Naturalization in 2022

I have been following this trend since last year and this is my journey so far….

First visit: Dec 2022
Application date: Nov 2023
Interview date/Home visit: Feb 2024
Now waiting (I am kinda nervous)

@ Sandy4Naturalization

Sorry for my late reply.
I have applied from Yokohama and with family.

How about you? It’s been long time for you waiting correct ! Any news?
I hope you will get soon..

@Maxim (guest)

Thank you !
My timeline is same like you and waiting to hear from houmukyoku.
But in my case Home visit didnt happen yet.

waiting is only option i guess.

During your application, did you submit any additional documents ?
Applied by yourself?

@Sandy4Naturalization

I have not submitted any additional documents and applied by myself.

Hope you are from India correct ? I am also from India.

I don’t know how to contact personally here but in case if you need anything please contact.

@Maxim (guest)

Thankyou !
Yes your guess is correct.

Lets find a way to connect through other means (Whatsapp, FB).
Let me know the exact DATE when your name appeared in Kanpou.

＠Maxis,
Rakesh-san is what i can say is your first name.

Yes.
You can delete the above post and can connect me via Facebook..

Hi All,

I am from India. I am planning to apply for naturalization in Saitama prefecture. I called Saitama district bureau and booked appointment. Earliest appointment available is in July.

I searched on internet to know which documents are required from home country (in my case, India). I have some questions related to the documents.
1. My parents marriage certificate is not available. What other document can I submit in this situation? Same situation for birth certificate.. Any alternative document which can be submitted?
2. Which document I need to submit to prove family relationship (Me, my parents and siblings)?


I will appreciate your help.

Hi Raj,
I made a reservation at Saitama legal affairs bureau on January and I was scheduled in may.I think naturalization in Saitama is more crowded.
I haven’t apply yet but I think documents which you can’t get from your country,you will tell the office in charge of your case on your first appointment and he will tell you what to do.Whether you will write statements or ignore those documents
2.You will get some of the documents you will fill by yourself from the legal affairs bureau.Forms like family in Japan and outside japan etc.

That’s the idea I have from reading a website about naturalization.

Hi Success,

Thanks for your reply and sharing information. OK. I understood. I will ask person in charge when I will go for first consultation.

BTW, you are applying by yourself or via gyoseishoshi (administrative scrivener)?
How you are preparing for test?

Those who have already appeared/passed written test, please let me know what type of questions were asked in the test. I know about hiragana/Katakana conversion and reading comprehension.. Anything else do they ask in written test?

Hello Raj,
If you are confident on those conversion and elementary kanji ~N4 it should be sufficient to pass the test. However they might judge also on the paragraph you write to describe why you want to be Japanese. So important to balance what you know to speak and write.
In my case test happened 2 times and while describing myself(reading what I wrote) he was making a note what went wrong even it was written by me .
Good luck!!

Hi Raj, I haven’t prepared about the test yet but I will start preparing now even though I passed N3.

What kind of documents did they told you to bring on your first consultation?

Mine is; one month payslip,last year annual income certificate from my company,Rirekishou from elementary until college ,driving license,insurance and residence card.

I’m applying by myself and I’m single so I think the documentation will be little bit easy.

My question is do I have to go to the immigration to get all my information ever since I came to Japan so that I can compare it when I’m filling the forms for naturalization? I don’t know wether it’s necessary or not

@Success (guest)

For history of your travel(first entry ~till date), you need to apply at immigration office.
It will be easy to understand as that document includes all your travel history and Visa status change etc.

You can check your passport stamps also about 入国、出国 Dates for past 5 years but I prefer to get history from Immigration.

Hope it helps.

Hello Waiting4naturalization,

Thanks for sharing your experience. As of now I am confident in writing Kanji of Grade 1 and few from Grade 2 Kanji. Started writing Kanji so that I can do it neatly and naturally. Why I am using this standard (Grade 1 and 2) because when I called Saitama legal affairs bureau they told me that I need to master the Kanji upto grade 2 and exam will be based on these Kanji. But they didn't tell the exam/test pattern. :-(

In your case written test happened twice?
You are still waiting for naturalization?

Hello @Success,

They asked me to bring below documents on my first consultation
Passport, Resident card, Insurance card, Gensencho (last financial year), Driving license, Rirekisho (gakureki, shokureki, mibunreki) IT return ( I filed return by myself) (they call it Kakutei or something like that), recent salary slip.

I am thinking of getting help from Gyoseishoshi to prepare or check documents ( just to avoid multiple rounds to legal affairs bureau and also save time between appointment).
I am single now (divorced a year back) so I think we have similar case except I need to get divorce certificate.

With ref to entry and exit, I didn't have much trips outside of Japan and whatever I have, I remember all of them. Also I can check/verify them on my passport. If you had been entering and going out many times in past 5 years, better to get details from immigration.

Hey sandy4Naturalization , thank you for the information.
The documents you will get from the immigration,is it only for entry and exit from japan? Which other details does the document has?
Because for the past 7yrs since I came to Japan, I haven’t exit from japan so I was thinking my information that I used to apply for my COE before coming to Japan and my parents information is still in that document.So I was thinking to get that document from immigration so that I can compare when filling the forms about family history/information.

Hey Raj.
Saitama legal affairs bureau didn’t tell me about test. The only told me to bring the above documents on my first consultation.
Did they tell you will take a test on your first consultation ?

@success(guest)

You can check the following webpage for details.
It includes all your records (Visa status change, PR application, entry, exit from Japan etc.)

https://www.office-kani.com/2020/05/10/7668/

@Success,

Yes, when I called Saitama legal bureau, they told me about Japanese test. It will be conducted at the time of first consultation.