Digital Nomad visa questions

Quick answers

How do I apply for the Japan Digital Nomad visa?

At the Japanese embassy or consulate-general for where you live. A certificate of eligibility from a regional immigration bureau lets you omit the activity plan, the income papers and the insurance papers. With that certificate, the standard visa period is five business days from the day after the mission accepts the application, and it does not guarantee the visa.

Which countries are eligible for Japan's Digital Nomad visa?

The worker needs a nationality on the chart of 51, places that are visa-exempt and have a tax treaty with Japan. A spouse or child needs a nationality on the chart of 73, which is visa-exemption only.

How long can I stay, and can I extend the Digital Nomad visa?

Six months. The period is not extended. Once six months have passed after you leave Japan, you can apply for the same status again.

What work does the visa allow?

Two kinds. Work for a foreign employer, done from Japan. Or paid services and sales to people outside Japan. Both use information and communication technology, and the second excludes work you could only do by being in Japan. A job or a contract with a Japanese company, a Japanese public body, or a person in Japan is not allowed, including one you arrange after you arrive. The agency's examples are an employee of a foreign company, a manager of a foreign company, and a sole proprietor serving a foreign company or a person abroad.

What income and insurance do I need?

Annual income of at least ¥10 million when you apply, and private medical insurance covering death, injury and illness, with treatment cover of at least ¥10 million for the period of the stay.

Can my spouse or children come?

A spouse or child can, on their own status, for the same six months and with the same insurance. Their nationality is the longer, visa-exempt chart. The permitted activity is daily life as your dependent. The ¥10 million income is not one of their published requirements.

Will I get a residence card?

No. Residence cards go to mid- to long-term residents, and this stay is not that.

Can I move around Japan, and can I leave and come back?

Moving between towns needs no special procedure. You can leave and return on this status if you come back before it expires, using a re-entry permission or a special re-entry permission.

Do I pay Japanese income tax?

Pay for the work can be exempt under the tax treaty. In most treaties that includes 183 days or less in the tax year or in any consecutive 12 months. It is not exempt if a Japan-resident employer pays the salary, if the days run past the treaty's limit, or if your country has no tax treaty with Japan. Arrival and departure days both count.

How is this different from a working holiday?

A working holiday is a holiday first. Work in Japan is allowed only to add to your travel funds, there is no ¥10 million income rule, and dependents cannot come. The Digital Nomad visa is remote work for people outside Japan, for six months, and it does not allow a Japanese employer.

What does the visa cost?

For applications accepted on or after 1 July 2026, about ¥15,000 for a single-entry visa and about ¥30,000 for a multiple-entry visa, in local currency. Nationality and purpose can change or remove the fee. Nothing is due if the visa is not issued. The ministry does not publish a separate price for this visa.

Can I bring the laptop and phone I already own?

A Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device needs the Technical Conformity Mark for use past 90 days. Without the mark, a device that meets the standards and shows a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth logo can be used for 90 days after entry. Wiring a laptop to a marked rental Wi-Fi unit is the published way to keep using an unmarked computer after that.