---
title: "Japan digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/japan
description: "Japan's digital nomad status lets nationals of 49 countries and two regions with both a visa waiver and a tax treaty stay for one six-month period while…"
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Japan digital nomad visa 2026: requirements and cost

Japan's digital nomad status lets nationals of 49 countries and two regions with both a visa waiver and a tax treaty stay for one six-month period while working remotely for employers or clients outside Japan. You need annual income of at least ¥10 million (about US$5,285 a month) and private medical insurance, and you apply at a Japanese consulate; the stay cannot be extended.

Digital nomad visa. Official name: Designated Activities (for Digital Nomad), Notification No. 53 (特定活動（デジタルノマド）). Facts updated 2026-10-04. Not yet reviewed by a person.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Who can apply | 51 listed nationalities |
| Minimum income | $5,285/month (¥10,000,000 a year at the time of application) |
| Fee | Standard single-entry visa fee, paid in local currency at the consulate |
| Processing time | not stated |
| Initial stay | 6 months, not renewable |
| Renewable | no |
| Leads to permanent residence | no |
| Where to apply | At a consulate: The Japanese embassy or consulate for the country where you live. Because no one in Japan can act as your agent, a Certificate of Eligibility is not normally available and the consulate forwards your file for review. |

## Who can apply

Nationals or citizens of the 49 countries and two regions (Hong Kong and Taiwan) on the Immigration Services Agency chart, which are covered by Japan's temporary-visitor visa exemption and by a tax convention with Japan. You must do international remote work: either employed by a company established under foreign law and working for its overseas office, or selling services or goods to people outside Japan using IT. Work for Japanese companies or individuals is not allowed.

Eligible passports: AU, AT, BE, BR, BN, BG, CA, CL, HR, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HK, HU, IS, ID, IE, IL, IT, LV, LT, LU, MY, MX, NL, NZ, NO, PE, PL, PT, QA, KR, RO, RS, SG, SK, SI, ES, SE, CH, TW, TH, TR, AE, GB, US, UY.

## What you need

- Visa application form and the Immigration Services Agency application form (the 'for organization' parts are not needed)
- One photograph meeting the ISA photo standards
- Passport from a listed country or region
- Materials explaining your activity schedule during the stay (ISA reference format, or detail in the form)
- Tax certificate or income certificate issued in the country where you worked, proving annual income of at least ¥10 million
- Documents proving your current work status (employment contract, certificate of employment, client contracts)
- Explanation of coverage under private medical insurance (ISA reference format)
- Copy of the private medical insurance certificate and terms, covering death, injury and illness with at least ¥10 million for treatment (credit-card insurance is accepted if it proves the coverage)
- Japanese translations of any documents in another language

Income proof: Annual income of at least ¥10 million as stated by the Immigration Services Agency; the monthly figure is ¥10 million divided by 12 and converted at the ECB reference rates of 2026-10-02 (JPY 176.99 and US$1.1225 per euro). The most recent year's income is assessed; an expected ¥10 million from a current-year raise or new job can qualify, sole proprietors are judged on profit after expenses, and several stable income streams can be combined.

Fee: The Immigration Services Agency pages do not state a fee; the visa is charged at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ordinary single-entry visa rate, which MOFA revised on 1 July 2026 and which some nationalities are exempt from. The MOFA and consulate fee pages could not be reached during this research, so confirm the current amount with your consulate.

Processing: Not stated by the Immigration Services Agency. Applications without a Certificate of Eligibility are referred by the consulate to Japan for review, and consulates publish their own indicative times, so allow several weeks and apply well before your planned entry.

## How to apply

At a consulate. The Japanese embassy or consulate for the country where you live. Because no one in Japan can act as your agent, a Certificate of Eligibility is not normally available and the consulate forwards your file for review.

1. Check that your passport is on the digital nomad nationality chart and that your work is for an employer or clients outside Japan.
2. Gather a tax or income certificate from the country where you worked proving at least ¥10 million a year, plus your employment contract or certificate of employment.
3. Buy private medical insurance for the whole stay covering death, injury and illness with at least ¥10 million for medical treatment, and complete the ISA 'explanation of coverage' form.
4. Complete the visa application form and the ISA application form, attach a photo and a description of your activity schedule in Japan, and submit everything to the consulate with the fee.
5. Receive the single-entry visa, enter Japan within its validity and stay up to six months; a residence card is not issued.

## After you arrive

Stay and renewal: Six months, with no extension. After using the full six months you must leave Japan and wait six months before you can apply for the same status again. You may leave and re-enter within the six months with a re-entry permission.

Residence: Holders are not mid- to long-term residents, receive no residence card and are not registered as residents, so the stay does not count toward permanent residence, which normally requires 10 years in Japan on qualifying statuses.

Family: A spouse or child can accompany you under Designated Activities No. 54 for the same six months if they hold a passport from the broader spouse-and-child chart (70 countries and regions, visa exemption only) and have their own medical insurance with ¥10 million cover; they submit the marriage or birth certificate and a copy of your passport.

Taxes: Remuneration for work done in Japan is exempt from Japanese income tax when the tax convention conditions are met, typically a stay of 183 days or less in the tax year or any 12-month period and an employer that is not a Japanese resident. Exceeding 183 days or being paid by a Japanese employer removes the exemption; check the convention for your country.

## In practice

- You get no residence card, cannot register as a resident and cannot join national health insurance, so a Japanese bank account and some mobile contracts are hard to obtain; bring an international card and use travel SIMs or rental Wi-Fi.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices without Japan's Technical Conformity Mark may be used for only 90 days after entry; for longer, use a rented Japanese mobile router or a conforming device.
- The status cannot be renewed inside Japan and tourists cannot switch to it on arrival; apply at the consulate before travelling.
- Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka all have coworking spaces and strong transit; Fukuoka runs a city-backed start-up and nomad welcome programme.

## By passport

| Passports | Note |
| --- | --- |
| EU, EEA, CH | All EU member states except Cyprus and Malta are on the chart, as are Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. You can also enter visa-free for 90 days as a temporary visitor, but that stay cannot be converted into the digital nomad status. |
| US, GB, CA, AU, NZ | Eligible. Apply at the Japanese consulate for your place of residence; US consulates publish dedicated digital nomad checklists. |
| BR, MX, ID, MY, TH, TR, AE, KR, SG, TW, HK, IL, CL, PE, UY, QA, RS, BN | Eligible: these countries and regions are on the Immigration Services Agency chart for the digital nomad status. |
| All other passports | Not eligible. Nationals of countries without both a visa waiver and a tax treaty with Japan (for example India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Africa) need a work or highly skilled professional visa sponsored from Japan instead. |

## Cities in Japan

- [Beppu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/beppu): Steamy hot-spring town with thousands of springs and an international university
- [Fukuoka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/fukuoka): Japan's startup city, compact and coastal
- [Hakodate](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hakodate): Hokkaido's southern port with a famous night view and cheap seafood
- [Hiroshima](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hiroshima): Rebuilt city of peace, rivers and Miyajima island
- [Ishigaki](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ishigaki): Subtropical island base for diving and the Yaeyama archipelago
- [Kagoshima](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kagoshima): Southern city facing an active volcano across the bay
- [Kamakura](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kamakura): Temples, surf and an hour from Tokyo
- [Kanazawa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kanazawa): Edo-era streets and seafood on the Sea of Japan
- [Kobe](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kobe): Cosmopolitan port squeezed between mountains and sea
- [Kumamoto](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kumamoto): Castle city with Mount Aso behind it and a chip-factory boom
- [Kyoto](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kyoto): Temples, tea and a slower Japan
- [Matsuyama](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/matsuyama): Shikoku's largest city, built around one of Japan's oldest hot springs
- [Nagasaki](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nagasaki): Hilly port city with Dutch, Chinese and atomic-bomb history
- [Nagoya](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nagoya): Japan's industrial heart, between Tokyo and Osaka
- [Naha (Okinawa)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/naha): Japan's subtropical island capital
- [Nara](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nara): Deer park, giant Buddha and quiet evenings between Osaka and Kyoto
- [Niigata](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/niigata): Rice, sake and the Sea of Japan, 2 hours from Tokyo
- [Okayama](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/okayama): Sunny, flat shinkansen hub between Osaka and Hiroshima
- [Osaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/osaka): Japan's food capital with Tokyo's rail and lower rents
- [Sapporo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sapporo): Snow, ramen and Japan's most spacious city
- [Sendai](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sendai): Tohoku's leafy capital, 90 minutes from Tokyo
- [Tokyo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tokyo): The world's largest city, running like clockwork
- [Yokohama](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/yokohama): Japan's second city: a calmer, cheaper neighbour of Tokyo on the bay

## FAQ

### Who can apply for the Japan digital nomad visa?

Nationals or citizens of the 49 countries and two regions (Hong Kong and Taiwan) on the Immigration Services Agency chart, which are covered by Japan's temporary-visitor visa exemption and by a tax convention with Japan. You must do international remote work: either employed by a company established under foreign law and working for its overseas office, or selling services or goods to people outside Japan using IT. Work for Japanese companies or individuals is not allowed. Japan's digital nomad status lets nationals of 49 countries and two regions with both a visa waiver and a tax treaty stay for one six-month period while working remotely for employers or clients outside Japan. You need annual income of at least ¥10 million (about US$5,285 a month) and private medical insurance, and you apply at a Japanese consulate; the stay cannot be extended.

### How much income do you need for the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)?

About $5,285 per month (¥10,000,000 a year at the time of application). Annual income of at least ¥10 million as stated by the Immigration Services Agency; the monthly figure is ¥10 million divided by 12 and converted at the ECB reference rates of 2026-10-02 (JPY 176.99 and US$1.1225 per euro). The most recent year's income is assessed; an expected ¥10 million from a current-year raise or new job can qualify, sole proprietors are judged on profit after expenses, and several stable income streams can be combined.

### How much does the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is Standard single-entry visa fee, paid in local currency at the consulate; The Immigration Services Agency pages do not state a fee; the visa is charged at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ordinary single-entry visa rate, which MOFA revised on 1 July 2026 and which some nationalities are exempt from. The MOFA and consulate fee pages could not be reached during this research, so confirm the current amount with your consulate. Processing time: not stated. Not stated by the Immigration Services Agency. Applications without a Certificate of Eligibility are referred by the consulate to Japan for review, and consulates publish their own indicative times, so allow several weeks and apply well before your planned entry.

### How long can you stay in Japan on the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities), and can it be renewed?

6 months, not renewable. Six months, with no extension. After using the full six months you must leave Japan and wait six months before you can apply for the same status again. You may leave and re-enter within the six months with a re-entry permission.

### Does the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) lead to permanent residence in Japan?

Not by itself. Holders are not mid- to long-term residents, receive no residence card and are not registered as residents, so the stay does not count toward permanent residence, which normally requires 10 years in Japan on qualifying statuses.

### Can family members come with you on the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)?

A spouse or child can accompany you under Designated Activities No. 54 for the same six months if they hold a passport from the broader spouse-and-child chart (70 countries and regions, visa exemption only) and have their own medical insurance with ¥10 million cover; they submit the marriage or birth certificate and a copy of your passport.

### Do you pay tax in Japan on the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)?

Remuneration for work done in Japan is exempt from Japanese income tax when the tax convention conditions are met, typically a stay of 183 days or less in the tax year or any 12-month period and an employer that is not a Japanese resident. Exceeding 183 days or being paid by a Japanese employer removes the exemption; check the convention for your country.

### Where do you apply for the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)?

At a consulate: The Japanese embassy or consulate for the country where you live. Because no one in Japan can act as your agent, a Certificate of Eligibility is not normally available and the consulate forwards your file for review.

### Can I open a bank account or get a residence card on the Japan digital nomad visa?

No. The Immigration Services Agency does not issue a residence card for this status because holders are not mid- to long-term residents, and you cannot enrol in public health insurance. Most banks require a residence card, so plan to use foreign accounts and cards.

### Can I come back to Japan after my six months as a digital nomad?

Yes, but only after a gap. Once the six-month stay is used up you must leave and wait six months before applying for the digital nomad status again. Short visa-free tourist visits in between remain possible for listed nationalities.

## Sources

- [Status of Residence of 'Designated Activities' (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities53_00001.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice, retrieved 2026-10-04 (Permitted activities, six-month non-extendable stay, no residence card, ¥10 million income, ¥10 million insurance cover, required documents)
- [Target countries/regions for Designated Activities (for Digital Nomad) and (for spouse or child)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001416932.pdf), Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice, retrieved 2026-10-04 (Nationality chart: 49 countries and 2 regions for digital nomads, broader list for spouse or child)
- [Q&A on the status of residence 'Designated Activities' for digital nomad (July 2024)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001422249.pdf), Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice, retrieved 2026-10-04 (Six-month wait before re-applying, re-entry, tax treaty exemption, how the ¥10 million income is assessed, applying directly at the embassy when abroad, device rules)

Not yet reviewed by a person. Not legal advice; confirm with the issuing authority before you book.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/japan