Japan digital nomad visa gives you six months in Japan with your overseas job still paying you; the catch is in one distinction: this visa lets you work from Japan, not work in Japan. The catch is in one distinction: this visa lets you work from Japan, not work in Japan.
No Japanese employer, no Japanese clients, and no Japanese company of your own. If building a business here is the real plan, you’ll end up on the Business Manager Visa in Japan, and this guide shows where the two routes meet so you can pick the right one first.
Key Takeaways
- Japan’s digital nomad visa is a six-month Designated Activities status for remote workers earning at least 10 million yen a year (profit after expenses if self-employed). Only nationals of the 51 countries and regions on the Immigration Services Agency list can apply.
- It cannot be renewed. After leaving, you must spend six months outside Japan before using it again.
- No residence card is issued, so there is no My Number, no seal registration, and, in practice, no ordinary Japanese bank account.
- Working for Japanese clients, taking a Japanese job, or running a Japanese company all breach the status. To run a business here, you need the Business Manager Visa, which since October 2025 requires 30 million yen in capital and a full-time employee, among other conditions.
At a Glance
A six-month status of residence called Designated Activities (tokutei katsudo, Notice No. 53) for remote workers whose income comes from outside Japan. It cannot be renewed, it does not come with a residence card, and it rules out any work for Japanese companies or clients.
| Detail | |
| Formal status | Designated Activities (Notice No. 53) |
| Launched | 31 March 2024 |
| Duration | 6 months |
| Renewable | No |
| Reapply after | 6 months outside Japan |
| Residence card issued | No |
| Income required | 10 million yen a year (personal income) |
| Medical insurance | Private cover, at least 10 million yen for injury and illness |
| Eligible nationalities | 51 countries and regions |
| Family | Spouse and children can accompany you (Notice No. 54) |
| Can work for Japanese clients | No |
| Can run a Japanese company | No |
Source: Immigration Services Agency, digital nomad status page. The country list changes check the current ISA list before you apply.
Do I Qualify?
You need all four of these: a passport from an eligible country, personal income of at least 10 million yen a year, private medical insurance that meets ISA minimums, and income that comes entirely from outside Japan. Miss one and the application fails.
| Requirement | Minimum | How you prove it |
| Nationality | Passport from one of the 51 countries on the ISA list | Your passport |
| Income | 10 million yen a year of personal income (profit after expenses if self-employed) | Tax or income certificate, or a new contract paying 10 million yen or more |
| Medical insurance | 10 million yen cover for injury and illness, plus death cover, for the whole stay | Insurance certificate and policy terms |
| Source of income | Employer or clients outside Japan only | Employment contract, certificate of employment or client contracts |
Nationality
Check this first. The visa is limited to nationals of countries and regions that have both a visa exemption arrangement and a tax treaty with Japan. The ISA list currently has 51, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most of the EU, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Plenty of people are surprised to find themselves off the list. China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam are not on it at the moment. Your spouse and children are checked against a separate, longer list, so a family can qualify even if the members hold different passports.
Income
You need personal annual income of at least 10 million yen at the time you apply, roughly USD 65,000 to 70,000 depending on the exchange rate. Joint household income does not count.
You prove it with a tax certificate or income certificate issued in the country where you worked. A new employment contract paying 10 million yen or more also works, because ISA looks at expected income going forward.
Freelancers get caught out here. If you are self-employed, ISA looks at profit after business expenses, not what you invoice. Income from several clients can be added together if it is stable.
Example (hypothetical): A freelance UX designer from Germany invoices 13 million yen a year across four European clients. After software, travel, and subcontractor costs of 4 million yen, her profit is 9 million yen. She does not qualify, even though her revenue is well above the threshold.
Health Insurance Required, Not Optional
You need private medical insurance for your entire stay in Japan. ISA will not approve the application without it.
Minimum cover required:
● 10 million yen for injury and illness
● Death cover (repatriation costs or a death benefit ISA sets no minimum amount)
Japan’s national health insurance is not available on this status. Your private policy is your only cover.
Insurance attached to a credit card is acceptable if you can show it meets these terms. Check the policy wording, not just the card benefits summary.
Where Your Income Comes From
Your employer or clients must be outside Japan. ISA is explicit that you cannot sign an employment or service contract with a Japanese company or individual during your stay, even someone you meet while you are here. Taking on one Japanese client breaches the status.
What Can I Actually Do While I Am Here?
You can work remotely for your overseas employer or clients and live and travel in Japan alongside that. You cannot do anything involving a Japanese employer, client or company. And because the status sits outside Japan’s resident system, everyday admin is harder than most people expect.
| Activity | Allowed? | Notes |
| Remote work for an overseas employer | Yes | The core purpose of the status |
| Freelancing for overseas clients | Yes | Clients must be outside Japan |
| Living and travelling in Japan | Yes | Move between cities with no extra paperwork |
| Short trips abroad during your stay | Yes | Leave and return within your six months on a re-entry permit |
| Employment by a Japanese company | No | Breaches the status |
| Contracts with Japanese clients | No | Includes one-off freelance jobs and people you meet in Japan |
| Starting or running a Japanese company | No | Requires the Business Manager Visa |
| Side work outside the status | No | ISA does not permit it in principle |
Note: ISA says that under many tax treaties, income earned during a stay of 183 days or less is not taxed in Japan. The conditions depend on the treaty, so confirm your position with the National Tax Agency or a tax adviser in your home country.
A Japanese bank account starts with the right visa.
- Corporate bank accounts prepared with the documents banks expect.
- Business Manager Visa support, the route that includes a residence card.
- 60+ visas granted for founders now operating in Japan.
Important: No Residence Card
The digital nomad visa does not come with a residence card (zairyu card). It’s a significant issue that touches nearly every part of everyday life in Japan.
Without a residence card, you cannot:
● Register as a resident (juminhyo)
● Get a My Number
● Open an ordinary Japanese bank account
● Get a postpaid phone contract
● Register a personal seal (inkan toroku)
● Sign a standard apartment lease
Plan to use your home-country accounts, cards and phone. Most co-living and furnished monthly rentals are designed for people in exactly this situation.
Family
Your spouse and children can come with you under a separate Designated Activities status (Notice No. 54). They get the same six-month cap and no residence card, and each needs medical insurance meeting the same terms, which can be family cover on your policy. Your spouse is not allowed to work, in principle.
How Does It Compare to the Business Manager Visa?
They solve different problems. The digital nomad visa lets you stay a while and keep your overseas income. The Business Manager Visa lets you build and run a company in Japan, with a residence card and a path to permanent residency, but since October 2025 it needs 30 million yen in capital and a full-time employee. The Startup Visa sits in between.
| Feature | Digital Nomad | Startup Visa | Business Manager |
| Duration | 6 months, non-renewable | Up to 2 years, granted in stages | Up to 5 years per grant |
| Residence card | No | Yes | Yes |
| Can run a Japanese company | No | Preparing to | Yes |
| Capital required | None | Must meet Business Manager rules by the end | 30 million yen |
| Key requirements | Income of 10 million yen, insurance | Approval from a certified municipality | Full-time employee, JLPT N2, 3 years management experience or relevant degree, expert-checked business plan |
| Bank account realistic | No | Difficult | Yes, subject to bank screening |
| Path to permanent residency | No | Via Business Manager Visa | Yes |
Note: The Startup Visa is run by municipalities certified by METI, and each one sets its own target industries and support. Business Manager requirements should be confirmed with the Immigration Services Agency, as they were overhauled on 16 October 2025.
30 million yen and a full-time hire. Plan it properly.
- Capital and hiring planned around the October 2025 rules.
- Business plan preparation built to meet the new visa requirements.
- 30+ subsidies done for founders launching in Japan.
When the Japan Digital Nomad Visa Is the Right Choice
It fits when your income is already overseas, you want time in Japan, and you have no plans to build anything here yet.
Example (hypothetical): A US software engineer employed by a company in Austin wants to spend spring and summer in Fukuoka. Her salary is 18 million yen, her employer is fine with remote work, and she has no Japanese clients. The digital nomad visa is built for her.
When You Need the Business Manager Visa Instead
You need it if you intend to incorporate, hire, open a corporate bank account, take Japanese clients or stay beyond six months.
Example (hypothetical): A Singapore consultant wants to set up a GK and sign Japanese clients within a year. The digital nomad visa cannot get him there at any point. His route is the Business Manager Visa, or the Startup Visa first if his city runs a program in his field.
For the full requirements, see our guide to the Business Manager Visa in Japan.
Can I Start a Company on This Visa?
No. The status does not allow it, and even if it did, six months is not enough time to get a company running.
Why the Status Does Not Permit It
Designated Activities is granted for one specified activity. For digital nomads, that activity is remote work for overseas employers or clients. Managing a Japanese company is a different activity, covered by the Business Manager Visa.
Why the Timeline Does Not Work Either
Incorporation alone usually takes four to eight weeks, and a corporate bank account often takes longer. A Business Manager application also needs the capital in place, an office and your full-time employee lined up. Without a residence card, you cannot do much of this yourself, and the six months runs out first.
The Realistic Sequence
Founders who use the digital nomad visa as a first look at Japan tend to follow this order:
| Phase | Typical timing | What happens |
| 1. Digital nomad stay | Months 0 to 6 | Keep working for overseas clients and get to know the city. Do not sign contracts or start operations. |
| 2. Preparation | After leaving Japan | Prepare 30 million yen in capital, a business plan checked by a qualified expert, an office, and your first employee. |
| 3. Incorporation | 1 to 2 months | Set up the company, which can be done from abroad with professional support. |
| 4. Certificate of Eligibility | Several months | Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility for the Business Manager Visa. Check ISA-published processing times for your regional bureau. |
| 5. Move and operate | On approval | Get the visa at a Japanese consulate, enter Japan, receive your residence card, then open bank accounts and start hiring. |
These ranges are typical, not guaranteed.
How Do I Apply?
Most people apply for the visa directly at the Japanese embassy or consulate covering where they live, bringing proof of income, insurance, and current work. A Certificate of Eligibility route exists, but it needs someone in Japan to file for you, and most digital nomads do not have that.
Certificate of Eligibility or Direct Application?
ISA's own Q&A is plain about it: with no Japanese employer to act as your proxy, apply directly at your embassy or consulate. If you do hold a Certificate of Eligibility, you present it there and skip most of the supporting documents.
What Documents Do I Need?
Required for every applicant:
● Visa application form with photo
● Passport
Required for the digital nomad status (unless you hold a Certificate of Eligibility):
● A document explaining your planned activities and length of stay (ISA provides a template)
● Proof of personal income of 10 million yen or more, such as a tax certificate, income certificate, employment contract, or client contracts showing amounts and terms
● Proof of your current work, such as an employment contract or certificate of employment
● Insurance certificate and policy terms showing the required cover
Required for an accompanying spouse or child:
● Proof of relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate
● A copy of the principal applicant's passport
● Proof of medical insurance meeting the same terms
Where Do I Apply From?
Apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate that covers your country of residence. Each one runs its own appointment system and may ask for extra documents, so check its website before you prepare anything.
How Long Does It Take?
It varies by consulate and by how busy they are. Ask your consulate for its current timeframe, and do not book non-refundable flights until the visa is in your passport.
Incorporate from abroad, then arrive ready to operate.
Incorporation, visa application and bank prep, handled while you are still overseas.
Common Questions
How long is Japan's digital nomad visa, and can I extend it?
Six months, and it cannot be extended or renewed. Once you leave, you need to spend six months outside Japan before you can come back on the same status.
Do I get a residence card?
No. That one fact explains most of the practical limits, from banking to phone contracts. See the callout above for what this means in practice.
Can I open a bank account on a digital nomad visa?
Realistically, no. Banks generally require a residence card, and you will usually be treated as a non-resident for foreign exchange purposes. Plan to use your home-country accounts and cards.
Can I start a company and switch to the Business Manager Visa mid-stay?
No. The status does not permit company management, and the timeline does not work. The usual route is to leave, prepare, and apply for the Business Manager Visa from abroad.
What is the income requirement, and what counts toward it?
10 million yen a year of your own income. Freelancers are assessed on profit after expenses, so revenue above 10 million yen is not enough on its own.
Which countries are eligible?
The 51 countries and regions on ISA's list. Check it before you book anything, because if your passport is not on it, no amount of income will help.
Can family come with me?
Yes. Your spouse and children can accompany you for the same six months, with their own insurance cover. Your spouse cannot work while in Japan.
Ready to build a business in Japan, not just visit?
