Japan digital nomad visa
Japan's digital nomad status lets high earners stay six months while working for employers or clients abroad. You need JPY 10 million a year, private health insurance, and a passport from a country on Japan's list: American, British and Singaporean passports are on it.
At a glance
- The visa
- Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)
- What you need
- About $5,260 a month (JPY 10,000,000 a year); in pounds, about £3,950 a month
- What counts as proof
- Your most recent annual income, shown by a tax or income certificate from the country where you worked, with proof of current work and insurance for the whole stay. Only listed nationalities can apply; British and American passports are on the list.
- Who can apply
- Employees of a company abroad: yes. Freelancers: yes (you are judged on profit after necessary overheads, not on what you invoice). Owners of a company abroad: unclear (neither the immigration page nor its Q&A mentions company owners. An owner employed by their own company abroad might fit, but nothing official confirms it).
- How long
- Six months, with no extension. Six months outside Japan before you apply again
- Without a visa
- British visitors: 90 days, and you can apply for 90 more. American: under 90 days as a visitor, with no paid work
- Passports
- Only passports that can visit without a visa may apply. British and American passports can.
The catch. Six months only, with no residence card and no public health insurance. Your passport must be on Japan's list, and freelancers must clear the bar in profit, not turnover.
See where you stand against Japan and every other country. Check your income
How to apply
- Most people apply direct to the Japanese embassy or consulate where they live. The San Francisco consulate takes applications by post or drop-off, with no interview.
- If someone in Japan can act for you, they can get a certificate of eligibility from immigration first.
- The visa is single entry and valid for three months, and consulates won't take applications more than three months before you leave.
- Your status is granted at the airport. There's no residence card.
Fees and timing
- Visa
- About JPY 15,000 for a single entry since 1 July 2026, paid in local currency. Americans pay nothing.
- How long it takes
- At least five working days at San Francisco.
The documents
The main items. Your consulate's own checklist is the one that counts, so check it before you start.
- Passport, signed form and a photo
- An activity plan
- A tax or income certificate showing JPY 10 million a year
- Proof of your current work
- Your insurance certificate and its terms
Health insurance
Private medical cover of at least JPY 10 million for the whole stay, covering death, injury and illness. You can't join Japan's public health insurance.
Nomad policies differ on cover limits, excess and whether they're accepted for a visa. Compare nomad health insurance
Family, renewing and tax
- Family
- A spouse or children can come as dependants, on the same six-month terms.
- Renewing
- No extension. After six months you must spend six months outside Japan before applying again.
- What it leads to
- Nowhere stated. Permanent residence is in principle ten years, citizenship ten in practice, both tightened in 2026
- Tax
- No day count: a base of life in Japan, or a year's continuous residence
Worth knowing
- 1 July 2026: visa fees rose about fivefold.
- Indian passports don't qualify: Japan requires a passport from a visa-exempt country with a tax treaty.