Acquisition of Japanese Nationality for Sri Lankan [Naturalization]

Naturalization is the process by which a foreigner acquires Japanese citizenship in Japan.

By naturalization, a foreigner can change his/her name to Japanese name, obtain a family register, and acquire the same rights as a Japanese national, such as access to social security and the right to participate in government. To become a naturalized citizen, you must submit the necessary documents to the Legal Affairs Bureau or a Regional Legal Affairs Bureau that has jurisdiction over where you live, and you must get permission from the Minister of Justice.

Sri Lanka, officially known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is a small island country located southeast of India. Currently, about 40,000 Sri Lankans are living in Japan (Immigration Services Agency statistics of foreign residents as of the end of June 2023), many of whom are in Japan on Engineering/Humanity/International Services, Family Visa, and Student visas.

The number of Sri Lankans living in Japan has increased by 6,000 compared to one year ago (as of the end of June 2022), and the trend is increasing yearly.

In this article, we will provide a thorough explanation of the naturalization process and precautions for Sri Lankan nationals who wish to naturalize in Japan and acquire Japanese citizenship!

“What documents are required for Sri Lankan naturalization?”

“What are important things of note for naturalization for Sri Lankans?”

“Can one member of a Sri Lankan family apply for naturalization only for himself/herself?”

Points to keep in mind when applying for naturalization in general

(Common requirements) First, check if you can be naturalized!
Domicile Requirement	・Come to Japan for 5 years and work for more than 3 years ・If you are a Sri Lankans who is married to a Japanese, you must have been married for at least 3 years and in Japan for at least 1 year. [Points to note] ・If you have changed jobs and have a gap period (no job), the gap period is not included in the “3 years of work”. ・If you travel abroad for more than 150 days per year or leave Japan for more than 90 days at a time, there may be a problem. ・If you marry a Japanese national, the authenticity of the marriage will be strictly observed.
Livelihood Requirements	・Provide a stable job and have a certain amount of savings. ・In the case of a business owner, both personal income and company management must be stable. ※Naturalization tends to become more difficult every year, and as a general guideline, a household of one person should have at least 3 million yen/year.   [Points to note] ・If you have more than one dependent for the purpose of tax reduction without actual status, it will be a problem. ・If you have some debts or debts such as loans, etc., but they do not affect your life, it is OK.
Behavior Condition	・Sri Lankan nationals who have a driver’s license will be screened for past traffic violations. ・Violations of laws in Sri Lanka as well as in Japan are also relevant. ・Failure to pay pension, health insurance, and taxes can be a problem.   [Points to note] ・If the applicant has relatives in Japan and they have violations of laws or obligations, it is likely to have a negative impact on the applicant. (Even if there is no violation, for example, if the relative is a burden to Japanese society, such as welfare, it will be viewed negatively.) ・The electronic scooters that have become popular in recent years can now be ridden more casually due to legal revisions, but they also tend to be subject to stronger enforcement. Please be careful not to violate traffic laws when using them! https://immigration-lawyer.co.jp/en/6274/
Japanese Proficiency	・You must be able to read and write at a third-grade elementary school level ・You will be asked about your reasons for applying for naturalization, your background, and your plans after naturalization, etc. “I can barely say the language” may cause problems.

Required documents for naturalization application for Sri Lankans nationals

*The documents to be submitted and the procedure may differ depending on the customer’s situation and the Legal Affairs Bureau.

(1) Application Form for Naturalization (with photo)

*Facial photos (5 cm (H) x 5 cm (W)) to be affixed to the application form X 2

*The photo must be taken within 6 months prior to the application.

*If the applicant is under 15 years of age, the photo must be taken with his/her legal representative (parents, etc.).

(2) A Document Describing the Relative’s Profile

*Escribe accurately based on a copy of the family register or other documents.

Include information such as their intention to support or oppose naturalization and, in the case of relatives residing in Japan, their telephone number and contact information.

If there are relatives who cannot be contacted or who oppose naturalization, please consult a specialist or the Legal Affairs Bureau.

(3) Resume

*Some resumes require substantiating documents.

e.g.) If you are a student: Certificate of enrollment/last diploma or a copy of diploma.

e.g.) If your skills are listed: Certificate or other written materials attesting to your qualifications

e.g.) If you have a driver’s license: a copy of the front and back of the driver’s license

(4) Letter of Motivation for Naturalization

*This must be handwritten.

Your Japanese language ability will also be checked here, so be careful not to use incorrect Japanese.

(5) Written oath

(6) Documents Certifying Nationality and Status

Birth Certificate

Marriage Certificate

Divorce Certificate

Death Certificate

Certificate of Kinship

Written Statements from Parents

*For details, please refer to 3-1. About Required Documents Certifying Nationality and Status for Sri Lankans

(7) Certificate of Loss of Nationality, etc.

*For details, please refer to 3-2. Proof of Sri Lankan nationality.

(8) Entry and Departure Record

*This document must show the history of entry and departure from Japan from the time of landing in Japan to the present.

　Enter the immigration history accurately based on passport information, etc.

　The country of destination should also be listed.

　If the number of days you have been out of the country is too long, it will affect the screening process.

(including records of expired passports)

(9) Copy of Certificate of Residence, etc.

　*All applicants, their cohabitants and spouses, etc. must be listed.

(10) A document Stating a Summary of Living Arrangements

*All applicable items must be submitted.

• Proof of employment and salary
• Certificate of present value of savings and a copy of savings book
• Copy of lease contract
• Certificate of land/building registration
• If there is a spouse or other relative who shares the same livelihood, a statement of their spending relationship.
• If the applicant is financially supported by relatives from different households, the document should show the spending relationship.

*For example, if you receive ¥X0,000 /month from your parents in Sri Lanka, a record of remittance from Sri Lanka, and a record of payment in your bank book in Japan.

*Based on these documents, the applicant’s ability to make a sufficient living in Japan, etc. will affect the screening process.

(11) Documents Describing the Outline of Business

• Certificate of Registered Matters of the company or other legal entity
• A copy of the business permit or license

(12) Tax Payment Certificate, etc.

＜For Employees>

• Withholding Tax Certificate
• Certificate of tax payment, certificate of taxation, or certificate of exemption from taxation for prefectural and municipal inhabitant’s tax

 ＜For Sole Proprietors, etc.>

• Gensen Choshuhyo (Certificate of Withholding Tax)
• Tax return (including financial statements)
• Income tax payment certificate
• Business tax payment certificate
• Consumption tax payment certificate
• Certificate of tax payment, certificate of taxation or certificate of tax exemption for prefectural and municipal inhabitants’ tax
• Copy of tax payment certificate

<For Corporate Officers, Managers, etc.>

• Tax return
• Financial statements
• Certificate of corporate tax payment
• Certificate of corporate enterprise tax payment
• Consumption tax payment certificate
• Certificate of corporate prefectural inhabitant tax payment
• Certificate of corporate municipal tax payment
• Copy of withholding tax withholding list (applicant’s portion) and payment slip

(13) Proof of Payment of Public Pension Premiums (for the Most Recent Year)

*Submit one of the following

• Nenkin-teki-ben (regular letter of pension)
• A copy of the receipt of pension premiums, etc.

*Pension delinquency, etc. will affect the screening process as the applicant has not fulfilled his/her legal obligations.

(14) Documents Related to Driving Record

*Submit one of the following.

• Driving record certificate (for the past 5 years)
• Driver’s license history certificate (for those who have had their driver’s license revoked or canceled)

*If there are any violations, consult a specialist as a full explanation is required.

(15) A Schematic Diagram of the Vicinity of Your Home, Place of Work, or Place of Business

*State the time required from A to B etc.

Based on these materials, an examiner from the Legal Affairs Bureau will conduct an on-site inspection of your home or place of work, etc.

(16) Others

Points to Note When Applying for Naturalization for S National

About Required Documents Certifying Nationality and Status for Sri Lankan

• Birth Certificate
  • The applicant himself/herself
  • Sibling
  • Offspring
• Marriage Certificate
  • Parents
  • The applicant himself/herself
• Divorce Certificate *If applicable (Parents, the applicant himself/herself)
• Death Certificate *If applicable (Parents, Sibling, Offspring)
• Written Declaration from the Parents

As documentation of identity. A written declaration from the parents must be submitted.

The declaration is a document signed by both parents indicating that they are related.

We will prepare an example of such a statement for each applicant’s case.

■ Sri Lankan Certificate Documents

The place of birth may be listed under the name of the hospital, although this can vary from region to region.

The place of birth on the Application for Naturalization must include the address of the place of birth (down to the smallest administrative division), not the name of the hospital.

Depending on the situation, you may be asked to provide a website or other information showing the hospital’s address.

■About Sri Lankan Names

Sri Lankans are famous for having very long names.

Because of their long names, there are many misspellings in certifying documents. If there is a mistake in the name on the certification documents, it is recommended to explain it in an affidavit or explanation to avoid confusing or misleading the examiner, since the name is an important piece of information that identifies the individual.

■Translation of Sri Lankan Documents

Sri Lanka uses a regional language (Sinhala/Tamil), which is very difficult to translate, and all translations of naturalization applications must be into Japanese. All names of people and places must be written in katakana.

If care is not taken in the translation of the application documents, there may be discrepancies in words that refer to the same place or name. Place names and names are important information that identifies individuals, so be sure to be well-prepared with your documents to avoid confusing or misleading the examiner.

The certificate of Sri Lankan Nationality

A certificate of nationality (AFFIDAVIT) can be obtained from the Embassy in Japan.

If you live too far away, you can also obtain a Certificate of Nationality by mail. (As of November 2023)

For more information on how to obtain the Certificate of Nationality, please refer directly to the URL below.

Summary

In this article, we have explained the points to keep in mind when a Sri Lankan citizen applies for naturalization.

It may take longer than expected to issue, mail, and translate documents to be obtained in Sri Lanka, so it is necessary to plan well in advance and collect the documents!

In addition to the documents to be obtained in Sri Lanka, many other documents need to be collected and prepared in Japan. In many cases, there are more than 100 documents to be submitted, and the examination period can take from 8 to 18 months, which is a very long time.

We have a lot of experience in naturalization applications for Sri Lankan nationals. Please feel free to contact us for a free consultation.

We are Yanagi group, which have offices in Osaka (Abeno and Tennoji), and our affiliated offices in Tokyo (Shibuya and Ebisu) are also available for an on-site consultation. We have handled many applications for permanent residence permits, naturalization permits, work visas, college student visas, management visas, etc., as well as visa renewal procedures related to the status of residence with the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Bureau) as a one-stop service. Our experienced administrative scriveners are also available to help you with any problems you may have.

We also have staff members who can speak each of the native languages and can assist you in obtaining a visa.

※If you wish to be consulted in Nepali or Bengali, please inform us in advance via our website or social media, and the translator will contact you ahead of time.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your status of residence or visa, even if they are trivial.

Toll-free number: 0120-138-552

For English speakers: 080-9346-2991

For Chinese speakers: 090-8456-6196

For Korean speakers: 090-8448-2133

For Vietnamese speakers: 080-5510-2593