Your situation
1. Will Japan be your primary base spending the majority of your time here?
Spending more than half your residence period outside Japan without documented business reasons will result in renewal denial.
2. Are you applying for the BM Visa for the first time?
Selecting Yes means you are a new applicant and the full October 2025 criteria apply. Selecting No means you already hold a BM Visa or are switching from a Startup Visa, different rules may apply. Speak to an advisor about your specific situation.
⚠️ Different rules may apply to your situation but you can still complete all 11 questions to get a full picture of where you stand. Once you have your result, you can speak directly with a SmartStart Japan advisor about your specific case.
Core legal requirements
3. Do you have at least 30,000,000 JPY to invest in your business?
Approx. USD 200,000. For a company: registered capital. For a sole proprietor: total invested in office and equipment combined.
4. Do you have a physical commercial office in Japan?
Must be a real physical private office, not your home, not a virtual office, not just a registered address. Must be a private separated office.
5. Can you employ at least 1 full-time Japanese resident employee?
Must be a Japanese national, permanent resident, or spouse/long-term resident visa holder. Temporary visa holders do not count.
6. Do you or your employee have JLPT N2 Japanese or higher?
Either you or your qualifying employee must meet this. Japanese nationals automatically qualify. Graduating from a Japanese university also counts.
7. Do you have 3+ years of business management experience or a relevant postgraduate degree?
Management experience means running or directing a business. A Master's, PhD, or professional degree in a relevant field also qualifies.
8. Do you have a clear business idea with a defined product or service, target customers, and revenue model?
A formal business plan reviewed by a Japanese-licensed professional will be required before applying. This question checks whether your business concept is developed enough to build that plan from.
9. Will you personally manage the business as an active director?
You must be hands-on in day-to-day management. Outsourcing all operations or simply owning the business does not qualify.
Compliance & operations
10. If your business requires a special license or permit in Japan, do you have a plan to obtain it?
Food, real estate, finance, staffing, and healthcare all require permits. If your business needs none, answer Yes.
11. Do you have or are you working with a Japanese labor consultant, HR firm, or tax accountant who can handle employee insurance enrollment?
Employment insurance, workers' compensation, health insurance, and employees' pension must all be enrolled from day one of hiring. Non-enrollment is checked at every visa renewal and can block it regardless of business performance.
0 of 11 questions answered
Please answer all 11 questions before submitting.
This tool provides general guidance only based on Immigration Services Agency of Japan criteria effective October 16, 2025. It does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a licensed immigration specialist before applying.