Japan's Digital Nomad Visa for Global Nomad Workers

Digital nomadism is a lifestyle that allows a person to travel for long periods of time by using IT devices and platforms. Although working remotely has become increasingly common since the Covid pandemic, visas are still required to work and stay in a foreign country.

Overview of the Japanese Digital Nomad Visa

The Digital Nomad Visa may be granted to those who will be engaged in one of the following activities in Japan.

1. A person who is employed by a foreign company but works remotely from Japan for that foreign business
2. A person engaged in activities to provide services or sell goods remotely to persons in foreign countries

Those persons covered in point 1 above include employees of overseas consulting companies and employees of IT companies. Those persons covered in point 2 above include situations where executives of foreign companies attend board meetings remotely from Japan to make decisions as well as bloggers and YouTubers who earn advertising and marketing revenue from overseas companies.

Digital nomad workers who engage in such activities are eligible for a “special activities” visa for six months.

Please note, however, that this visa does not apply to those who work remotely based on a contract with a company in Japan. In that case, that person may be eligible for other types of visas such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.”

Requirements for Digital Nomad Visas

To obtain a digital nomad visa, the applicant must meet the following requirements.

The period of stay must not exceed 6 months in a year.

A Digital Nomad Visa is valid for 6 months and is not renewable. Therefore, the period of stay must be strictly kept within that six-month period.

Although it is not renewable, it is possible to apply for a Digital Nomad Visa after leaving Japan for 6 months.

Compared to digital nomad visas in other countries, which are valid for one year or more and are renewable, the six-month validity of the Japanese visa, which cannot be renewed, seems a bit too short to now allow a 6-month renewal.

Your nationality must be that of a country or region that has a tax treaty with Japan and is visa-exempt.

The Digital Nomad Visa is only available to nationals from certain countries. For more details, please visit the website of the Immigration Services Agency

At the time of application, the applicant's annual income must be at least 10 million yen.

The Digital Nomad Visa has an annual income requirement, and the applicant must have an annual income of at least 10 million yen at the time of application. As proof of annual income, the applicant has to submit a tax payment certificate or income certificate issued in the country where they worked.

Enrollment in Health Insurance

To obtain a Digital Nomad Visa, the applicant must have medical insurance, such as overseas travel insurance. The medical insurance must satisfy the following 3 conditions.

• Covers death, injury or illness
• Compensation for medical expenses for injuries or illnesses of 10 million yen or more
• Insurance must be in effect through the entire period of the stay in Japan

Family Requirements for Digital Nomads

The Digital Nomad Visa also includes visas for family members. So, it is possible to bring your family to Japan by obtaining this visa.

For clarification, “family” refers to the spouse and children of the global nomad worker.

The requirements for a nomad worker's family to obtain a visa are as follows:

• The family member is a foreign national from a country that is visa-exempt.
• The family member is financially supported by the nomad worker.
• The family member is enrollment in a health insurance program.

Please note that family members need to apply for their visas separately.

How to Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa

There are two ways to apply for a Digital Nomad Visa.

Applying from Outside Japan

You can enter Japan by applying for a specific visa, the Digital Nomad Visa, at the Japanese embassy in your country and then enter Japan after obtaining the visa.

In this case, it takes a considerable amount of time because the Japanese embassy sends the documents to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which then examines the visa-related documents and subsequently returns them to the Japanese embassy via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In fact, it is not a very practical method.

Applying after Entering Japan on a Short-term Stay Visa

Since this visa is for people from visa-exempt countries, you can enter Japan on a short-term stay visa and apply for the Certificate of Eligibility. If you are granted permission and receive a Certificate of Eligibility during your period of stay, you can then apply to change your status from a “short-term stay” to “special activity (digital nomad)” visa.

In this case, the application should be made to the Immigration Bureau that has jurisdiction over the area where you are staying in Japan. As there are many applications in Tokyo and Osaka, it may take longer to be approved than in other areas. Also, from January to April, applications for employment and study abroad tend to be concentrated due to graduation, so it may take longer to process applications during this period.
Please keep in mind that if your application is not approved during your short-term stay, you will have to leave the country. In this case, too, if you ask a Gyoseishoshi lawyer (a kind of legal professional that specializes in immigration cases) to handle your case, he or she will receive the Certificate of Eligibility and send it to you.

Kobe Legal Partners also has significant experience in preparing and advising about Digital Nomad Visas. Don’t hesitate to be in touch to see how we can help!