Japanese Proficiency Test During the Naturalization Application

What Level of Japanese is required?

To become a Japanese national, you need to at least have the basic Japanese proficiency for daily life.

Generally, a Japanese proficiency level equivalent to a 3^rd grader would be considered enough. This is also equivalent to passing the N3 level for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and passing level 7~8 of the Japanese Kanji Test.

For more information about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, please read our previous blog.

Japanese language skills vary from person to person, such as “I am good at reading and writing, but not so good at speaking.

Therefore, passing the N3 level JLPT test may not be enough, and you may want to practice speaking and writing for the interview.

How your Japanese proficiency will be tested?

A typical application process for naturalization application will be like the following:

In the above process, your Japanese proficiency will be tested in:

• Step 2: your ability to speak Japanese during the consultation with the Legal Bureau
• Step 4: documents like the Letter of Motivation for Naturalization will be used to gauge your Japanese writing ability
• Step 6: your Japanese speaking proficiency will be tested during the interview, and you may also take a written test.

Is the test mandatory?

No. But unless you finished the compulsory education in Japan (finish elementary and middle school) or passed the N1 level of the JLPT test, you would likely be asked to take the test to determine your Japanese proficiency.

*If you graduated from a 4-year university in Japan, the written test will also likely not be required.

What is the content of the test?

The test can include:

• Change between Hiragana and Katakana (can contain simple Kanjis)
• Write a short passage
• Read a short passage and answer related questions

Summary

This time we explained the required Japanese proficiency when you apply for naturalization.

To change your nationality to Japan, basic Japanese ability is required. Your Japanese proficiency will be tested at various points during your application.

Our office is experienced in naturalization applications, and we also have a Japanese language school in our group.

We can also have a mockup test, which is based on our experience from past naturalization applications, for you to practice for the interview.

If you are considering naturalization and worry about your Japanese, please do not hesitate to talk to us!

For more information about naturalization please check it out here.

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.

Other than the information we provided this time, we also have more articles about naturalization. Please check it out here

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