🇯🇵Visa options for Japan

Japan offers 37 visa types across 7 categories — from white-collar work, skilled trades, and startup visas to a 2024 Digital Nomad visa, Working Holiday (30 countries), family reunification, and two distinct permanent residence pathways. 30 lead to PR; 23 don't require a job offer. Japan uses a dual system: short-stay Temporary Visitor visas (up to 90 days) and long-stay Status of Residence for all extended stays.

37visa types

7categories

30PR pathways

23no job needed

Check which Japan visas you qualify for →

Visa categories in Japan

Work16 Special / Designated6 Family4 Study3 Visitor3 Humanitarian3 Permanent Residence2

All Japan visa types

Work (16)

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services技術・人文知識・国際業務 Work – Professional
The most common white-collar work visa. Covers IT engineers, designers, translators, marketers, and financial analysts. Requires a relevant degree or 10+ years experience plus employer sponsorship.
Highly Skilled Professional (i) – HSP Type 1高度専門職1号 Work – Highly Skilled
Points-based visa (minimum 70 points). 5-year status; spouse works unrestricted; parents may accompany. Fast-track PR: 70 points → 3 years; 80 points → 1 year. Income minimum JPY 3,000,000.
Highly Skilled Professional (ii) – HSP Type 2高度専門職2号 Work – Highly Skilled
Indefinite-stay status after 3 years on HSP Type 1. No expiration. Work in any professional category without restriction. Strong PR pathway.
Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip)高度専門職 J-Skip Work – Super Talent
Fast-track for top earners (annual income ≥ JPY 20,000,000 + 3 years experience) or leading researchers. PR available after 1 year. Launched May 2023.
Specified Skilled Worker (i) – SSW Type 1特定技能1号 Work – Sector-Specific
Mid-level workers in 16 designated sectors (nursing care, construction, hospitality, agriculture, food service, and more). Max 5 years cumulative. No family accompaniment. JLPT N4 required.
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) – SSW Type 2特定技能2号 Work – Sector-Specific
Indefinitely renewable for highly proficient workers in designated sectors. Family accompaniment permitted. Pathway to permanent residence.
Technical Intern Training技能実習 Work – Transitional
Being phased out — replaced by Employment for Skill Development (ESD) system effective 2027. Current holders complete their terms. TITP graduates can switch to SSW Type 1 without re-testing.
Intra-Company Transferee企業内転勤 Work – Professional
Transfer from overseas group company to Japanese entity. Minimum 1 year prior employment at sending entity. Managerial or specialist role required.
Business Manager経営・管理 Work – Business
For founders and executives managing a Japanese company. Capital raised to JPY 30,000,000 (from Oct 2025, up from JPY 5M). JLPT N2 now required. 3 years management experience or business degree.
Professor教授 Work – Academic
University-level teaching or research. Requires employment contract with Japanese higher education institution and relevant academic credentials.
Researcher研究 Work – Academic
Dedicated research role at university, government agency, or R&D company. Distinct from Professor category — covers industrial and government research settings.
Instructor教育 Work – Education
Foreign language teachers and subject teachers at primary, secondary, and special education institutions. Includes ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers).
Medical Services医療 Work – Healthcare
Licensed physicians, dentists, nurses (with Japanese license), midwives, and physiotherapists. Requires valid Japanese professional medical license.
Legal / Accounting / Tax Professional法律・会計業務 Work – Legal/Financial
Licensed bengoshi (attorney), zeirishi (tax accountant), keirishi (CPA), gyouseishoshi, or shihoshoshi. Japanese professional license required.
Skilled Labor技能 Work – Skilled Trades
Specialized tradespeople: ethnic cuisine chefs (10+ years experience), gem craftspeople, aircraft pilots, sports coaches, and animal trainers. Strict experience requirements apply.
Entertainer興行 Work – Entertainment
Performers, musicians, athletes, models, and actors. Performance contract with Japanese promoter/agency required. High scrutiny category; extra documentation for some nationalities.

Special / Designated Activities (6)

Digital Nomad Visa特定活動（デジタルノマド） Designated Activities
Launched March 2024. Remote workers earning ≥ JPY 10,000,000/year from non-Japanese employers. Up to 6 months; not renewable. 49 eligible countries. Private health insurance ≥ JPY 10M required. Application fee: JPY 3,000. Spouse and children may accompany.
Working Holidayワーキング・ホリデー Designated Activities
30 partner countries. Ages 18–30 (18–26 for Iceland). Up to 12 months; part-time work permitted to fund travel. Second participation allowed for Canada, UK, New Zealand, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Slovakia, South Korea, and Taiwan. Fee: JPY 3,000–6,000.
Start-up Visa特定活動（スタートアップ） Designated Activities
Prepare a business in Japan before meeting full Business Manager requirements. Up to 2 years. Requires Confirmation Certificate from a municipality or approved FEPO. Expanded nationwide from January 2025. Transitions to Business Manager visa.
Future Creation Individual Visa (J-Find)特定活動（未来創造人材） Designated Activities
Graduates of top-100 global universities (ranked top 100 in ≥2 of QS, THE, ARWU) within the past 5 years. Up to 2 years for job-hunting or business preparation. Minimum JPY 200,000 in savings. Launched May 2023.
EPA Nurse / Certified Caregiver Candidate特定活動（EPA看護師・介護福祉士候補者） Designated Activities
Healthcare workers from Indonesia (since 2008), Philippines (since 2009), and Vietnam (since 2014) under Economic Partnership Agreements. Work at approved hospitals/care facilities while studying for Japan national licensing exam. Japanese language pre-training is free.
Highly Skilled Professional – Extended Family Benefits高度専門職（家族帯同・親・家事使用人） Designated Activities
HSP and J-Skip holders: spouse may work unrestricted; parents may accompany (income ≥ JPY 8M with child under 7 or pregnant spouse); live-in domestic helper permitted (income ≥ JPY 10M).

Family (4)

Spouse or Child of Japanese National日本人の配偶者等 Family
Legal spouse or biological/adopted child of a Japanese citizen. Unrestricted work rights. Marriage must be genuine — immigration scrutinizes authenticity. PR pathway after 3 years of marriage + 1 year Japan residence.
Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident永住者の配偶者等 Family
Legal spouse or biological/adopted child of a Japanese Permanent Resident. Unrestricted work rights. PR pathway available.
Long-Term Resident定住者 Family / Special
Flexible status for Nikkeijin (2nd and 3rd generation Japanese descendants — most from Brazil, Peru, Philippines), recognized refugees, bereaved/divorced spouses of Japanese nationals, and other designated humanitarian cases. Unrestricted work rights. PR pathway.
Dependent (Family Stay)家族滞在 Family
Spouses and unmarried minor children of foreign nationals holding work or study status in Japan. Up to 28 hours/week part-time work permitted with permission. Duration matches primary holder's status.

Study (3)

Student留学 Study
Full-time students at universities, graduate schools, junior colleges, vocational schools (senmon gakko), language schools, and preparatory courses. Part-time work up to 28 hours/week (more during school vacations) with permission. COE obtained by institution.
Cultural Activities文化活動 Study – Cultural
Unpaid study of Japanese traditional arts (tea ceremony, calligraphy, ikebana, martial arts) or non-paid visiting academic research. No remuneration permitted. Up to 2 years.
Training研修 Study – Vocational
Short-term structured training for employees dispatched by foreign organizations (government agencies, companies). Government-sponsored JICA programs typical. Not employment — training only. Maximum 1 year.

Visitor (3)

Temporary Visitor – Visa Exemption短期滞在（査証免除） Visitor – Visa-Free
74 countries and territories enter Japan visa-free: 90 days (most countries), 30 days (Brunei, Qatar), 15 days (Indonesia, Thailand). No application required. Tourism, business visits, conferences, visiting family. No employment permitted.
Temporary Visitor Visa短期滞在査証 Visitor – Short-Stay
Single, double, or multiple-entry visa for nationals of non-exempt countries. Up to 90 days per entry. eVISA available for select nationalities (China 15/30 days; Vietnam 15 days). Fee: JPY 3,000 single / JPY 6,000 multiple (revised April 2026).
Transit Visa通過査証 Visitor – Transit
For nationals of visa-required countries transiting Japan. Maximum 15 days. TWOV (Transit Without Visa) permitted at Haneda and Kansai airports for up to 72 hours for visa-exempt nationals. Fee: approx. JPY 700–1,000.

Humanitarian (3)

Refugee Recognition難民認定 Humanitarian
Recognition under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. Japan recognized 190 refugees in 2024 (Afghanistan 102, Myanmar 36, Yemen 18). Recognized refugees receive PR-eligible status after 5 years. Full work rights. Amended 2023 law tightened third-application rules.
Complementary Protection (Quasi-Refugee)補完的保護対象者 Humanitarian
Introduced by Japan's 2023 Immigration Act amendment (effective 2024). Covers persons fleeing armed conflict or facing torture/capital punishment risk — not qualifying as Convention refugees. 1,616 people recognized in 2024 (1,613 Ukrainian nationals). PR pathway after 5 years.
Special Permission to Stay (Humanitarian Grounds)在留特別許可 Humanitarian
Discretionary permission from the Minister of Justice for individuals without valid status (overstayers, rejected asylum seekers) with compelling humanitarian reasons — Japanese spouse or child, long-term residence, or severe home-country circumstances.

Permanent Residence (2)

Permanent Resident永住者 Permanent Residence
Indefinite right of residence with fully unrestricted work rights. Standard route: 10 continuous years in Japan. Income ≥ JPY 3,000,000; no tax/insurance gaps; clean record. Accelerated: HSP 80+ points → 1 year; HSP 70+ points → 3 years; J-Skip → 1 year; spouse of Japanese national → 3 years marriage + 1 year Japan residence. Application fee: JPY 8,000.
Special Permanent Resident特別永住者 Permanent Residence – Historical
Closed historical category for ethnic Koreans and Taiwanese (and lineal descendants) who lost Japanese nationality upon the 1952 Treaty of San Francisco. ~266,896 holders as of 2025. Strongest stability of any status. Certificate renewal fee: JPY 1,600 every 7 years.

Frequently Asked Questions about moving to Japan

How many visa types does Japan offer?

Japan offers 37 visa and status of residence types across 7 categories — covering work, study, family, special/designated activities, humanitarian, and permanent residence pathways.

Can I move to Japan without a job offer?

Yes — 23 of Japan's 37 visa types don't require a pre-arranged job offer. These include the Digital Nomad visa, Working Holiday (30 partner countries, ages 18–30), J-Find visa for top-university graduates, Start-up visa for entrepreneurs, family and spouse visas, student visas, and all humanitarian and permanent residence categories.

Does Japan offer a Digital Nomad visa?

Yes. Japan launched its Digital Nomad visa (Designated Activities) on March 31, 2024. It allows remote workers earning over JPY 10 million per year from non-Japanese employers to live in Japan for up to 6 months. Applicants must hold private health insurance covering at least JPY 10 million and be nationals of one of 49 eligible countries/territories. It is not renewable — a 6-month gap abroad is required before reapplying.

How long does it take to get permanent residence in Japan?

The standard PR route requires 10 years of continuous residence in Japan with good conduct, stable income (JPY 3M+), and full tax/insurance compliance. Accelerated routes: Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa holders with 70+ points can apply after 3 years; those with 80+ points after just 1 year. J-Skip (JPY 20M+ income) holders qualify after 1 year. Spouses of Japanese nationals qualify after 3 years of marriage plus 1 year of Japan residence.

How do I check my eligibility for Japan visas?

Use VisaMatch's free eligibility checker. Enter your nationality, age, occupation, income, and education, then select Japan. You'll see every Japan visa you qualify for, with links to the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Services Agency sources for each.

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