Japan's digital nomad visa: what work it permits

Before accepting a project during your stay, check who you're working for, where their office or the customer is, and whether you could do the job without entering Japan.

A payment in dollars doesn't make a Japanese assignment eligible, and payment in yen doesn't by itself make overseas remote work ineligible.

Check what work the rules allow

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Japanese guidance describes two kinds of activity under the digital nomad route. In plain English, they are:

• Working online from Japan for an overseas office, under an employment contract with an organisation established outside Japan.
• Using online tools to provide paid services or sell goods to people outside Japan. This does not cover work that you must enter Japan to do.

Compare these rules with your contract and the work you plan to do. Calling a job remote does not automatically mean it is allowed. The Immigration Services Agency's English overview also states that work based on an employment contract or similar arrangement with a Japanese public or private organisation is not permitted under this status.

Apply the rule to a real assignment

Consider two illustrative proposals from an overseas customer. One asks you to edit existing photographs on your laptop and deliver the files online. The other asks you to travel around Tokyo taking photographs at specified locations.

Editing existing files online resembles the permitted remote-service activity. Taking the photographs in Tokyo may fall outside the permitted activities because you have to be in Japan to do that work, even though the customer is overseas. Get advice on the actual contract before accepting that assignment.

If your employer has offices in several countries, check which company is named on your employment contract and which office you will work for. Explain any changes to your duties while you are in Japan. The company abroad and the company it owns in Japan may be separate employers.

Before taking on an assignment that doesn't clearly fit, send the contract and a plain explanation of the tasks to the Immigration Services Agency or a qualified immigration professional. Include any meetings, site work, local clients or Japanese organisation involved.

Keep eligibility separate from permission to work

The official application page requires evidence of the applicant's annual income of at least ¥10 million and qualifying insurance, as well as the other application documents. It directs applicants to the official list of eligible countries and regions. Check the current list for your nationality rather than relying on a count copied from an older article.

Meeting the annual income requirement does not give you permission to take an unrelated local job during your stay.

The eligibility guide explains the income, insurance and document requirements. Keep a copy of the duties you described in your application, especially if your work later changes.

The stay has its own limit

MOFA lists a six-month period with no extension under this route. The ISA overview also limits time under digital nomad status to six months within a year. Don't assume a new calendar year or a short trip abroad resets that allowance.

Use the permission and dates actually granted to you when making housing plans. If you expect to leave and return during the stay, ask ISA about the re-entry procedure and how the period will be counted before booking travel. An apartment extension or a new work contract doesn't extend immigration permission.

If your plans become longer term, read the guide to considering another status. Check how to apply for another status and when you must leave Japan before deciding whether to extend your apartment booking.

Check work permission for each family member

The official Japanese guidance says an accompanying spouse or child can live in Japan while the digital nomad supports them financially. That family status does not give them the digital nomad's permission to work remotely. If a spouse plans to keep working, they need to check their own permission.

Tell the consulate or ISA if both adults intend to work, and ask how each should apply. Also explain if family members will arrive on different dates, live apart, or leave Japan at different times. Ask how that affects each person's permission to stay.

The spouse and children guide explains the family documents to prepare and how to arrange schooling and insurance.

What to send when asking about a job

When asking about an assignment, include the employer or customer, the tasks and where you will do them:

I hold, or plan to apply for, digital nomad status. My employer or client is [name and country], and the office or customer receiving my work is in [location]. My tasks will be [description], delivered by [method]. The part I'm unsure about is [local meeting, site work, new client or other issue]. Does this activity fit my status, and what documents should I provide for you to assess it?

Keep the answer with your application or permission documents. If the job changes, check that the new tasks are allowed before starting them. You’ll also need your employer’s approval to work abroad, suitable insurance and advice on any tax obligations.