Business Manager Visa to Permanent Residency in Japan

Permanent residency in Japan (PR, 永住 eijū) lets a Business Manager status holder keep living and working in Japan without renewing that work-related status. Eligibility depends on your residence history, household finances, compliance record and the route you use.

This guide explains the routes available to business owners, the records needed for an application, and how the 2026 and 2027 changes affect the rules that apply to you.

Last updated: 20 October 2026. This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Confirm your circumstances with the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) or a qualified immigration specialist before applying.

Which rules apply to your application

In this guide, “Business Manager visa” follows common usage. Strictly, Business Manager is a residence status (在留資格), and the visa is the entry document issued for it. Statements about eligibility refer to the residence status.

The table separates changes already in force from those still ahead.

Rule	Published or in force	Which applications it covers	Status
Revised Business Manager standards	In force 16 October 2025	Applications received from 16 October 2025; renewals by existing holders get some leniency until 16 October 2028	In force
PR household-income and public-burden tests	Published 1 October 2026	PR applications filed from 1 April 2026, including those still pending on 1 October 2026	In force
PR application fee of ¥200,000 (previously ¥10,000)	In force 1 October 2026	Applications received from 1 October 2026	In force
Revised PR guidelines in full: B1 Japanese, pension adequacy, absence limits, longer spouse and child periods, narrower longest-stay treatment	Published 1 October 2026	PR applications filed from 1 April 2027	Final text; ISA has not yet published the yen benchmarks or the accepted evidence for B1
Separate contribution guideline abolished	31 March 2027	Applications filed from 1 April 2027 use the contribution route inside the revised PR guidelines	Set in ISA’s final notice
Naturalization: 10 years of residence in principle	Announced 27 March 2026	Naturalization reviews from 1 April 2026	Administrative practice in force
PR revocation guideline	Published October 2026	People who already hold PR	Final text; operation starts 1 April 2027

The PR guidelines apply according to the date your application is filed, not the date it is decided, as ISA’s notice on applying the guidelines sets out. Applications filed by 31 March 2027 are assessed under the February 2026 guideline, except for the new income and public-burden tests, which already reach back to applications filed from 1 April 2026. Applications filed from 1 April 2027 are assessed under the revised guideline in full.

The guidelines describe most standards as factors ISA considers in a discretionary review, not automatic pass-or-fail tests. Meeting each one does not guarantee approval, and each factor you do not meet weighs against the application.

PR routes for a Business Manager status holder

The route you can use depends on your years in Japan, your current status, your family relationships and, for the points route, your HSP score.

Route	Residence requirement	Suited to	Main condition
Standard	10 years continuous, including at least 5 continuous years on a work or residence status	Founders with a long residence history	Continuous residence and a compliant record
HSP points	3 years at 70+ points, or 1 year at 80+ points	Founders whose points can be documented	Points and income evidence
Spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident	Filed by 31 March 2027: 3 years of marriage and 1 year of residence. Filed from 1 April 2027: 5 years of marriage and 3 years of residence	Married applicants	Genuine marriage and continuous residence
Child of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident	Filed by 31 March 2027: 1 year of residence. Filed from 1 April 2027: 3 years of residence	Children (実子等)	Continuous residence
Long-Term Resident (定住者, teijūsha)	5 years continuous on that status	Holders of that status	Status-specific eligibility
Contribution to Japan	5 years	People with a recognised contribution, such as listed awards or public roles	Evidence of the contribution

These are residence-period thresholds, not approval criteria. Under Article 22(2) of the Immigration Act, as set out in ISA’s guidelines, every route requires a finding that PR is in Japan’s interest. Most routes also require good conduct and financial independence, but spouses and children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents are exempt from those two.

Check your Business Manager standards first

ISA will not grant PR from Business Manager, Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c), or business-based Highly Skilled Professional (ii) unless the revised standards, effective 16 October 2025, are met. The standards are:

• Capital or investment. At least ¥30 million in paid-in capital or total contributions for a company. Capital reserves, retained earnings, salaries and office costs do not count. For a sole proprietor, at least ¥30 million invested in the business.
• Full-time employee. At least one full-time employee who is a Japanese national, a special permanent resident, or a foreign resident with Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident status.
• Japanese-language ability. The founder or a full-time employee must have Japanese at B2 level under the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education (日本語教育の参照枠), shown for example by JLPT N2 or a BJT score of 400 or more. This employee may hold any residence status. This is a Business Manager rule; the PR guidelines set a separate B1 factor, covered below.
• Experience or education. At least three years of management experience, or a doctorate, master’s or professional degree in management or a field relevant to the business.
• Business plan. The plan submitted when the status is granted must be checked by a Japanese-licensed SME management consultant (中小企業診断士), certified public accountant or tax accountant who is not an officer or employee of the company.

A company set up with ¥5 million under the old rules does not meet the capital standard. Renewals filed by existing holders up to 16 October 2028 are assessed with some leniency, but that transition applies to renewals only. It does not allow PR approval before the new standards are met.

For the renewal side, see how ISA reviews Business Manager renewals in 2026 and the documents ISA now asks for at renewal. To estimate what a qualifying full-time hire costs, use our employee cost calculator, and to test your company against the new criteria, try our visa eligibility tool.

The standard 10-year route

Under ISA’s revised PR guidelines, you must have lived in Japan continuously for at least 10 years, and at least five of those years must be continuous residence on a work or residence status. Business Manager counts as a work status.

The exclusions below describe the revised guidelines for applications filed from 1 April 2027. For applications filed before that date, check the February 2026 guidelines, together with the income and public-burden provisions applicable to applications filed from 1 April 2026.

• Not counted toward the 10 years: Designated Activities periods for continued job-seeking, for job-offer holders, and for graduates of Japanese universities doing startup activities.
• Not counted as work-status time for the five years: working holiday, internship, Technical Intern Training, Employment for Skill Development, Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Intra-company Transferee.
• Check individually: other Designated Activities statuses, including the Startup Visa, depend on the specific designation.

For example, a founder who arrives in Year 0 and establishes a company in Year 2 can apply under the standard route in Year 10 at the earliest, provided the residence was continuous and the other requirements are met. A change of status or a non-qualifying period moves that date later.

Longest period of stay. You must hold the longest period of stay available for your current status. For applications filed by 31 March 2027, a three-year period of stay counts as the longest. For applications filed from 1 April 2027, it counts only if you held a three-year period on 31 March 2027, this is your first PR application filed on or after 1 April 2027, and the decision comes before that three-year period expires. If you rely on this exception, check your period of stay and filing date now.

Time outside Japan. For applications filed from 1 April 2027, a single absence of six months or more, or absences totalling two years and six months, within the 10 years before you apply will in principle count against you unless there were reasonable grounds. Keep a record of every departure and return, with evidence explaining any long absence. Separately, for Business Manager renewals, ISA treats absences totalling more than half of the granted period of stay as a negative factor unless there is good reason.

Shorter routes

Holding Business Manager status for several years does not by itself shorten the residence requirement. The shorter routes depend on a family relationship, a different status or a recognised contribution.

• Spouse of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident. For applications filed by 31 March 2027, three years of genuine marriage and one year of continuous residence. For applications filed from 1 April 2027, five years of marriage and three years of continuous residence. Our guide to bringing a spouse and children to Japan on Business Manager status covers the dependant side.
• Child of a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident. For applications filed by 31 March 2027, one year of continuous residence. For applications filed from 1 April 2027, three years.
• Long-Term Resident. Five years of continuous residence on that status.
• Contribution to Japan. The separate contribution guideline is abolished on 31 March 2027. The revised PR guidelines keep a five-year route for people with a recognised contribution, subject to its conditions and a defined list of awards and roles. A claim of contribution alone does not guarantee a shorter route or approval.

The Highly Skilled Professional points route

For an eligible founder, the HSP route can be the shortest: three years at 70 points or more, or one year at 80 points or more. Special Highly Skilled Professionals (J-Skip) need one year.

You do not have to change to HSP status before applying. ISA can assess the points you held three years (for 70 points) or one year (for 80 points) before the application date, if you can document them.

Company founders and executives are assessed under the business-management category, 高度専門職1号ハ (kōdo senmonshoku ichi-gō ha). The revised Business Manager standards apply to this route too. Calculate your score with ISA’s official points system page, not from general descriptions.

HSP applicants and their families are exempt from the B1 Japanese factor that applies from April 2027.

Update, not yet a rule. Nikkei (14 August 2026) and Jiji Press (18 October 2026) reported that the government plans to raise the income requirement for HSP status within FY2026, which ends 31 March 2027. ISA has not announced an amount or start date, so check its points table before relying on this route.

PR, naturalization and staying on your status

Permanent residency in Japan lets you keep your nationality. It removes the activity restrictions and the fixed period of stay attached to Business Manager status, but you must still follow Japanese law and keep a valid residence card.

Naturalization (帰化, kika) means acquiring Japanese citizenship. It generally requires that you lose your existing nationality when you acquire Japanese nationality, so it affects your passport. The Nationality Act still states five years of residence. Separately, the Justice Minister announced on 27 March 2026 that from 1 April 2026 naturalization reviews require, in principle, at least 10 years of residence. The government has confirmed this is an administrative practice, not an amendment to the Act.

Staying on Business Manager status is the remaining option if you do not yet meet the PR requirements. Renewals filed after 16 October 2028 must in principle meet the revised standards. ISA may still renew a holder who falls short if the business is sound, taxes are paid and the standards are likely to be met by the next renewal, but that leniency does not extend to PR. The guidelines do not list the digital nomad status as a work status, so confirm with ISA before counting that time toward PR.

Records the ISA assesses

The ISA assesses compliance, financial stability and your ability to support your household. Since the 2026 revision, income and public charges are assessed for the household as a whole, not just for you. Gather documents well before filing, because missing certificates or inconsistent records delay the process. Our guide to monthly bookkeeping for a Japanese startup covers the routine that produces most of this evidence.

Tax records

The relevant taxes include income tax, resident tax (住民税, jūminzei), corporate tax and, where applicable, property tax. Unpaid taxes, past arrears and tax collection measures count against you even if the amounts have since been paid.

ISA’s checklist for work-status applicants asks for:

• Resident tax. Five years of assessed-income certificates (課税証明書, kazei shōmeisho) and payment certificates (納税証明書, nōzei shōmeisho) from your municipal office, plus proof of on-time payment for any period not deducted from salary.
• National tax. A tax office payment certificate (納税証明書 その3) covering withholding income tax, self-assessed income tax, consumption tax, inheritance tax and gift tax.

The checklist does not list corporate tax certificates, but corporate tax counts as a public tax. Keep the company’s filings and proof of payment ready in case ISA asks. Our overview of the taxes a new company pays explains each one.

Pension and health insurance records

Public charges (公課, kōka) include pension and health insurance premiums. Late or unpaid premiums weigh against an application. For a founder, this covers personal obligations and the company’s obligations as an employer.

• Personal records. Two years of pension records from the Japan Pension Service or your local pension office (年金事務所, nenkin jimusho), and two years of health insurance payment evidence.
• Company records. If you are the employer of a social-insurance establishment, two years of the company’s premium payment records. Confirm that eligible employees are correctly enrolled. Our first-month checklist after incorporation covers the registrations.

For applications filed from 1 April 2027, ISA also compares your household’s projected pension with what 30 years in Employees’ Pension at an above-average income would pay. Financial assets can make up a shortfall, with a lower asset bar for younger applicants. ISA has not published the yen figures.

Income and director salary

No universal PR income threshold applies to every founder, including the figure of ¥5.75 million sometimes quoted in the press, which is a national average household income, not an ISA threshold. ISA compares your household income with the average income of Japanese households of the same size and looks at whether it has continuously reached that level. It has not published a single yen figure.

The following points change how your income is counted:

• Non-work statuses. Income earned by family members on Dependent (家族滞在, kazoku taizai) or other non-work statuses is not counted.
• Family abroad. Dependants you support, including those outside Japan, raise the household size used in the comparison.
• Larger households. Households of five or more face a higher benchmark.
• Director salary. Your director salary (役員報酬, yakuin hōshū) is your income for this test; company profit is not.

If you pay yourself a minimal salary and reinvest profits, review this before applying. These income tests already apply to applications filed from 1 April 2026. Our 2026 director pay benchmarks show pay ranges by industry and company size.

Japanese language and knowledge of Japanese society

For applications filed from 1 April 2027, ISA considers whether the applicant has Japanese at B1 level or higher under the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education (日本語教育の参照枠), whichever route they use. ISA has not yet published which tests or other evidence it will accept.

The exemptions cover Highly Skilled Professional applicants and their families, people with at least six years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling, and children of permanent residents born in Japan whose raising parent has B1-level Japanese.

From the same date, ISA also checks your understanding of Japanese systems and rules, centred on the government’s Guidebook on Living and Working, by a method it will specify. If you have school-age children, ISA considers whether they attend primary or lower secondary school.

Company records

You must show that the company operates legitimately and meets the Business Manager standards. Gather:

• Financial statements (決算書, kessansho)
• A corporate registry certificate (登記事項証明書, tōki jikō shōmeisho)
• Contracts, invoices or other evidence of ongoing operations
• Documents showing the qualifying capital
• Evidence of the required full-time employee and the employment arrangement
• Supporting documents for your business plan, management role and qualifications

Company documents, tax filings and immigration records must agree with each other. If the company changed its structure, ownership or business activities, explain the change and attach evidence.

How to apply and what it costs

Applications go to the regional immigration bureau with jurisdiction over your address. ISA’s permanent residence application page carries the current forms, document checklists and self-check sheets.

1. Confirm your route. Check the required residence period, your status history, the longest-period-of-stay rule and any HSP points. Verify the revised Business Manager standards first.
2. Review compliance. Check personal and corporate tax payments, pension and health insurance contributions, household income and any earlier immigration issues.
3. Collect documents. Obtain certificates from the municipal office, tax office, Japan Pension Service, insurer and company registry, using the ISA checklist for your category. Certificates issued in Japan must be dated within three months of submission, and foreign-language documents need a Japanese translation.
4. Prepare the application. Complete the form, the statement of reasons and supporting explanations, including any absences or company changes.
5. Arrange a guarantor. A guarantor (身元保証人, mimoto hoshōnin) is required, usually a Japanese national, permanent resident or special permanent resident living in Japan.
6. File and keep copies. Follow the bureau’s current filing instructions.
7. Renew your current status while waiting. A pending PR application does not extend your residence status, so renew Business Manager status before it expires.

Costs and processing time

Cost	Amount
PR application fee	¥200,000 for applications received from 1 October 2026 (¥10,000 for applications received by 30 September 2026), paid in revenue stamps on approval
Reduced fee	¥20,000, only for spouses and children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents in severe financial hardship or with a listed humanitarian ground; claimed at the counter with the specified evidence
Specified residence card	¥2,500, including the ¥1,900 ISA fee and ¥600 J-LIS fee. An additional ¥200 applies if an electronic certificate is issued, bringing the total to ¥2,700. Applicants who do not request the combined card receive the standard Residence Card without this additional charge.
Certificates	Set by each issuing office
Translation	Required for foreign-language documents
Professional assistance	Set by the specialist

ISA’s standard processing period is four to six months. Treat it as an estimate: complicated company, tax or residence records can take longer. Fee details are in ISA’s notice on the October 2026 fee revision and its page on fee reductions.

Using a gyōseishoshi

A gyōseishoshi (行政書士) is an administrative legal-services professional who may assist with immigration applications within their authorised scope.

You can prepare the application yourself if your case is straightforward and your records are complete. Professional help is more useful when:

• your company must demonstrate compliance with the revised Business Manager standards;
• you apply under the HSP route and must establish historical points;
• your household income, tax or pension records are complicated;
• you have long absences, late payments or a complicated immigration history;
• your company restructured, changed ownership or closed a business line.

Before engaging a specialist, ask what the fee includes, who prepares and reviews the documents, and whether they have handled founder and Business Manager PR cases.

Why applications are refused

Meeting the residence period is one part of the assessment. Refusals and delays come from the following:

• Business Manager non-compliance. The company does not meet the revised standards.
• Tax or insurance arrears. Personal or corporate payments were late, unpaid or incorrectly reported.
• Insufficient household income. Household income does not reach the benchmark for your household size.
• Incomplete evidence. Certificates, payment histories or company records are missing.
• Residence concerns. Long absences, or a period of stay that does not meet the longest-period requirement.
• Inconsistent information. Company filings, tax documents and immigration forms conflict.
• Conduct or legal issues. Criminal convictions, breaches of Immigration Act obligations or other compliance problems.

ISA lists no administrative appeal procedure for PR decisions. After a refusal, find out the reason before reapplying. Correct the problem, gather stronger evidence and check the rules that apply on the new filing date, including the ¥200,000 fee. Resubmitting the same documents rarely changes the result.

Selling, closing or changing the business during an application

If you sell the company, change your management role, move into a substantially different business or close the company while an application is pending, the facts the application relied on change. Review your residence status, notify the authorities where required, and be ready to provide updated evidence. The application is not guaranteed once those facts change, and you may need to consider another residence status. If you plan to wind the company down, see what closing a KK or GK involves.

Maintaining PR after approval

PR removes the activity restrictions of Business Manager status, so you can change companies or business lines without an immigration consequence. It is not unconditional.

Revocation. ISA finalised its revocation guideline in October 2026, and it operates from 1 April 2027. It covers deliberate non-payment of taxes or social insurance, breaches of Immigration Act obligations, and imprisonment, including a suspended sentence, for specified intentional offences. Even where a ground applies, the usual outcome is a change to another status, in most cases Long-Term Resident, not removal. Non-payment caused by illness, disaster or unemployment is not treated as deliberate, and a single forgotten residence card is not expected to lead to revocation. Deliberately leaving your company’s taxes or premiums unpaid can count as your own non-payment.

To maintain PR:

• Pay taxes on time. Monitor personal income tax, resident tax and corporate taxes, and keep proof of payment.
• Keep pension and health insurance current. This applies to you and to your eligible employees.
• Use the right re-entry procedure. Special re-entry permission (みなし再入国, minashi sainyūkoku) covers trips where you return within one year of departure, so plan to be back before it expires. For longer trips, obtain a re-entry permit (再入国許可, sainyūkoku kyoka), valid for up to five years, before you leave.
• Keep your residence card current. Follow the procedures for updating or renewing it (在留カード, zairyū kādo).
• Respond to official notices. Requests from immigration, municipal offices, tax authorities and the Japan Pension Service need a response.
• Keep records. Retain tax certificates, insurance records, company filings and evidence of major changes.

Next steps

Check the Business Manager standards for your company first, because a company that does not meet them cannot support a PR application. Then compare your residence history with the standard route and your documented points with the HSP thresholds.

Then use the table at the top of this guide to check which rules apply on your planned filing date. If you hold a three-year period of stay, confirm whether the 31 March 2027 exception applies before you choose a date.

If you are still deciding which residence status to use, start with what the Business Manager route involves in 2026. To discuss setting up or managing a business in Japan, contact SmartStart Japan.

FAQs about permanent residency in Japan for Business Manager visa holders

How long do I need to live in Japan to apply for PR, and do my years as a company director count?

The standard route requires 10 consecutive years of residence in Japan, including at least five consecutive years under a qualifying work-related or residence status. Time spent in Japan under a Business Manager status counts toward the five-year requirement. Holding a company director position alone does not replace the residence requirement. Applicants using the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points system can qualify through a shorter route of three years with at least 70 points or one year with at least 80 points, provided they meet the applicable conditions.

Can I apply for PR while holding a Business Manager visa?

Yes. Business Manager status is a qualifying work-related residence status for the standard PR residence requirement. However, applicants must also satisfy the other PR conditions, including good conduct, financial stability, tax and social insurance compliance, and the applicable Business Manager requirements. The revised Business Manager standards took effect on 16 October 2025. Applicants must assess how those standards and the transitional rules apply to their individual cases.

How do HSP points shorten the PR waiting period for a founder?

The HSP points system provides two shorter routes to permanent residency in Japan. Applicants with at least 70 points can apply after three years of qualifying residence, while applicants with at least 80 points can apply after one year. Founders can earn points for factors such as business management experience, annual income, educational qualifications, age and professional achievements. Applicants must meet the required points threshold for the relevant period and satisfy the remaining PR conditions.

Do I need to speak Japanese to obtain permanent residency in Japan?

Under the revised PR guidelines scheduled to apply from 1 April 2027, Japanese-language ability at approximately B1 level will be considered as part of the assessment. Exemptions apply to certain Highly Skilled Professional applicants and their families, people who completed at least six years of qualifying Japanese primary or secondary education, and specified children of permanent residents. Applicants should prepare acceptable evidence of their Japanese proficiency if the requirement applies to their case.

How much income do I need for permanent residency in Japan?

Japan does not set one fixed annual income threshold for every PR applicant. The assessment considers whether the applicant and household can maintain a stable, independent livelihood. Under the revised guidelines, household income is assessed in relation to the average income of Japanese households of a comparable size. Household members, income sources, dependants and financial stability all affect the assessment.

How much does a permanent residency application cost in Japan in 2026?

The PR application fee increased to ¥200,000 for applications submitted from 1 October 2026. Applicants who meet the financial-hardship criteria can receive a reduced fee of ¥20,000. Other expenses can include obtaining official certificates, translating supporting documents and hiring an immigration professional. The reduced fee is subject to the applicable eligibility conditions.

Can Japan revoke permanent residency?

Yes. Permanent residency in Japan does not remove all legal obligations. Under the expanded framework operating from 1 April 2027, deliberate failure to pay taxes or social insurance contributions and specified criminal convictions can lead to revocation proceedings. The authorities assess the specific conduct and applicable legal conditions before making a decision. PR holders must continue meeting their tax, pension, health insurance and other legal obligations.

How long can I stay outside Japan without affecting my PR application?

For applications filed from 1 April 2027, ISA assesses absences during the preceding 10 years. Without reasonable grounds, a single absence of six months or more, or cumulative absences of two years and six months or more, will generally weigh against the application. Applicants should keep travel records and supporting evidence for extended absences, especially when business responsibilities require frequent overseas travel.

Can I apply for PR if I close or sell my company?

Closing or selling a company does not automatically disqualify someone from applying for permanent residency in Japan. However, the timing of the business change, the applicant’s current residence status, employment or other qualifying activities, and financial circumstances affect the assessment. If the change occurs while the PR application is pending, the applicant should report relevant changes to the Immigration Services Agency and provide updated evidence of their residence status and financial stability.