This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

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司法書士事務所 神戸リーガルパートナーズ

Contact us to discuss your property inheritance or your parents in Japan. We have over 25 years of experience in the Japanese inheritance process, disposition of property in Japan, your parents' retirement, and family tree planning.

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    • Signature service / Professional
    • 2024/11/28 (Thu)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    I became an American citizen but want to return to Japan to live in my old age （ Japanese visa ）.

    Many people who moved to the U.S. when they were young and later became naturalized U.S. citizens and acquired U.S. citizenship, but want to return to Japan to live in Japan when they think about their old age, are often interested in doing so. In fact, our office has received such consultations.
    One of the motivations is that they want to return to their hometown where they were born and raised, but it also seems that the medical and nursing care services are cheaper and more generous in Japan.
    Also, just as foreign residents in Japan are concerned about whether they will be able to speak Japanese or only their native language when they get old and develop dementia, some may be concerned about communication when they develop dementia in the U.S. You may be.
    Here we will explain the procedures for returning to Japan in old age for those who have acquired American citizenship.

    Visa to return to Japan （ Resident status ）

    When you become an American citizen, you lose your Japanese citizenship. You may not have reported to Japan yet, but under Japanese law, you no longer have Japanese citizenship.
    You can return to live in Japan at any time if you have Japanese citizenship, but since you are now an American citizen, you will need a visa （ to come back to Japan ） and a status of residence to live in Japan.
    If you were born as the biological child of a Japanese national, you can apply for "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" status. Sometimes you may be told that you are not a "spouse", but the "etc." of "spouse, etc." includes the biological child of a Japanese national.

    Flow of Visa Application

    When you obtain the status of residence as a spouse of Japanese national, you must apply for a certificate of eligibility.
    You can apply for this application by yourself or by having a relative in Japan act as your representative. If you are applying in person, you must be in Japan at the time of application, so you must come to Japan to apply and then return to the U.S.
    If your application is approved, a Certificate of Eligibility will be issued. Now, with the Certificate of Eligibility, you can apply for a visa at the Japanese Consulate in the U.S. and enter Japan.

    Requirements for visa approval

    To apply for a visa, you must have been born as a child of a Japanese national. A person born as a child of Japanese national is "if either the father or mother has Japanese nationality at the time of birth". This is proven by the family register or birth certificate at the time of birth.
    You must also have enough income or assets to live in Japan. If you are receiving a pension in the U.S., a document that shows the amount of the pension or a document that proves your assets such as a certificate of bank balance should be submitted at the time of application.
    In addition to this, a letter of reference from a relative in Japan is also required.

    Our Support

    We apply for status of residence for those who are returning to Japan from the U.S. We also work with house-hunting and moving companies to help you find a house to live in Japan. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

    日本ビザ帰国アメリカ人
    • Problem solution / Professional
    • 2024/11/24 (Sun)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    If I become a US citizen, do I still have inheritance rights from my Japanese parents?

    He moved to the U.S. and later became a U.S. citizen.
    When my parents in Japan became elderly and began to think about inheritance, they suddenly asked me, "Can I inherit in Japan even if I become an American citizen ？?" and I replied, "Well, ？ I never thought about it that much, and I think it will be fine, but I was a little worried." I think I'll be fine, but I'm a little nervous.
    We, Kobe Legal Partners, a judicial scrivener firm, are sometimes asked the same question.

    To sum up,
    even if you acquire American citizenship, you still have the right to inherit from your Japanese parents.
    Even though they have different nationalities, the fact that they are parent and child is still the same.

    However, that does not mean you should relax.
    Because it is not always an easy procedure.

    When you go through the inheritance procedures in Japan, you need a copy of your family register, certificate of residence, and certificate of seal impression.
    But if you have acquired American citizenship and reside in the U.S., you do not have these.

    Some of them may not have reported to Japan and their family register may remain in Japan.
    But Japanese law does not recognize dual citizenship, so the family register should also be expunged.

    If you have Japanese citizenship, the Japanese consulate will issue a certificate of residence or a certificate of signature, which can replace a certificate of residence or a certificate of seal impression.
    However, if you have acquired American citizenship, the Japanese consulate will not be able to help you.

    So what you should do is to make an affidavit and have it certified by the local Notary, which will be used in the inheritance process.

    Even if you ask a specialist in Japan to handle the inheritance procedure, if he/she is not familiar with this kind of inheritance, it may happen that the procedure does not proceed at all.
    This is because they do not know what kind of documents to prepare.
    So, the heirs get frustrated and contact us, Kobe Legal Partners, a judicial scrivener office. We often help them from the middle of the process.

    Please contact us, Kobe Legal Partners, if you need help with Japanese inheritance procedures after acquiring American citizenship.
    We handle inheritance procedures throughout Japan.
    Consultation is also available online.

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