Living Guidebook for Foreign Nationals in Iwate

Legal Issues

The Nationality of Children

Naturalisation

The Nationality of Children

A child shall, in any of the following cases, acquire Japanese nationality by birth:
(1) When, at the time of its birth, the father or the mother is a Japanese national.

(2) When the father who died prior to the birth of the child was a Japanese national at the time of his death.

(3) When both parents are unknown or have no nationality in a case where the child is born in Japan.

The Japanese Nationality Law subscribes to a principal of parental blood, meaning that regardless of place of birth, if either parent of a given child is Japanese, that child acquires Japanese nationality at birth. (Until revision in 1984, the Nationally Law subscribed to a principle of parental blood.)

If both parents are Japanese nationals, acquisition of Japanese nationality is automatic. However, if the father is Japanese and the mother is a foreign national, those parents must be married de jure for nationality to be acquired by any of their children. In cases where marriage is de facto at the time of a child’s birth, that child may acquire Japanese nationality provided that the father (the Japanese national) acknowledges the child as his own by submitting the proper form to the Minister of Justice. For further details, please contact the Morioka District Legal Affairs Bureau (019-624-9856).

Persons acquiring dual nationality (Japanese and some other nationality) at birth in a country other than Japan will lose Japanese nationality retroactively from birth if notification of birth and possession of Japanese nationality are not made to the local Japanese embassy or consulate within 3 months of birth. In addition, Japanese nationals with dual nationality from birth must choose one nationality or the other before reaching 22 years of age.