Japan Sets New Income Threshold Foreigners Must Meet For Permanent Residency

• Japan's Immigration Services Agency revised its permanent residency guidelines on October 1, 2026, introducing a formal household income threshold tied to Japanese average earnings
• Applicants must now show their household income consistently meets or exceeds the average income of Japanese households with the same number of members
• The revised guidelines also factor in pension projections and financial assets, and will apply to applications submitted on or after April 1, 2027

Japan's Immigration Services Agency updated its permanent residency guidelines on October 1, 2026, formally introducing a household income standard.

Foreign nationals must now meet the updated guidelines to qualify for the country's most stable legal status.

Japan's New Household Income Standard

Under the revised guidelines, applicants must demonstrate that their total household income continuously reaches or surpasses the average annual income of Japanese households of the same size.

This benchmark, referred to in the guidelines as the "income level," is calculated by combining the applicant's own earnings with those of other members of the same household who hold work-eligible residence status.

Crucially, income earned by family members on non-work visas, such as a spouse on a dependent "Family Stay" visa, cannot be counted towards the household total.

However, relatives being financially supported by the applicant, including those living abroad, are still counted when determining household size, which affects the income threshold that must be reached.

For households of five or more people, an additional living cost allowance is added on top of the standard income benchmark, raising the bar further.

Pension and Assets Also Assessed

Beyond current earnings, the agency will also evaluate whether an applicant's projected future pension payments, based on their work history and years of contributions, are likely to reach a level equivalent to what a person would receive after 30 years of employment at or above the Japanese average income threshold while enrolled in the Employees' Pension Insurance scheme.

Where projected pension amounts fall short of that standard, applicants may compensate with sufficient financial assets.

Younger applicants face a lower asset requirement on account of having more time to accumulate savings before reaching pension age, while those closer to retirement age are expected to hold more in reserve.

The income and pension assessments are both conducted at the household level as a default, meaning a married couple's combined pension projections are considered together.

The revised guidelines apply to applications submitted on or after April 1, 2027, though the income and public burden provisions also apply to applications already under review as of the revision date, provided those applications were submitted within the six months preceding October 1, 2026.

Permanent residency in Japan carries no restrictions on the type of work a holder may undertake or on the length of their stay, making it the most sought-after residence status for long-term foreign residents.

The standard residency requirement before applying remains 10 years of continuous stay, with at least 5 of those years on a work or residence visa.

Japan publishes guidance about free visa

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Japan officially confirmed the list of countries and regions whose nationals are exempt from paying any visa fee when applying to visit the country.

The full list covers 63 countries and regions across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, with two African nations making the cut.