Key Facts
• Government to finalize foreigner policy basic guidelines by January 2026.
• Permanent residency requirements to include Japanese language ability and specific income criteria.
• Naturalization residency period extended from 5 to 10 years, aligning with permanent residency.
• Student part-time work permits to be strictly managed, replacing automatic approval upon entry.
• Integration of residence card and My Number card from June 2026 to monitor unpaid taxes and social security.
• From 2027, national and local governments to share information; nonpayment may block entry or visa renewal.
• My Number system to prevent welfare and child allowance fraud.
• From fiscal 2027, a program to teach foreigners Japanese language, culture, and rules will be introduced.
• Attendance at this program may become mandatory during residency or permanent residency screening.
• Digital Agency to centralize foreign real estate ownership nationality data from 2027 onward.
• No decision yet on regulating foreign ownership of real estate; ruling party discussions ongoing.
• Quantitative management limiting foreign resident numbers will not be concretely implemented in this policy.
• Prime Minister Takamichi instructed strict residency screening and system adjustments in November 2025.
Summary
The Japanese government plans to strengthen foreign residency and naturalization requirements by adding Japanese language proficiency and income standards for permanent residency. The residency period for naturalization will be extended to 10 years, matching permanent residency rules. To prevent illegal work, student part-time job permissions will be tightly controlled. Integration of residence and My Number cards will enhance monitoring of unpaid taxes and social security contributions starting June 2026, with further data sharing between national and local governments from 2027. Measures to prevent welfare fraud using the My Number system are also planned. A comprehensive program teaching Japanese language, culture, and legal systems will be introduced by fiscal 2027, potentially mandatory for residency approvals. Real estate ownership nationality data will be centralized, though regulations on foreign property acquisition remain undecided. The policy will not concretely implement limits on foreign resident numbers. These measures follow Prime Minister Takamichi’s November 2025 directive to ensure orderly coexistence with foreigners through stricter residency screening and system reforms.
