Leaving Japan: Japanese Citizens vs. Foreign Permanent Residents

本頁內容尚未翻譯。

A Japanese national can leave Japan and come back without any permit, needing only a valid passport and a return confirmation at the airport.¹ A foreign resident, even a Permanent Resident, keeps their status only by leaving on a re-entry permit or a Special Re-entry Permit and returning within its validity; otherwise the status and period of stay are lost.¹² This guide compares Japanese citizens, Special Permanent Residents and general Permanent Residents, explains which permit fits which plan, and shows how status is lost and why it is so hard to recover.

The Core Legal Asymmetry: Right of Return vs. Conditional Entry

A citizen’s return follows from nationality itself, while a foreign resident’s return depends on a permission granted under immigration law.

Japanese Nationals: A Right Grounded in Nationality

Return confirmation (Kikoku no Kakunin 帰国の確認) is the only arrival formality for a Japanese national. Under Article 61 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Nyukanho 出入国管理及び難民認定法), a returning national presents a valid passport (or, if they cannot hold one, a document proving Japanese nationality) and an immigration inspector confirms the return.¹ This is a confirmation of a fact, not a landing permission, so there is nothing to grant or refuse.

The Constitution of Japan, Article 22(2), protects the freedom to move to a foreign country and to divest oneself of nationality.³ The return rule itself is statutory (Article 61) and flows from nationality, so time abroad does not affect a national’s ability to come home.

Foreign Residents: Status of Residence Is Tied to Presence in Japan

A status of residence (Zairyu Shikaku 在留資格) survives a trip abroad only if the holder leaves with re-entry permission. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) states that a foreign resident who departs without a re-entry permit (including a deemed re-entry permit) loses the status of residence and period of stay they held, and must obtain a new visa and pass a new landing examination to return.²

The residence card follows the status: it loses effect on departure without a re-entry permit (Art. 19-14(iii)), or when a permit holder fails to re-enter in time (Art. 19-14(iv)).¹

Who Counts as What: Special Permanent Residents, Permanent Residents, Long-Term Residents and Work Visa Holders

Special Permanent Residents (Tokubetsu Eijusha 特別永住者) are people, and their descendants, who lost Japanese nationality under the 1952 Treaty of Peace with Japan. Their position comes from the Special Act on Immigration Control (Nyukan Tokureiho 入管特例法, Act No. 71 of 1991), not from an Immigration Act status of residence.⁴⁵ They carry a Special Permanent Resident Certificate (Tokubetsu Eijusha Shomeisho 特別永住者証明書) rather than a residence card.⁶⁷

General Permanent Residents hold the Eijusha (永住者) status in the Immigration Act’s Appended Table II, with no restriction on activities and no period of stay.⁸

Long-Term Residents (Teijusha 定住者), spouses of Japanese nationals and work visa holders all have a fixed period of stay. Both their Special Re-entry window and any standard re-entry permit are capped by that period.¹⁶

Foreign Permanent Residents: The Re-entry Permit Dilemma

Permanent Residence has no expiry date, but it can be lost in two legally distinct ways, and a new revocation ground is scheduled for 1 April 2027 (as of October 2026).⁹

How Status Is Lost: Lapse by Operation of Law vs. Administrative Revocation

Lapse happens automatically, with no decision by anyone: leaving without re-entry permission extinguishes status at departure; for a permit holder who does not return in time, the card loses effect (Art. 19-14(iv)) and must be returned within 14 days (Art. 19-15(1)).¹²¹⁰ ISA’s Special Permanent Resident Q&A states the parallel rule plainly: once the 2-year deemed re-entry period passes, SPR status is lost.⁷

Revocation (Zairyu Shikaku no Torikeshi 在留資格の取消し) is a separate administrative act under Article 22-4 of the Immigration Act. It requires a listed ground, a hearing before an immigration inspector (Iken no Chosho 意見の聴取), and a written revocation notice (Art. 22-4(2)-(6)).¹ Forums often say PR is “revoked” after a year abroad, but the accurate description is that status lapses, or is lost automatically.

flowchart TD
    A["Foreign resident leaves Japan"] --> B{"Left with a re-entry permit or Special Re-entry?"}
    B -- No --> C["Status lapses at departure (Art. 19-14(iii))"]
    B -- Yes --> D{"Returned within the permit's validity?"}
    D -- Yes --> E["Status continues"]
    D -- No --> F["Status lapses; return card within 14 days"]
    E --> G{"Listed ground under Art. 22-4?"}
    G -- No --> H["Status continues"]
    G -- Yes --> I["Revocation procedure: hearing and written notice"]

Why Losing PR Is Hard to Undo

Once status has lapsed, there is no way to reinstate it; the person needs a new visa and a new landing examination in a new status of residence.² A former Permanent Resident must then qualify again under the PR guidelines in force at the time of the new application, including the residence requirements.¹¹ Those guidelines are changing: ISA’s revised PR guideline (Eiju Kyoka ni Kansuru Gaidorain 永住許可に関するガイドライン, revised 1 October 2026) applies to applications filed on or after 1 April 2027 (as of October 2026).¹¹

Special Permanent Residents face a harder line. ISA states that a former SPR who re-enters on a new landing permission cannot obtain SPR status again, so a missed deadline is effectively permanent.⁷

Act No. 60 of 2024 (promulgated 21 June 2024) adds two new Permanent Resident revocation grounds to Article 22-4(1). Item (viii) covers failure to comply with obligations under the Immigration Act or wilful non-payment of taxes and public charges (Koso Kouka 公租公課); item (ix) covers imprisonment for certain criminal offences.⁹⁵⁸ ISA lists the Act as taking effect on 1 April 2027, and the provision was not yet in force (as of October 2026).⁹¹²

Special Permanent Residents are not covered. ISA’s Q&A states that SPR status, a position under the Special Act, is not covered by this amendment.⁵ Article 22-4 applies only to holders of a status in the Immigration Act’s appended tables, which SPRs do not hold.¹

What counts as a public charge is set out in ISA’s Guideline on Revocation of Permanent Resident Status, adopted on 1 October 2026 after a public comment process, for the ground that takes effect on 1 April 2027 (as of October 2026).⁸¹³ It indicates:

Included: taxes in general (income tax, resident tax, corporate tax, fixed asset tax) and social insurance such as National Health Insurance, employee Health Insurance, National Pension and Employees’ Pension contributions.
Not included: fines and usage fees.
Also relevant: failing to file a clearly required tax return.

“Wilful” means knowingly choosing not to pay, judged on all the circumstances, including income, assets and the amount and duration of arrears (as of October 2026).⁵⁸ The guideline excludes non-payment due to unavoidable circumstances such as illness, disaster or unemployment, cases where the person shows willingness to pay and is on an instalment or deferral arrangement, and cases where an employer deducted contributions from salary but failed to pay them.⁵⁸ Its qualifying examples include long-running arrears where the person moved without notifying the municipality and cannot be located, and refusal to pay despite repeated demands; non-payment before 1 April 2027 may also be considered, weighed against any later payment.⁸

Revocation does not usually mean removal. Unless continued residence is inappropriate, ISA expects in most cases to change the person’s status ex officio to Long-Term Resident (Teijusha), with a later PR reapplication possible (as of October 2026).⁵⁸ Family members are not affected as such, although a spouse holding “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident” status would need to change status if the PR holder’s status changes.⁵

The departure angle is practical rather than alarming. Leaving with unpaid resident tax (Juminzei 住民税) or social insurance arrears, no tax agent and no contact with the municipality resembles the “moved and cannot be located” example. The safeguard is to settle arrears before leaving or appoint a tax agent (Nohzei Kanrinin 納税管理人), as the dedicated guides on resident tax and tax agents explain.

Fixed-Period Visa Holders: The Period-of-Stay Cap

For Long-Term Residents, spouse visa holders and work visa holders, the Special Re-entry window ends 1 year after departure or when the period of stay expires, whichever comes first (Art. 26-2(2)).¹⁶ A standard re-entry permit is likewise set within the current period of stay, and an extension of the period of stay cannot be applied for at an overseas mission.²¹⁴

A pending application does not protect you indefinitely. You may leave while an extension or change-of-status application is pending; on a standard permit you must return before it expires, and on Special Re-entry by the earlier of 2 months after the original period of stay expires or 1 year after departure.¹⁴ ISA warns that if the result is not collected within that 2-month window, you become an overstayer even though the application is still pending.¹⁴

Short-Term Stay visitors receive neither Special Re-entry nor, in principle, a standard re-entry permit.¹⁴

Special Re-entry Permit (Minashi Sainyukoku) vs. Standard Re-entry Permit (Sainyukoku Kyoka)

The deemed permit is free and automatic but rigid; the standard permit costs money and planning but can be longer and extended.

Special Re-entry Permit: 1 Year (2 Years for SPRs), No Extension

No prior application and no fee are needed for Special Re-entry. At departure you present a valid passport and residence card (SPRs: passport and SPR certificate), tick the box on the re-entrant ED card (Sainyukoku ED Kado 再入国ＥＤカード) stating that the departure is temporary with intent to return, and tell the inspector you are leaving under the deemed re-entry permit.⁶ For SPRs, the Special Act sets the period at 2 years and does not tie it to a period of stay.⁴

Special Re-entry cannot be extended. Article 26-2(3) disapplies the extension provision, and ISA confirms this for both the 1-year and the SPR 2-year period.¹¹⁴⁷ Illness, family emergencies or travel disruption abroad therefore do not change the deadline.

Some people cannot use Special Re-entry and must obtain a standard permit: persons under status-revocation procedures, those whose departure confirmation is suspended, those subject to a detention order, Designated Activities holders who have applied for refugee recognition, and persons the Minister of Justice designates.⁶ For everyone else, there is no limit on the number of uses.¹⁴

Standard Re-entry Permit: Up to 5 Years (6 for SPRs), Single or Multiple

A standard re-entry permit runs for up to 5 years from the date it takes effect (6 years for SPRs), always within the current period of stay.¹⁴¹⁴ It can be issued for a single use or as a multiple (Suji 数次) permit valid for any number of trips within its validity.²¹⁴

You apply at the regional immigration bureau with jurisdiction over your address, in person or through an approved agent, a notified lawyer or administrative scrivener (Gyoseishoshi 行政書士), or a legal representative.¹⁵ Fees are ¥4,000 for a single permit and ¥7,000 for a multiple permit, paid by revenue stamp, and standard processing is same day (as of October 2026).¹⁵ Online filing costs ¥3,500 or ¥6,500 but is available only when submitted together with an application for change of status, extension of period of stay, or acquisition of status (as of October 2026).¹⁵

Stateless persons and others unable to obtain a passport receive a re-entry permit document (Sainyukoku Kyokasho 再入国許可書).¹¹⁴

Extending a Re-entry Permit from Abroad

An extension is possible only for a standard permit. Under Article 26(5), where there is reasonable cause (Soto no Riyu 相当の理由), such as illness, preventing timely return, an extension of up to 1 year may be granted on application, but not beyond 6 years from the date the permit took effect.¹ For SPRs, the Special Act reads that limit as 7 years.⁴

Japanese consular officers handle the extension at an embassy or consulate and record it in the passport or re-entry permit document (Art. 26(6)).¹ Apply before the permit expires, and ask the mission about any fee. The extension still cannot run past your period of stay, which itself cannot be extended from abroad.¹¹⁴

Decision Guide: Which Permit Fits Your Plan

Choose your permit from your realistic worst case, not your planned return date. ISA states that deemed re-entry cannot be used if you plan to re-enter more than 1 year after departure.¹⁴ As practical advice (not ISA guidance), rely on Special Re-entry only if you are confident of returning within about 11 months, leaving a buffer for cancellations or illness.

Short trips with a firm return: Special Re-entry, declared on the ED card.⁶
Any chance of exceeding the window (overseas posting, study, caring for parents abroad, trial emigration): obtain a standard permit before leaving, and choose multiple if you expect several trips.¹²
Leaving permanently: no permit; surrender the residence card at the port.¹⁶¹⁷

flowchart TD
    A["Planning to leave Japan"] --> B{"Will you return to live in Japan?"}
    B -- No --> C["No permit: surrender residence card at the port"]
    B -- Yes --> D{"Certain to return within 1 year (2 for SPRs) and before your period of stay ends?"}
    D -- Yes --> E["Special Re-entry: tick the ED card box, no fee"]
    D -->|No or unsure| F["Standard re-entry permit before departure"]
    F --> G{"Several trips planned?"}
    G -- Yes --> H["Multiple permit"]
    G -- No --> I["Single permit"]
    F --> J["If delayed abroad: request extension at an embassy or consulate"]

Residence Card Handling at Airport Immigration: Hole-Punching vs. Retention

What happens to your card depends on whether you leave with re-entry permission. The same rules apply in parallel to SPR certificates.

Leaving with a Valid Permit: You Keep the Card

With a re-entry permit or Special Re-entry, your residence card remains valid because Article 19-14(iii) excludes permit holders from the departure-invalidity rule.¹ You present it at departure and again on return.⁶

Leaving for Good: Surrender at the Port and the Hole-Punch

Surrender (Henno 返納) of the card is required immediately at the port when you depart without re-entry permission, because the card loses effect on departure confirmation (Art. 19-15(2)).¹¹⁰¹⁷ ISA explains that the surrendered card is invalidated by punching a hole in it and is then handed back to you.¹⁶ “Henno” is the surrender; the hole-punch is how the card is cancelled.

If you leave on a permit but do not return in time, the card must be returned within 14 days by mail to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau (Art. 19-15(1)).¹¹⁶ Failure to return it can lead to a fine of up to ¥200,000.¹⁶

Residence Card Validity While Abroad

Card validity is separate from status. A PR’s status has no expiry but the card does, and the adopted guideline lists failing to renew a card under the new “obligations” limb of Article 22-4(1)(viii). It does not expect a single oversight to lead to revocation, but cites repeated failure to renew despite guidance as a case where revocation is considered (as of October 2026).⁸

PR cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 (the new format, which can carry a My Number function, Tokutei Zairyu Kado 特定在留カード) run until the holder’s 10th birthday after the date of issue, or the 5th birthday if the holder is under 18 on that date; for a renewal made in the normal window, the count starts from the old card’s expiry date (as of October 2026).¹⁹¹⁸ Cards issued up to 13 June 2026 keep their previous validity, understood to be 7 years from issue for holders aged 16 or over and the 16th birthday for younger holders, a figure confirmed only by a 2012 Ministry of Justice guide and indirectly by ISA’s renewal page.¹⁹¹²²⁰

SPR certificates issued from 14 June 2026 to holders aged 18 or over are valid, on renewal, until the 10th birthday after the previous certificate’s expiry, and otherwise until the 10th birthday after the application date (as of October 2026).⁷

Early renewal is the safeguard for a long absence. The normal window opens 3 months before expiry, but Article 19-11(2) allows earlier renewal for an unavoidable reason, and ISA gives long-term life abroad for business or study as the example; there is no fee.¹¹⁹ Renewal is filed at the regional immigration bureau for your address and ISA describes no procedure from overseas, so apply before you leave.¹⁹

Municipal Moving-Out Notification Still Applies

Immigration and municipal registration are separate systems. Foreign residents leaving for 1 year or more still file the overseas moving-out notification (Kaigai Tenshutsu-todoke 海外転出届) at city hall, covered in the dedicated moving-out notification guide. Filing it also determines whether a pension lump-sum claim is possible while a re-entry permit is still valid (see the Pitfalls section).²¹²²

Japanese Citizens: Constitutional Protections, Passports, and Consular Registration

No Exit Permit, No Time Limit

Nationals undergo departure confirmation and return confirmation only (Articles 60 and 61 of the Immigration Act).¹ There is no re-entry permit concept for Japanese nationals, and no statutory maximum absence after which nationality or the right of return lapses was found in the Immigration Act or the Nationality Act.¹²³

The Real Risk for Citizens: Losing Nationality by Acquiring Another (Nationality Act Article 11)

Nationality Act Article 11(1) provides that a Japanese national who acquires a foreign nationality of their own volition loses Japanese nationality.²³ Article 11(2) adds that a Japanese national who also holds a foreign nationality and chooses that nationality under the foreign country’s law also loses Japanese nationality.²³ The loss is automatic; no Japanese authority needs to approve it.

Naturalising in your destination country is the most common way this happens to adult emigrants. From that moment the person is a foreign national who needs a visa and status of residence to enter and live in Japan.¹ Re-acquisition of Japanese nationality is outside the scope of this guide.

A loss-of-nationality notification (Kokuseki Soshitsu Todoke 国籍喪失届) must then be filed under Family Register Act Article 103.²⁴ The person, their spouse or a relative within the fourth degree files it within 1 month of learning of the loss, or within 3 months if the notifier is abroad at that time, with a document proving the loss.²⁴

Dual-Nationality Children in Mixed Families

A child who holds Japanese nationality returns under Article 61 as a national, needing no residence card or re-entry permit, while a foreign parent needs Special Re-entry or a standard permit.¹ As practical advice, have the child enter Japan on the Japanese passport and keep booking names consistent with the passports used; nationality reservation and choice are covered in the dedicated guide to dual citizenship for Japanese children.

Passport Validity and Consular Registration (Zairyu-todoke)

Overseas residence registration (Zairyu-todoke 在留届) is a legal duty under Passport Act Article 16 for any passport holder who sets up an address or residence abroad and stays 3 months or more.²⁵ Shorter trips are covered by MOFA’s Tabi-Reg service, explained in the guide to emergency support from Japanese embassies.

Step-by-Step Administrative Procedure & Timeline

This timeline covers permit and status tasks only; city hall, tax, pension and insurance steps are in the master relocation framework’s 12-month timeline. Each step notes who it applies to (Citizen, SPR, PR, Fixed-period, or All).

T-6 to T-3 Months: Decide Your Permit and Check Your Period of Stay and Card Expiry

Decide your permit with the decision guide above; fixed-period holders also check the period of stay, which caps both permits.¹ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Check your residence card or SPR certificate expiry and request early renewal if it will expire while you are away (no fee).¹¹⁹ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Check passport validity for every family member. Applies to: All.
If you are naturalising abroad, plan for the Article 11 loss and the Article 103 notification.²³²⁴ Applies to: Citizen.

T-3 Months to Departure: Apply for a Standard Re-entry Permit (if needed) and Clear Any Arrears

Apply for a standard re-entry permit if there is any chance of exceeding the Special Re-entry window; same-day standard processing, ¥4,000 or ¥7,000 (as of October 2026).¹⁵ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Settle tax and social insurance arrears, or appoint a tax agent, ahead of the PR non-payment ground taking effect on 1 April 2027 (as of October 2026).⁹⁵ Applies to: PR (good practice for all).
File the moving-out notification if leaving for 1 year or more (see the master framework). Applies to: All.

Departure Day: ED Card Declaration or Card Surrender at the Port

Special Re-entry: tick the box on the re-entrant ED card and tell the inspector.⁶ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Leaving for good: surrender the card; it is hole-punched and returned to you.¹⁶ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Citizens: departure confirmation with a valid passport only.¹ Applies to: Citizen.

While Abroad: Tracking the Return Deadline and Requesting an Extension

Track your deadline: 1 year (2 for SPRs) for Special Re-entry, or the permit’s expiry date, and in all cases the end of your period of stay.¹⁴ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Request an extension of a standard permit at a Japanese embassy or consulate before it expires, if there is reasonable cause; total validity cannot exceed 6 years (7 for SPRs) from effect.¹⁴ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
If your passport or card is lost abroad, a cohabiting relative or attorney in Japan can request proof of the permit’s deadline (Sainyukoku Kyoka Kigen Shomei Negai 再入国許可期限証明願) at the bureau.¹⁵ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
File the Zairyu-todoke if staying 3 months or more.²⁵ Applies to: Citizen.

Returning to Japan: Re-entry Examination and Updating Municipal Registration

Missed the deadline: status has lapsed; return the card by mail within 14 days.¹⁶ Applies to: SPR, PR, Fixed-period.
Citizens: return confirmation with a Japanese passport.¹ Applies to: Citizen.
Re-register at city hall if you filed a moving-out notification (see the master framework). Applies to: All.

Comparative Summary Table: Rights, Risks, and Obligations

This table compares the three groups on what you risk by leaving, complementing the summary table in the master relocation framework.

Dimension	Japanese Citizens	Special Permanent Residents	General Permanent Residents
Legal basis of return	Nationality; return confirmation (Art. 61)¹	Special Act (入管特例法)⁴	Eijusha status under the Immigration Act¹
Maximum absence without applying for a permit	Not applicable	2 years (Special Re-entry)⁴⁷	1 year (Special Re-entry)¹⁶
Standard permit maximum / with extension abroad	Not applicable	6 years / 7 years⁴	5 years / 6 years¹
How status ends	Automatic loss of nationality on voluntary foreign naturalisation (Nationality Act Art. 11)²³	Lapse after missing the window⁷; not subject to the new PR ground⁵	Lapse after missing the window²; revocation under Art. 22-4¹
Recovery after loss	Not covered in this guide	Cannot regain SPR status⁷	New visa; new PR application under the guidelines then in force²¹¹
2027 non-payment revocation ground	Not applicable	Not covered⁵	Covered from 1 April 2027 (as of October 2026)⁹⁵
Document at departure	Passport only¹	SPR certificate kept with a permit; surrendered otherwise⁶¹⁷	Residence card kept with a permit; surrendered and hole-punched otherwise¹⁶
Pension option on leaving	Voluntary National Pension enrollment (Nin’i Kanyu 任意加入); see the dedicated guide	Lump-sum withdrawal (Dattai Ichijikin 脱退一時金) or totalization; see the dedicated guides²⁶	Same as SPRs²⁶
Note: fixed-period visa holders	Not applicable	Not applicable	Long-Term Residents, spouses and work visa holders: both permits capped by the period of stay¹⁶

Common Pitfalls & Regulatory Compliance Risks

Not ticking the ED card box. Without the Special Re-entry declaration, the departure is treated as leaving without re-entry permission, and status is lost.²⁶
Assuming Special Re-entry can be extended for illness or an emergency. No extension exists (Art. 26-2(3)).¹¹⁴
Relying on Special Re-entry when the period of stay ends within the year. The window closes at the earlier date; with a pending application, the 2-month rule applies.¹¹⁴
Letting the residence card expire abroad. Renew early under Article 19-11(2); cards issued from 14 June 2026 follow the 10th-birthday rule (as of October 2026).¹¹⁹
Claiming the pension lump-sum without understanding the trade-off. A Dattai Ichijikin claim erases all Japanese pension periods before the claim, including months above the payment cap that are not paid for.²¹²² If you left on a re-entry permit (including Special Re-entry), you can claim after departure only if you filed the moving-out notification; otherwise you remain a National Pension insured person and cannot claim until the permit expires.²¹²² The 2025 pension reform (Act No. 74 of 2025) will bar claims while any re-entry permit is valid and raise the cap from 5 to 8 years, but it is not in force and no start date has been set (as of October 2026).²⁷ The claim must be made within 2 years of the date you ceased to have an address in Japan.²²
Leaving with unpaid Juminzei, NHI or pension arrears and no contact with the municipality. From 1 April 2027, wilful non-payment becomes a potential PR revocation ground (as of October 2026).⁵⁸
Japanese nationals naturalising abroad without realising that Article 11 causes automatic loss of nationality, and missing the 3-month notification deadline that applies when abroad.²³²⁴
Booking a dual-national child on the foreign passport. A child who presents a foreign passport will generally be examined as a foreign national, so as practical advice, use the Japanese passport when entering Japan.¹

References & Official Sources

e-Gov Laws (Digital Agency / MOJ), 出入国管理及び難民認定法 (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951), current consolidated text retrieved 17 October 2026, Arts. 19-5, 19-11, 19-14, 19-15, 22-4, 25, 26, 26-2, 61, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³² ↩³³ ↩³⁴ ↩³⁵ ↩³⁶ ↩³⁷ ↩³⁸ ↩³⁹ ↩⁴⁰ ↩⁴¹ ↩⁴²
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “再入国許可（入管法第26条）”, accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/procedures/sainyukoku_00002.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰
e-Gov Laws, 日本国憲法 (Constitution of Japan), Art. 22, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/321CONSTITUTION ↩
e-Gov Laws, 日本国との平和条約に基づき日本の国籍を離脱した者等の出入国管理に関する特例法 (Special Act on Immigration Control, Act No. 71 of 1991), retrieved 17 October 2026, Art. 23, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/403AC0000000071 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “永住許可制度の適正化Q&A” (Q1, Q9, Q12, Q13, Q14), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/faq/kanri_qa_00003.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “みなし再入国許可（入管法第26条の2）”, accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/procedures/minashisainyukoku_00001.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Q&A特別永住者の制度について” (Q1, Q3, Q31, Q41, Q42), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/faq/newimmiact_2_q-and-a.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “永住者の在留資格の取消しに関するガイドライン” (Guideline on Revocation of Permanent Resident Status), adopted 1 October 2026 (令和８年１０月１日策定), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001416944.pdf and guideline web page https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00118.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “令和6年入管法等改正について” (Act No. 59: effective 14 June 2026 with exceptions; Act No. 60: effective 1 April 2027 with exceptions), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/05_00045.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “在留カード・特別永住者証明書の返納について” (FAQ), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/faq/hennou.html ↩ ↩²
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “永住許可申請” (revised PR guideline of 1 October 2026 applies from 1 April 2027), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/eizyuu_00001.html ↩ ↩² ↩³
e-Gov Laws, supplementary provisions of 令和六年法律第五十九号 (Art. 2, transitional rule on residence card validity) and 令和六年法律第六十号 (Art. 1 effective date and exceptions; Art. 24(4)), as reproduced in the consolidated Immigration Act text, retrieved 17 October 2026, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩²
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “「永住者」の適正化に係るパブリック・コメントの実施について”, accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00112.html ↩
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “出入国審査・在留審査Q&A” (Q23, Q57 to Q64), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/faq/kanri_qa.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “再入国許可申請” (fees, online filing, applicants, processing time), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/procedures/16-5.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 在留管理制度Q&A (page 2: Q69, Q70, Q73), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/faq/newimmiact_4_q-and-a_page2.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “在留カード等の返納”, accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00020.html ↩ ↩² ↩³
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “在留カードとは？” (特定在留カード introduced 14 June 2026), accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/whatzairyu_00001.html ↩
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “在留カードの有効期間の更新申請”, accessed October 2026, https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00011.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Ministry of Justice (Immigration Bureau), explanatory guide to the new residence management system (Japanese), 2012, hosted by Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (secondary hosting of an official document; used only for the pre-June-2026 7-year card rule), https://www.tufs.ac.jp/blog/ts/g/cemmer_old/img/pdf/Japanese.revised2.pdf ↩
Japan Pension Service, FAQ “脱退一時金を請求するにあたって、どのような点に注意すればよいですか。”, accessed October 2026, https://www.nenkin.go.jp/section/faq/jukyu/seido/sonota-kyufu/dattai-ichiji/2020042808.html ↩ ↩² ↩³
Japan Pension Service, Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment claim form (English/Japanese), eligibility note ③, form lists agreements as of March 2026, https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/japanese-system/benefit/payment.files/A.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
e-Gov Laws, 国籍法 (Nationality Act, Act No. 147 of 1950), retrieved 17 October 2026, Art. 11, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/325AC0000000147 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶
e-Gov Laws, 戸籍法 (Family Register Act, Act No. 224 of 1947), retrieved 17 October 2026, Art. 103, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000224 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴
e-Gov Laws, 旅券法 (Passport Act, Act No. 267 of 1951), retrieved 17 October 2026, Art. 16, https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326AC0000000267 ↩ ↩²
Japan Pension Service, “Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments”, last updated 2026, https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/japanese-system/benefit/payment.html ↩ ↩²
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 「社会経済の変化を踏まえた年金制度の機能強化のための国民年金法等の一部を改正する等の法律の概要」 (Act No. 74 of 2025; Ⅲ② 脱退一時金制度の見直し, p.9), accessed October 2026, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12500000/001496971.pdf ↩