法務大臣は、外国人が退去強制対象者に該当する場合であつても、次の各号のいずれかに該当するときは、当該外国人からの申請により又は職権で、法務省令で定めるところにより、当該外国人の在留を特別に許可することができる。ただし、当該外国人が無期若しくは一年を超える拘禁刑に処せられた者（刑の全部の執行猶予の言渡しを受けた者及び刑の一部の執行猶予の言渡しを受けた者であつてその刑のうち執行が猶予されなかつた部分の期間が一年以下のものを除く。）又は第二十四条第三号の二、第三号の三若しくは第四号ハ若しくはオからヨまでのいずれかに該当する者である場合は、本邦への在留を許可しないことが人道上の配慮に欠けると認められる特別の事情があると認めるときに限る。
Even if a foreign national falls under the category of a foreign national subject to deportation, the Minister of Justice may, if the foreign national falls under any of the following items, grant the foreign national special permission to stay, upon an application from the foreign national or ex officio, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order; provided, however, that if the foreign national is a person who has been sentenced to imprisonment for life or for a term exceeding 1 year (excluding a person who has been sentenced with the execution of the entire sentence suspended, and a person who has been sentenced with the execution of a part of the sentence suspended and for whom the part of the sentence whose execution was not suspended is 1 year or less), or a person who falls under Article 24, item (iii)-2 or (iii)-3, or item (iv), sub-item (c) or any of sub-items (l) through (o), this applies only if the Minister finds that there are special circumstances in which not permitting the foreign national to stay in Japan would be found to lack humanitarian consideration.
永住許可を受けているとき。
the suspect has obtained permission for permanent residence;
かつて日本国民として本邦に本籍を有したことがあるとき。
the suspect has had a registered domicile in Japan as a Japanese national in the past;
人身取引等により他人の支配下に置かれて本邦に在留するものであるとき。
the suspect resides in Japan under the control of another person due to human trafficking; or
第六十一条の二第一項に規定する難民の認定又は同条第二項に規定する補完的保護対象者の認定を受けているとき。
the foreign national has been granted Recognition of Refugee Status as prescribed in Article 61-2, paragraph (1) or recognition as a person eligible for complementary protection as prescribed in paragraph (2) of the same Article;
その他法務大臣が特別に在留を許可すべき事情があると認めるとき。
the Minister of Justice finds that there are grounds to grant special permission to stay other than those prescribed in the previous items.
前項の規定による許可（以下この条において「在留特別許可」という。）の申請は、収容令書により収容された外国人又は監理措置決定を受けた外国人が、法務省令で定める手続により、法務大臣に対して行うものとする。
An application for the permission pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph (hereinafter referred to as "special permission to stay" in this Article) is to be filed with the Minister of Justice by a foreign national detained under a written detention order or a foreign national who is subject to a decision on supervision measures, in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.
An application for special permission to stay may not be filed after a written deportation order has been issued to the foreign national.
Special permission to stay may be granted only after the foreign national has come to have no objection to the findings set forth in Article 47, paragraph (3) or the determination set forth in Article 48, paragraph (8), or after the Minister of Justice has made a decision that the objection is unreasonable pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article.
法務大臣は、在留特別許可をするかどうかの判断に当たつては、当該外国人について、在留を希望する理由、家族関係、素行、本邦に入国することとなつた経緯、本邦に在留している期間、その間の法的地位、退去強制の理由となつた事実及び人道上の配慮の必要性を考慮するほか、内外の諸情勢及び本邦における不法滞在者に与える影響その他の事情を考慮するものとする。
In determining whether to grant special permission to stay, the Minister of Justice is to take into consideration, with regard to the foreign national, the reasons for wishing to stay, family relationships, conduct, the circumstances that led to their entry into Japan, the period of their stay in Japan, their legal status during that period, the facts that constituted the grounds for deportation, and the need for humanitarian consideration, as well as the domestic and international situation, the impact on illegal residents in Japan, and other circumstances.
If the Minister of Justice grants special permission to stay, the Minister may determine the status of residence and the period of stay, and impose conditions which the Minister finds necessary, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.
法務大臣が在留特別許可（在留資格の決定を伴うものに限る。）をする場合において、当該外国人が中長期在留者となるときは、出入国在留管理庁長官は、入国審査官に、当該外国人に対し、在留カードを交付させるものとする。
If the Minister of Justice grants special permission to stay (limited to those related to the determination of the status of residence), the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to have an immigration inspector issue a residence card to the foreign national, if they become a mid- to long-term resident.
If the Minister of Justice has determined whether to grant special permission to stay, the Minister must notify the supervising immigration inspector of the result.
If the supervising immigration inspector receives a notice from the Minister of Justice that special permission to stay will be granted, the inspector must immediately release the foreign national, except where the foreign national is a person under supervision measures.
法務大臣は、在留特別許可の申請があつた場合において在留特別許可をしない処分をするときは、法務省令で定める手続により、速やかに理由を付した書面をもつて、当該申請をした外国人にその旨を知らせなければならない。
If an application for special permission to stay has been filed and the Minister of Justice makes a disposition not to grant special permission to stay, the Minister must promptly notify the foreign national who filed the application to that effect by a document stating the reasons, in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.