Japan's digital nomad visa: eligibility and documents

Japan's digital nomad visa requires annual income of at least JPY 10 million, an eligible nationality, qualifying remote work and private insurance that meets the application requirements. Check these before paying for accommodation, then use the document list from the Japanese embassy or consulate handling your application.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs checklist is the main reference for the application documents. The Immigration Services Agency's digital nomad page explains the activities and links to further guidance. Use their current lists to check your nationality and the documents you need.

Check the income evidence

MOFA requires evidence of annual income of at least JPY 10 million. It gives examples including a tax payment certificate, income certificate, employment contract or a contract with a business partner that states the period and amount.

If you're employed, check that your name, employer, pay and contract period are consistent across them. If you work through several client contracts, explain how the documents relate to one another. Show which income comes from each contract.

If your income is in another currency, or your income changes from year to year, ask the consulate which documents it needs to confirm your annual income. Follow any additional checklist from your application office.

Keep the visa's income requirement separate from a housing company's proof-of-funds request. They are different applications. A rental company's acceptance isn't evidence that the visa requirements have been met.

If your income comes from several contracts

For a hypothetical freelancer, three annual client contracts might show ¥6 million, ¥3 million and ¥1.5 million: ¥10.5 million in total, or ¥500,000 above the published threshold. But if the ¥1.5 million is an unsigned proposal, the signed contracts show only ¥9 million, which is ¥1 million below it. If you count income that isn't confirmed, you might pay for an apartment before you can show you meet the visa's income requirement.

MOFA names business contracts showing their period and amount among its evidence examples. List each contract's period and amount, and ask the consulate how it will assess them if the periods differ or payments are uncertain. Adding up to the threshold does not guarantee that the evidence will be accepted. While the evidence is unresolved, compare what you would lose on a non-refundable apartment booking with a changeable option.

Use the nationality list for this status

Open the eligible-country or region list linked from MOFA and check the passport you intend to use. Don't infer eligibility just because your country has a tax agreement with Japan or appears on a general short-stay visa exemption list.

If you hold more than one nationality, use consistent passport details throughout your enquiry and application. If family members will accompany you, check their position separately rather than assuming your eligibility covers everyone.

Read the insurance certificate, not just the product name

MOFA requires evidence of insurance against death, injury or illness during the stay, with at least JPY 10 million in compensation for medical treatment for injury or illness. Its examples of evidence include a coverage certificate and policy summary, or documents showing relevant supplementary credit-card coverage.

Ask the insurer for documents showing who is insured, the dates and countries covered, and how much it will pay. If the certificate is brief, obtain the policy summary as well. Check that the policy covers your full stay, and read the list of illnesses, treatments or situations it does not cover.

You may also want assistance, evacuation or other benefits beyond the required cover. If the policy wording is unclear, ask the insurer what it covers and the consulate what evidence it needs. Our insurance guide explains what to look for.

Describe the work you will actually do

Compare ISA's rules with the work you plan to do: who you work for, what you do and who your customers are.

If a Japanese client, a Japanese company in your employer's group, local paid work or another unusual arrangement is involved, ask immigration or the consulate how the rule applies before relying on it. Being paid abroad or in a foreign currency does not by itself tell you whether the work is allowed.

In your planned-activities document, name your employer or describe your business and explain the work you will do. “Remote work” alone leaves out those details. The permitted-activities guide looks more closely at this boundary.

Apply separately for accompanying family where needed

MOFA has separate document lists for the digital nomad and for a spouse or child travelling with them. The family list asks for proof of the relationship, insurance documents and a copy of the digital nomad's passport, among other items.

If you are unsure which family application fits your circumstances, ask the embassy or consulate before submitting it. An unmarried partner should check which route is available rather than assume they can apply as a spouse. Compare each traveller's requirements before making a joint non-refundable booking. See also the spouse and children guide.

Stay length and application timing

MOFA states a six-month period of stay with no extension. ISA also says a residence card will not be issued under this status. Those details affect housing applications that ask for a card and plans that depend on staying longer.

Ask your consulate about its current application process and timing. If you use a Certificate of Eligibility, this is a document issued by a regional immigration bureau to help with the visa and arrival checks. MOFA says you still need separate visa approval; having the certificate does not guarantee it. Choose changeable travel and accommodation terms while your application is unresolved, and keep the documents and written replies in one folder so you can answer any follow-up request promptly.