application. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time making Japan your home!
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