PR Application Documents Checklist Japan 2026

For a Japan permanent residence application, your document set depends on your current status of residence and personal situation. Start with Immigration’s category-specific checklist, because Immigration states that required documents differ by status of residence or personal status.

In Japanese, a permanent residence application is 永住許可申請 (eijū kyoka shinsei). This guide explains the main PR application documents and how to organize the permanent residency documents Japan checklist for 2026 using the official Immigration Services Agency pages provided.

Start with the official category checklist

Immigration states that the documents required for permanent residence differ depending on the applicant’s status of residence or personal status, and that applicants should submit materials according to that category (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure). Before collecting documents, identify which official list applies to you.

The official page links separate document lists for applicants who are spouses or children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents, or special permanent residents; long-term residents; work-related status holders and dependent status holders; highly skilled foreign professionals; and special highly skilled foreign professionals (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure). This matters because a spouse application is not documented in the same way as a work-visa application.

You should also check the self-check sheet for your category before applying. Immigration notes that even if there are no “No” answers, approval is not guaranteed, but one “No” may make refusal likely (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure).

Core PR application documents checklist

The first document is the permanent residence application form, 永住許可申請書 (eijū kyoka shinseisho). The spouse and long-term resident official lists both require one copy of this form (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

You will also need one photo measuring 4 cm high by 3 cm wide, attached to the application form, unless the relevant exemption applies. Immigration says that if an unsuitable photo is used, the applicant may be asked to retake it (spouse or child PR list).

In the spouse and long-term resident lists, applicants must prepare a residence record for the household. These lists require one resident record, 住民票 (jūminhyō), for all family members in the household, with My Number omitted and other items not omitted (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

Occupation proof is another item in the spouse and long-term resident lists. If the applicant, or the person supporting the applicant, works for a company or similar organization, the listed document is an employment certificate, 在職証明書 (zaishoku shōmeisho), one copy (spouse or child PR list).

For self-employed applicants, the lists refer to a copy of the final tax return and a copy of the business license if there is one. Immigration also states that self-employed persons need to prove their occupation themselves (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

A reason letter, 理由書 (riyūsho), is required in the long-term resident list. Immigration says it should freely describe the reason permanent residence is needed, and that if it is written in a language other than Japanese, a translation is required (long-term resident PR list).

Finally, permanent residence applications require a letter of understanding, 了解書 (ryōkaisho). Immigration states that from October 1, 2021, this document is necessary for permanent residence applications (spouse or child PR list).

Tax, pension, and health insurance documents

Tax documents are a major part of the eijuu shinsei documents package. For spouse or child applicants, the official list asks for documents proving the income and tax payment status of the applicant and the person supporting the applicant for the most recent three years; for children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents, or special permanent residents, it says the most recent one year is submitted (spouse or child PR list).

For long-term residents, the official list asks for the most recent five years of income and tax payment documents for the applicant and the person supporting the applicant (long-term resident PR list). The listed municipal tax documents are residence tax taxation or non-taxation certificates and tax payment certificates showing total annual income and tax payment status.

Immigration also asks for materials proving that residence tax was paid at the proper time when there were periods not covered by special collection from salary. Examples listed include bankbook copies and receipts, and Immigration states that web bankbook screen copies are acceptable if printed in a form that cannot be altered, while Excel files are not acceptable (long-term resident PR list).

For national tax, the official lists require tax payment certificate “No. 3” for five tax categories: withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, declared income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, consumption tax and local consumption tax, inheritance tax, and gift tax. Immigration explains that this certificate proves there is no unpaid tax as of the certificate date, so no target period designation is required (spouse or child PR list).

Pension and public health insurance documents are also required according to the systems joined during the past two years. Immigration states that if the applicant was enrolled in multiple public pension or public medical insurance systems, documents for each system are necessary (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

When submitting documents that show a basic pension number, insurer number, or insured person number, Immigration instructs applicants to black out those numbers so that they cannot be restored. For health insurance, the official lists also address My Number health insurance card documents and qualification confirmation documents where applicable (spouse or child PR list).

Documents that differ by visa category

For spouse or child cases, the file includes documents proving the family relationship. A Japanese spouse case lists the Japanese spouse’s family register, 戸籍謄本 (koseki tōhon), and a marriage certificate issued by the applicant’s country; Japanese child cases list the Japanese parent’s family register (spouse or child PR list).

For permanent resident spouse cases, the list asks for a marriage certificate or similar document proving the relationship. For children of permanent residents or special permanent residents, it asks for a birth certificate or equivalent document proving the parent-child relationship (spouse or child PR list).

For applicants whose current status is long-term resident, 定住者 (teijūsha), the official list includes a reason letter and documents proving personal status, such as a family register, birth certificate, marriage certificate, certificate of matters stated in an acknowledgment notification, or equivalent document (long-term resident PR list).

For work-related status holders, dependents, highly skilled foreign professionals, and special highly skilled foreign professionals, Immigration provides separate document pages from the main permanent residence procedure page. The source provided here confirms that those categories have their own lists, but you should not assume the spouse or long-term resident set is enough for a work visa or HSP case (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure).

For highly skilled foreign professional applications, the key practical point is category matching. Immigration separates applications for “highly skilled foreign professional” and “special highly skilled foreign professional,” so use the list corresponding to the basis on which you are applying (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure).

Guarantor supporting documents

In the official spouse or child list, the guarantor section includes one letter of guarantee, 身元保証書 (mimoto hoshōsho), and a document clarifying the guarantor’s identity, such as a copy of a driver’s license (spouse or child PR list).

The long-term resident list has the same basic guarantor items: one letter of guarantee and a document identifying the guarantor, such as a driver’s license copy (long-term resident PR list). The main permanent residence procedure page states that the guarantor is usually a Japanese national, permanent resident, or special permanent resident residing in Japan (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure).

In spouse applications, Immigration notes that the guarantor is usually the spouse. This is a category-specific note, so do not automatically apply it to every permanent residence case (spouse or child PR list).

Photo, passport, and residence card requirements

The photo requirement is one 4 cm by 3 cm photo meeting the designated standard. The Immigration lists say it should be attached to the application form, and that directly printing a photo in the photo area of the form is acceptable if it meets the standard (spouse or child PR list).

The official lists also require presentation of the applicant’s passport or certificate of status of residence. If the applicant cannot present the passport or certificate, a reason letter explaining why must be submitted (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

The applicant’s residence card must also be presented. If someone other than the applicant submits the PR application, Immigration says the person coming to the office should bring the applicant’s residence card while the applicant carries a copy of it; if the applicant has permission for activities outside status, that permit must also be presented (spouse or child PR list).

Translation and formatting rules

Immigration states that if submitted documents are prepared in a foreign language, a Japanese translation must be attached. For the reason letter specifically, the long-term resident page says a translation is required if it is written in a language other than Japanese (long-term resident PR list).

Certificates issued in Japan must be submitted within three months from the issue date. This rule appears in the official application notes, so check the issue date before filing rather than collecting certificates too early (spouse or child PR list, long-term resident PR list).

Application forms, guarantee forms, and letters of understanding can be downloaded from the Immigration pages or obtained at regional Immigration offices. Immigration says the forms can be printed on Japanese Industrial Standards A4 paper and should be printed one-sided, not double-sided (spouse or child PR list).

Step-by-step document preparation workflow

First, choose the official PR document list that matches your current category: spouse or child, long-term resident, work-related status, dependent, highly skilled foreign professional, or special highly skilled foreign professional. Do not mix categories unless the official list for your category tells you to.

Second, prepare the application and identity documents required by your category’s official list. In the spouse or child and long-term resident lists cited here, these include the application form, photo, household residence record, passport presentation, residence card presentation, and letter of understanding. If your category requires proof of family relationship or personal status, place those documents immediately after the application form.

Third, collect occupation and income documents if required by your category’s official list. In the spouse or child and long-term resident lists, employees should request the employment certificate; self-employed applicants should prepare the listed tax return copy and business license copy if applicable.

Fourth, collect tax, pension, and health insurance proof for the required period in your category. Check whether any residence tax periods were not paid by salary deduction, because those periods may require proof such as receipts or bankbook copies.

Fifth, prepare guarantor documents if required by your category’s official list. For the spouse and long-term resident official lists cited here, that means the guarantee letter and a document identifying the guarantor.

Finally, review translations, redactions, dates, and print format. Add Japanese translations to foreign-language documents, black out the protected pension and insurance numbers, confirm Japanese certificates are within three months of issue, and print official forms one-sided on A4 paper.

Final check before filing

A strong PR file is not just a pile of documents; it is a category-correct, date-valid, readable package. The Immigration pages emphasize that missing documents can delay review and that additional documents may be requested during examination, so your goal is to make the initial file as complete as possible.

If your residence period will expire while the PR application is pending, Immigration states that you must separately apply for extension of period of stay by the expiration date (Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence procedure). Permanent residence filing does not replace your ordinary status management.

Common questions