Japan Digital Nomad Visa Guide (2026)
Japan's digital nomad visa is a Specified visa for Designated Activities (Notification No. 53), not a settlement permit. The Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set the stay at six months with no extension. You must show individual annual income of at least JPY 10 million at the time of application, hold private medical insurance with at least JPY 10 million of injury and illness treatment cover, and hold nationality of a country or region on Japan's visa-exemption list that also has a tax convention with Japan. Japanese employment is not allowed. A residence card is not issued. After you leave, you must wait six months before you can use this status again.
This guide is for remote employees and foreign-based freelancers from eligible countries who want a lawful six-month Japan base. It is not for people who want a Tokyo job, a student visa, or a path to permanent residence.
The problem it solves is treating Japan's 90-day visa waiver as a remote-work residence plan. Repeat tourist landings after a Korea weekend are discretionary. This status is the official remote-work overlay for a single six-month stay.
You will get the legal name, income and insurance tests, who may apply, documents, a 2026 worked example, tax notes from ISA's own Q&A, and the mistakes that waste a consular appointment. Compare the category in what is a digital nomad visa. This is not a visa-application service.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Designated Activities (Digital Nomad), Notification No. 53 |
| Spouse or child | Designated Activities, Notification No. 54 |
| Period of stay | 6 months. No extension. |
| Reapply wait | 6 months after departure before the same status again |
| Income | Individual annual income of at least JPY 10 million at application |
| Insurance | Private cover for death, injury, and illness; treatment cover of JPY 10 million or more |
| Residence card | Not issued |
| Japanese employment | Not permitted |
| Eligible nationals | Visa-exemption countries or regions that also have a tax convention with Japan (ISA PDF list) |
| Official pages | ISA English, MOFA specified visa, JNTO summary |
What Japan's digital nomad visa actually is
Japan did not create a new Immigration Control Act status named "digital nomad." The Minister of Justice designated remote-work activities under the existing Designated Activities category.
Notification No. 53 covers the main applicant. Notification No. 54 covers an accompanying spouse or child. Both are limited to six months. Both are non-extendable. Both sit outside the mid- to long-term resident category, so you do not receive a residence card.
That design is the point. Japan wants a time-boxed remote-work stay, not a cheap substitute for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or Highly Skilled Professional status.
If you need Japan as a multi-year home, this visa is the wrong product. If you need six lawful months of remote work for a foreign employer, it is the official route.
Who it applies to
You must be a national or citizen of a country or region on the ISA chart. That chart is the overlap of two lists: visa exemption for Temporary Visitor, and a tax convention with Japan. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many EU states appear on that chart. Confirm your passport against the current PDF before you pay for translations.
Permitted activity is international remote work for a period not exceeding six months, in one of two forms:
- Employment with a corporation or other organization established under foreign law, using information and communication technology to do that organization's work at its foreign office.
- Paid services or sales of goods to persons located in a foreign country, using information and communication technology. Activities that cannot be provided without entering Japan are excluded.
ISA's July 2024 Q&A is blunt: employment or contractor work with a public or private organization in Japan, or an individual in Japan, is not permitted. Activities outside the granted status are not granted in principle.
A spouse or child on Notification No. 54 does not need the JPY 10 million income test. They still need the same nationality-list and insurance rules, plus proof of the family relationship.
EU free movement does not apply in Japan. A German or French passport still needs this status for a six-month remote-work stay, unless another Japanese status already covers you.
Income: JPY 10 million at the time of application
ISA requires individual annual income of at least JPY 10 million at the time of application. MOFA lists tax certificates, income certificates, employment contracts, or business-partner contracts that state the period and amount.
ISA Q&A (as of July 2024) explains how officers read that number:
- In principle, the most recent annual income must be JPY 10 million or more.
- A current-year salary increase that is expected to reach JPY 10 million can also be considered.
- A new hire paid JPY 10 million per year in the current fiscal year can also be considered.
- For a sole proprietor, the test is profit after necessary overhead, not the raw contract amount.
- Multiple stable contracts can be combined.
Do not invent a USD conversion in your file. Submit documents that prove yen-equivalent income at the level ISA states. Exchange rates move. The legal floor is yen.
Passive income that is not remote work is a poor fit. This status is for international remote work, not a pension or rental-only lifestyle.
Insurance: JPY 10 million of medical treatment cover
You must hold private medical travel insurance covering death, injury, and illness for the whole planned stay. Treatment compensation for injury and illness must be JPY 10 million or more.
ISA Q&A explains why: holders of this status are not mid- to long-term residents, so they cannot enroll in Japan's public medical insurance. Credit-card travel insurance is acceptable only if you can prove the same coverage items and amounts. Family members may use the main holder's family coverage if the policy actually covers them.
There is no published yen minimum for death benefit, but death cover must include transportation of the body or insurance payment in the event of death.
Short tourist travel insurance that expires in week two of a six-month stay will fail.
How the six-month clock works
The period of stay is six months. Renewal is not permitted.
After you use the maximum six months, you must wait six months from departure before you can reapply for the same status. A weekend in Seoul at month six does not mint a new six-month grant of this visa.
You may leave Japan during the six months and return before the expiry date if you hold the correct re-entry permission. That is travel during a valid status, not a reset.
You will not receive a residence card. Plan banking, phone contracts, and leases around that fact. Many Japanese services assume a residence card. Short-term rentals and serviced apartments are the practical housing path.
Worked example: Priya's 2026 Tokyo file
Priya, a UK software engineer, earns well above JPY 10 million from a London employer. On 3 February 2026 she books a consular appointment in London with a visa application form, passport, activity schedule, tax certificate, employment contract, and a six-month medical policy with JPY 10 million treatment cover. She does not apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from inside Japan, because ISA Q&A states there is no Japan-side agent for that CoE when the applicant is abroad. The visa is issued for Designated Activities (digital nomad). She lands at Haneda on 1 April 2026. Her permitted stay runs six months, so she must leave by 30 September 2026 unless another lawful status applies. A three-day Busan trip in late September does not add days. The earliest she can use this status again is six months after she leaves Japan.
Tourist waiver math for Americans is separate. See how long US citizens can stay in Japan.
Documents and application steps
Step 1. Confirm your nationality is on the ISA eligible-country PDF and that your work is foreign remote work, not a Japanese contract.
Step 2. Gather proof of JPY 10 million individual annual income, an activity schedule for the stay, and private medical insurance that meets the JPY 10 million treatment test for the full six months.
Step 3. If you are outside Japan, apply for the specified visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate that covers your residence, using the MOFA document list. ISA Q&A states you apply at the post abroad rather than using a Japan-side CoE agent.
Step 4. If a spouse or child will join, file Notification No. 54 documents: relationship proof, their insurance, and a copy of the main applicant's passport or status.
Step 5. After entry, photograph the landing permission date. Leave on or before that date. Do not assume an in-country extension exists for this status. It does not.
Foreign-language documents need a Japanese translation when you file with immigration in Japan. Consular posts follow their own language rules. Build time for apostilles where the post asks for them.
Tax: 183 days still matters
ISA Q&A on tax is the official caution, not a blog invention. Remuneration for digital-nomad activities in Japan may be eligible for exemption under a tax convention if you meet that convention's tests. Those tests often include staying in Japan 183 days or less during the taxable year or any consecutive 12-month period. Requirements vary by treaty.
You are not eligible for that exemption if you fail the convention tests. Examples ISA gives: staying more than 183 days, or salary paid by an employer who is a resident of Japan, or coming from a country with no tax convention with Japan. Eligible nationals for this visa already come from tax-convention countries, but the 183-day test still applies inside the treaty.
A six-month visa can still cross 183 days if you also spent earlier days in Japan in the same tax year as a tourist. Track both the visa end date and the tax-day total. See the 183-day rule explained.
This visa does not make Japanese tax disappear. It also does not stop home-country filing. US citizens still file US returns.
Common mistakes
Treating it as renewable residence. It is six months, no extension, then a six-month gap. That is not Spain's telework card.
Taking a Japanese client or employer. ISA forbids employment or contractor work with Japanese organizations or individuals.
Missing the insurance amount. "I have travel insurance" is not the same as JPY 10 million of medical treatment cover for the full stay.
Assuming a residence card will appear at the airport. It will not. This status is outside mid- to long-term residence.
Using a 90-day tourist landing instead. The waiver is for short-term visits, not a published remote-work residence track. Officers already watch near-max tourist stays plus short exits.
Ignoring the eligible-country PDF. A high income does not help if your nationality is not on the chart.
Forgetting the 183-day tax overlay. Immigration status and tax residence are different clocks.
How to track Japan nomad days without a spreadsheet
The six-month end date and the 183-day tax count are easy to mix once you add a tourist trip earlier in the year. Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) counts days across countries automatically and sends overstay alerts at 7, 3, and 1 day. Passport details stay on your device. Only travel dates and countries sync. Available on iOS.
Staywise does not file Japanese visas, Certificates of Eligibility, or consular packets. It tracks the clocks. Free trial, then annual subscription. See App Store for current pricing.
For tool comparisons, see Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026) and How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries.
Download Staywise on the App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Japan's digital nomad visa last?
Six months. The Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both state that no extension will be granted. After you use the six-month maximum, you must wait six months from the date you leave Japan before you can stay again under the same Designated Activities (digital nomad) status. A short trip to Korea or Taiwan during the six months does not add time. Leave on or before the date in your landing permission.
What income do I need for Japan's digital nomad visa?
You must show individual annual income of at least JPY 10 million at the time of application. ISA Q&A allows a current-year raise or a new JPY 10 million salary to be considered, and sole-proprietor profit after overhead rather than gross contract value. Multiple stable contracts can be combined. Submit tax or income certificates and contracts. Do not treat a one-time bank deposit as a substitute for the income test.
Can I work for a Japanese company on this visa?
No. ISA Q&A states you may not work with a Japanese company or individual under an employment contract or a contractor agreement. Permitted work is remote work for a foreign organization or paid remote services to persons located abroad. Taking a Tokyo payroll job, or billing a Japanese client who needs you on the ground in Japan, is outside the status. Use a proper work status if Japan is the employer.
Do digital nomads get a Japanese residence card?
No. Residence cards go to mid- to long-term residents. ISA states that Designated Activities for digital nomads do not fall in that category, so you will not receive a residence card. That affects how you open some bank accounts, sign some leases, and enroll in public health insurance (you cannot). Carry your passport and landing permission, and keep private medical insurance in force for the whole stay.
Does the Japan digital nomad visa make me a tax resident?
Not automatically, but the 183-day line still matters. ISA Q&A says remuneration may be eligible for tax-convention exemption if you meet that convention, which in most cases includes staying 183 days or less in Japan in the taxable year or any consecutive 12-month period. Crossing 183 days, or being paid by a Japan-resident employer, can take you out of that exemption. Confirm with a tax professional and the Ministry of Finance treaty list.
Related guides
- What is a digital nomad visa?
- How long can US citizens stay in Japan
- The 183-day rule explained
- Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026)
- How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries
About Staywise
Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.
Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.