The Japanese government officially launched a visa system supporting digital nomads on 31 March 2024. International remote workers and their family members can now apply for a visa status that allows them to stay in Japan for up to six months. Eligible applicants must meet various requirements such as having an annual income of over 10 million yen and being enrolled in private medical insurance.
The framework of the system is as follows.
| Requirements | Details |
| Nationalities/ region of the applicants1 | Iceland, Ireland, United States, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, Uruguay, Estonia, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Qatar, Canada, Croatia, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Thailand, Czech Republic, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary, Finland, France, Brazil, Bulgaria, Brunei, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Malaysia, Mexico, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Luxembourg, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan |
| Nationalities/ region of the family member(s) of applicants2 | In addition to the countries/areas above mentioned; Argentina, Andorra, El Salvador, Cyprus, Greece, Guatemala, Costa Rica, San Marino, Suriname, Tunisia, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Barbados, Honduras, Macau, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Lesotho, North Macedonia |
| Permissible duration of stay | Up to six months |
| Eligible activities | 【Applicant】
【Family member】
|
| Status of residence | Applicant：Designated Activity 53 Family member(s)：Designated Activity 54 |
| Minimum annual income | Over 10 million yen |
| Other requirements | Must have insurance coverage for death, injury, or illness covering the period of stay in Japan3 |
| Application process | There are two ways to apply for the visa:
|
| Possibility of extending the period of stay | Not allowed |
| Main required documents | 【Applicant】
【Family member(s)】
|
1. These are nationals of countries that have tax treaties with Japan AND are from visa-exempted regions.
2. These are nationals of countries from visa-exempted regions (excluding Panama).
3. Coverage for medical expenses should be at least 10 million yen per applicant.
4. Applicant needs to be physically in Japan for the CoE application to be filed. Electronic filing by the applicant is not available.
5. Some embassies or consulates may not accept direct applications for this visa type without a CoE and applicants should check with the consulate before applying.
In response to the spread of COVID-19 and the resulting widespread adoption of remote work, there has been an increased demand for a residency status that allows for remote work beyond the current maximum 90 days permitted under short-term stay visas. In addition to addressing this demand, the Japanese government hopes that this will have a spillover effect in boosting domestic consumption by creating an environment where highly skilled remote workers can stay in Japan for longer periods.
However, it is important to note that under this framework, the residency status granted under this new system will not classify individuals as medium- to long-term residents within the Basic Resident Register system. Consequently, the remote workers and their families are not allowed to be enrolled in the Japanese social insurance or pension system.
Individuals interested in taking up this visa should be aware of any exposure to individual tax and social security. Similarly, foreign employers will need to be mindful of the permanent establishment exposure that could be triggered by their employees working in Japan.
Our team can provide comprehensive support on this new visa by assisting you in understanding the program in greater detail, performing eligibility assessments and helping with applications for the visa. In addition, we can advise the potential individual tax implication to manage any tax risks upfront for employees and individuals.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Noriyuki Tominaga
Japan Immigration Partner
Jia Ee
Japan Immigration Director
Wakana Tachikawa
Japan Immigration Senior Manager
Saeko Ichimi
Japan Immigration Senior Associate
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Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
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Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
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