Overview
The visa is a “Designated Activities” status for people who provide services or sell goods to clients or employers outside Japan using information technology, either as employees of a foreign company or as self-employed professionals. Eligibility is limited to nationals of countries and regions that are both exempt from Japan's short-term visa and party to a tax treaty with Japan — the Immigration Services Agency publishes the list, which includes the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore and most of the EU.
The stay is capped at six months; you must then leave and wait six months before applying again.
Editor's note — Japan revised its visa fees for the first time since 1978: single-entry visas cost ¥15,000 (up from ¥3,000) for applications filed from 1 July 2026. Nationals of countries with fee-waiver arrangements should check whether the waiver still applies to this category.
Who is eligible
- National of an eligible country or region (visa-exempt and a tax-treaty partner of Japan), per the Immigration Services Agency list.
- Annual income of at least ¥10,000,000 from remote work for foreign employers or clients.
- Private medical insurance with at least ¥10,000,000 cover for treatment and repatriation.
- Work performed only for entities outside Japan; no Japanese employer or clients.
- Six months or less in Japan per stay, with a six-month gap before reapplying.
Income & financial requirements
About US$65,000–70,000.
Private medical, including repatriation.
Single entry, from 1 July 2026.
No extension.
Applicants file a tax-payment certificate, an income certificate, and the employment or client contract showing the ¥10 million annual level, plus a description of planned activities and the insurance certificate. Presenting a Certificate of Eligibility (optional) lets you skip some of these documents at the consulate.
The income must be from outside Japan — Japanese-source earnings are not permitted under this status.
Costs & fees
- Visa fee of ¥15,000 for a single-entry visa (¥30,000 multiple-entry) for applications on or after 1 July 2026.
- Private medical insurance at the ¥10 million level for the whole stay.
- Japanese-language translations are not generally required for English documents, but consulates vary.
Taxes
Japan limited the visa to tax-treaty countries so that most holders stay within the treaty's short-stay rule: employment income paid by a foreign employer for work in Japan is generally exempt if you are present less than 183 days in the relevant period. Self-employed applicants should check the treaty's permanent-establishment rules. Staying more than a year would make you resident, which the six-month cap prevents.
How to apply
Confirm eligibility
Check your nationality against the Immigration Services Agency list and gather the ¥10 million income evidence.
Prepare the file
Application form, photo, passport, planned-activities statement, income and tax certificates, contract, insurance certificate (or a Certificate of Eligibility).
Apply at a Japanese embassy or consulate
Submit in your country of residence; processing is typically about a week or two.
Enter Japan
Receive the Designated Activities status at the port of entry for six months; leave before it expires.
Duration & renewal
Six months per stay, non-renewable. You may reapply after spending six months outside Japan. The visa does not lead to long-term residence.
Bringing family
Spouses and children who meet the same nationality criteria and are fully dependent on the applicant can accompany under the corresponding Designated Activities status, with identical insurance requirements.
Pros & cons
Advantages
- Access to Japan for six months without a sponsor
- Clear treaty-based tax position
- Family can accompany
- Fast consular processing
Considerations
- ¥10 million income floor
- Hard six-month cap and six-month wait
- Only visa-exempt, tax-treaty nationalities
- Visa fee quintupled in 2026