FAQ Archives - Page 77 of 93 - Ohara & Furukawa

February 24, 2016

What are the requirements to become a Japanese citizen?

There are several ways for a foreign national to become a Japanese citizen but one of the most common methods is listed in the Japanese Nationality Act and is composed of six requirements.

February 24, 2016

If a foreign national’s baby is born in Japan, will the baby be a Japanese citizen?

While most Japanese citizens acquire their citizenship at birth, Japan does not offer automatic citizenship to babies born within Japan. There are three ways a person may obtain Japanese citizenship by birth: 1) if the father or mother is a Japanese citizen at the time of birth; 2) if the father died before the child’s birth, but was a Japanese citizen; and 3) if the child is born in Japan and both of the parents are unknown or without nationality.

February 24, 2016

How long do you need to live in Japan to apply for Japanese citizenship if you are married to a Japanese citizen?

Foreign nationals who marry Japanese citizens do not need to live in Japan for the full five years normally required to obtain Japanese citizenship. The Minister of Justice has the discretion to grant Japanese citizen to a foreign national spouse of a Japanese citizen if he or she has lived in Japan for three years.

February 24, 2016

On what grounds can someone be deported from Japan?

Deportation is used by the Japanese government as a last option for foreign nationals who refuse to obey the terms of their stay in Japan. A foreigner who stays past the authorized period of stay on his or her visa, who works in a field outside of the authorize visa activities, who is convicted of violating Japan’s anti-narcotics laws or convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced to imprisonment without suspension of the sentence may be deported from Japan.