Japan has toughened the criteria for foreigners seeking permanent residency, imposing higher income thresholds, stricter pension contribution checks and new Japanese-language requirements, the government announced on Thursday.
The revised guidelines will apply mainly to applications submitted from April 2027, though some income-related changes will take effect retrospectively for filings made from April 2026.
Under the updated rules, applicants must show that their income has continuously exceeded the average earnings of Japanese households of a similar size. Authorities will also scrutinise pension payments and overall financial self-sufficiency more rigorously.
For the first time, candidates will be required to demonstrate a practical ability to communicate in Japanese as part of the screening process.
The government is simultaneously raising the cost of applying. From October, the permanent residency application fee will jump from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen.
Officials said the measures build on earlier reforms that already placed greater weight on financial independence, tax compliance and social insurance obligations. The changes come as Japan’s foreign resident population grows even as the country grapples with a shrinking native population and persistent labour shortages.
Tokyo has described the tighter framework as part of efforts to ensure “orderly coexistence” between Japanese citizens and foreign residents while strengthening enforcement of immigration rules. The new requirements are expected to make long-term settlement significantly more demanding for many foreign applicants.
