Indian citizens can now file for Japan Permanent Residency applications with the fee of YEN 8,000 (INR 4,765 approx). Japan has consistently been emerging as a popular country to study abroad for Indian students due to affordable tuition fees, advanced research facilities, and global career opportunities. With more Indian students seeking to study in Japan, changes to introduce a simple yet affordable process for permanent residency in the country can be beneficial for them. Permanent residency in Japan allows international students to live, work, and study indefinitely in the country after meeting the eligibility requirements. To be eligible for Japan PR, international students must have stayed in Japan for at least 10 years or have met the skilled professionals point criteria.
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These recent changes in immigration policies and PR application processes for Japan have attracted many international students. It has offered them an affordable and streamlined transition of PSW Japan to Permanent Residency (PR). We have mentioned in detail the impact of Japan’s PR system on Indian international students through this article. Read further to have more clarity on the recent changes of simplification of PR process in Japan impact on international students in 2026.
Also Read: Cost of Studying in Japan
Permanent residency in Japan allows international students and other foreigners to live and work in the country indefinitely without the consistent renewal of the visa. This visa typically offers long-term stability to foreigners, giving them equal work and residency rights as other Japanese nationals.
There are many benefits to Indian students in Japan after getting a PR there. We have mentioned a few of the advantages of Japan PR for Indian students below:
No need to renew or extend the visa. Japan PR validity is indefinite.
One can work without any restrictions on employment freely.
Easy access to loans and aid from a Japanese bank.
One can also change jobs as frequently as they want without visa tension.
Buying property or establishing a business is easy with Japan PR.
Although Japan has introduced affordability and easy access to permanent residency for just INR 5,000, it is crucial for students to meet the key requirements. This has resulted in many international students feeling anxious about meeting the requirements. Here are the key requirements for a PR in Japan for Indian students in 2026:
As Indian students in Japan are enrolled in universities and colleges for higher education, their study years are not counted. Check the crucial permanent residency requirements for Indian students in 2026 below for more clarity:
Indian students have two options after their studies to switch to a work visa. They can either apply for a general route or a highly skilled professional route.
General Route: Candidates are eligible for Japan PR if they have completed 10 years of continuous residence, including 5 years under a work visa.
Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Route: Candidates are eligible for permanent residency in Japan if they have completed 3 years with a point score of 70–80 points or just 1 year with a score of 80+ points.
Other crucial requirements include having no criminal record, being financially stable, and complying with tax and social insurance requirements.
Related Reads: Cost of Living in Japan
As Indian students cannot apply for a PR in Japan right after graduation, they must be aware of the proper process. Some Indian students tend to be attracted to the country only after hearing the latest development of the affordability of Japan PR under INR 5,000. However, it is crucial for them to understand the ground reality of the streamlined PR process in Japan, which impacts them. In reality, along with the affordability comes the stringent eligibility and credit points requirements.
Complete studies from a Japanese university or college.
Convert the student visa to a valid work visa after graduation, before the expiry date.
If possible, try to land a relevant job under the HSP category that can help one in expediting the Japan PR process.
Maintain a job consistently with a stable income.
Pay taxes on time with all valid documentation.
Have a good code of conduct as per the social and legal norms in Japan.
After the residency requirements are met, apply for the Japan PR.
Submit the application with valid documents.
Pay the applicable fees.
Wait for the decision.
There are many things to consider for Indian students who are planning to apply for a permanent residency in Japan. Although getting PR in Japan looks very pleasing under the cover of simple and cheap process, there are key considerations that can impact Indian students drastically. Let us now check the key things to consider for Japan Permanent Residency Under INR 5,000:
Time spent on a student visa in Japan is not generally counted towards residency requirements for Japan PR if it is not full time. Hence, students going through a general route to obtain permanent residency in Japan must reside there for 10 years excluding the study years. For HSP route, they need to reside 3 years or 1 year as per their points. Also, HSP jobs are high demanding and hereby competitive for Indian students.
It is difficult to obtain HSP visa after graduation from universities as everything from education level, course, salary and field of work to age, and Japanese language proficiency is considered.
It takes time to process a Japan PR application from Indians and there are strict requirements for documentation and eligibility.
Although Japanese language is not always a mandatory requirement; however, learning it is a plus point for Indian students seeking PR in the country.
Japan has clearly given a green flag that the application process for permanent residency is affordable, simplified and accessible to Indian students. However, there are some challenges faced by Indian students in Japan seeking PR in 2026. These includes the following:
Language barrier: Japanese proficiency is crucial to search for jobs in Japan and for other social obligations.
Visa Conversions: Converting the student visa to work visa and then to PR requires thorough research, planning, and employer support. In cases where the employment is not aligned with the visa requirements, it may leads to rejections.
Unstable Job Security: As per the PR requirements, odd or part-time work by Indians may not count toward the application. This might be a big problem for Indians who are seeking conversion of visa status to Japan PR due to uncompliance.
Legal complexity: Applying for a Japan PR requires legal assistance for the purposes of documentation preparation and many more.
The permanent residency application fee for Indian students is YEN 8,000 which is under INR 5,000. This makes the registration costs quite affordable and accessible for Indian students. However, candidates must consider that there might be some additional and hidden costs associated with the PR application in Japan. These includes the following:
Legal support fee
Translations and notarisation costs
Immigration lawyer or scrivener services
Cost for health checks
Even with such costs associated with the PR applications in Japan,the total amount goes around YEN 30,000 to YEN 1,00,000). This translates to around INR 18,000 to 60,000.
Japan PR is definitely worth it for Indian students. Japan does not offer PR to students just after graduation from Japan universities. But if they plan thoroughly, they can obtain permanent residency in Japan and enjoy the benefits available to Japanese nationals. With a demanding and consistently growing economy in Japan, students can enjoy working there with competitive salaries without working restrictions. They can land any job they want without worrying about the strict immigration policies. Getting a Japan permanent residency under INR 5,000 is quite affordable and worth it for Indian students.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Japan is offering permanent residency for Indians under INR 5,000. It is quite affordable with a streamlined process. However, Indian candidates applying for a Japan PR must meet all the strict requirements. A few of the crucial eligibility requirements for Japan PR for Indian citizens include at least 10 years of residency, good conduct, tax paying resident, and many more. They must not demonstrate any ineligibility that can cost their PR application.
Yes, a student in Japan can get a PR. However, the process is not very simple for them. They cannot apply for permanent residency directly after graduation. They must apply for a work permit after completing their studies (Either the General route or HSB category). They need to work there for some time and complete their residency requirements in Japan. After that, they can apply for permanent residency.
Yes, Japan permanent residency is definitely worth it for Indian students. After obtaining the Japan PR, foreigners can get the same rights as Japanese nationals, they can change their jobs as frequently as they want, enjoys the benefits of Japanese citizenship, and many more.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
You’re right that MEXT rarely offers direct MBA scholarships. MEXT is more research-focused. However, here’s what many students do:
1. You can apply for a research program under MEXT, ideally in a business or management-related field.
2. Once in Japan, build rapport with professors and perform well during your research year.
3. Then, you can apply for a degree switch from research to a regular degree like MBA with your professor’s support.
4. If the university agrees and MEXT approves, you can continue as a full-time MBA student under the same scholarship.
This path is not guaranteed, but it has worked for many students. Just choose a university that offers MBA programs in English, like Hitotsubashi, Ritsumeikan, or NUCB.
Hope you will find it helpful!
Hello Aspirant,
If you are a 12th cleared science student from India and you want to do medicine in Japan, here is how:
The list of selected students for Class 8 admission in Eklavya Model Residential Schools is usually released by the respective state or district authorities. The selection is based on an entrance exam, and the names of selected candidates are often displayed on the official EMRS or state education websites. In some cases, the list may also be posted on the school’s notice board. Currently no public list of selected students’ names is available online. To know who was been selected you should check with the local EMRS office, visit the official website of state’s tribal welfare department, or directly contact the school to get accurate information.
Yes, the M.Tech in Food Science and Technology at IIT Guwahati includes an international semester in Japan as part of the International Joint M.Tech.
Japan Semester: 3.5 – 5.5 lakhs (approximate)
IIT Guwahati M.Tech Program: 2.5 – 3 lakhs
Total Estimated Cost: 6 – 8.5 lakhs
For latest details and admission info, visit:
Careers360 – IIT Guwahati M.Tech Food Tech
Hlo
My name's Muskan Bhola
I am live in safidon (Haryana)
My 10th grade 84.4%
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