I often browse Reddit, and amongst the many English-speaking Japan-related subreddits I browse is r/movingtojapan
A common theme I see on there is people pouring their heart and soul out with their well laid plans of how and why they want to live in Japan, just for other people to point out that they’ll never got a visa, or its exceptionally difficult or going to take a long time. Which is largely true. A lot of people don’t seem to do much research, and plenty of the info out there seems far to complex for someone to grasp early on.
With that in mind, I thought I would give an overview of the main Visa’s and their basic requirements as simply as I can. Though this is only current at the time of publishing and will not encompass every little detail or for residents of all countries. Please refer to your local Japanese embassy for more detailed requirements or refer to the Ministry of Foreign affairs website.
But a common theme regardless of where you are from, is you can’t easily just go and work or live in Japan. Given Japan is rather strict with immigration, absolutely do not overstay or leave things until the last minute, and if in doubt contact immigration or your embassy for assistance.
Visitor’s Visa
This is the standard Visa for holidays, business travel and seeing relatives.
There are 71 countries whereby residents can Travel to Japan without a Visa. Most developed countries enable you to stay in Japan for a maximum of 90 days. You cannot do paid work in Japan. Countries not listed would need to apply for a visa to visit Japan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
Working Holiday Visa
The Working Holiday visa allows a maximum stay of 12 months with the primary purpose of the visit to be Holiday Travel. It cannot be extended and some countries limit how many times you can have this Visa.
There are 30 countries with reciprocal agreements with Japan for the Working Holiday Program with various requirements and limits per country. Age requirements vary by country, must mostly between 18-25 or 18-30 at time of application.
You are allowed to work to fund your travels and there are some types of places you cannot work such as bars, nightclubs and gambling venues.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
COE (Certificate of Eligibility)
All Visa’s listed beyond this point require a COE because they are semi-permanent Visa’s. The COE is a document issued by the Japanese Ministry of Justice and it basically checks on the intended activities that you may undertake in Japan. These can only be obtained from Japan so you need someone there to obtain one for you - whether it be a company or a school you are going to work for / attend, or a relative, spouse or legal representative.
In many ways obtaining the COE is more difficult to obtain than a Visa, which makes sense as it is designed as a prerequisite to streamline the Visa process.
You need a COE before you can apply for your Visa, the COE is valid for 3 months, and must be still valid at the time of entry to Japan. In my opinion this can complicate things a little for those who like to get their ducks in a row and organized early as instead you have to obtain the COE, have it sent from Japan, then apply for your Visa, get it approved all in a relatively short time frame, especially as you may have a whole lot going on during that time preparing to move!
Here is a link to a flow chart that makes it a little less daunting: Flow chart
Digital Nomad Visa
This is a fairly new Visa, enabling you to work remotely in Japan for a maximum of 6 months. There are some key differences to the working holiday Visa such as being able to take your Spouse/ children / dependents and you need a minimum annual income equivalent to 10 Million Yen. See here for eligible countries.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
Spouse Visa
This is the easiest way to live and work in Japan if you just happen to be legally married to a Japanese national.
The Spouse visa is not indefinite and needs to be renewed. Renewal periods are often 3 or 5 years with it seemingly a lottery of how long you are given each time. I have a friend in Japan on a spouse visa who’s last renewal was 3 years yet he knew a guy who had a number of minor issues such as traffic violations but somehow got a 5 year renewal. We are not quite sure what determines the renewal period.
As your visa is tied to your spouse, naturally in the event of Death or Divorce of the spouse, your visa will need to change. You need to inform immigration ASAP and go through the process of changing to an alternative visa, which is not a given. If you have been in Japan long enough and/or have a child in Japan you may be able to apply for permanent residency or a work visa.
There is also a Child Visa for Children of Japanese National’s which is very similar.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
Student Visa
A student Visa enables you to Study in Japan for up to 2 years. This Visa itself is relatively easy to apply for as the COE takes care of most of the requirements. You need to be enrolled in a school, and they will sponsor your COE. Beyond that you need to demonstrate financial viability to be able to survive for at least the first few months.
You can partake in part-time work up to 28 hours per week. If you leave school you will need to apply for a different visa if eligible.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
Work Visa
This Visa allows you to work in Japan for up to 1 year, and is often extendable up to a maximum of 5 years.
There are a number of sub-visas in this category, but generally it’s for professional level work not low end stuff. Most forms of work Visa require a Bachelors Degree, proven work experience and a Job offer from a Japanese company (which likely have language requirements of N2 or N1) The Japanese company would then sponsor your COE.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs link for more information.
Permanent Residency Visa
After your semi-permanent Visa’s you may be able to apply for Permanent Residency. With this comes some freedom - you can work wherever you want and come and go as you please (though if you are out of Japan for over a year you will need a re-entry permit). This is the only Visa whereby you can retire in Japan, as Japan does not have a Retirement Visa.
You must be able to financially support yourself, have displayed good conduct during your time in Japan, paid your Taxes and have a Citizen or Permanent Resident to act as a Guarantor to sign a (non legal) letter of Guarantee.
The time requirements for Permanent residency do differ depending on the situation and prior Visa:
Work Visa: You can apply after 3 years if you score between 70-80 points, or after 1 year if you score above 80. See here for a points calculator.
Spouse or child visa: You can apply after 1 year of living in Japan, and for Spouse Visa have been married for at least 3 years.
Other Visas: You can apply after 10 years of consecutive residence in Japan, 5 consecutive years of which must be on a work visa.
In closing
Hopefully this is a good overview of the basic Visa’s to enter Japan. After I move to Japan I will do a more in-depth update on my own experience so stay tuned for that.
If you happen to notice any errors in the information provided, please leave a comment and I will update to ensure it is correct!
