Asia program dossier

Japan Specified Visa: Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)

Japan's digital-nomad route is a specified visa under Designated Activities for eligible remote workers and accompanying spouse or child, with a six-month stay and no extension.

Core verified · Last verified 2026-06-301 official-source link1 manual checks

Decision guide

Quick verdict

Japan is a good fit if you want a short, clearly defined stay and can document annual income of at least JPY 10 million.

It is not a long-stay nomad base. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the period of stay as six months and says no extension will be granted.

Insurance is a real requirement: the official page asks for insurance against death, injury, or illness, with medical-treatment compensation of at least JPY 10 million.

Key takeaways

Best fit: high-income remote workers from eligible countries or regions who want up to six months in Japan.
Main hurdle: JPY 10 million annual income plus insurance coverage of at least JPY 10 million for medical treatment.
Family: spouse or child of a digital nomad has a listed document path.
Long-term limitation: no extension and no recorded PR path.

Who Japan is good for

Japan is best for high-income remote workers who want a defined, short stay rather than a broad long-term residence plan. The official MOFA page lists the period of stay as six months and says no extension will be granted.

It can also work for applicants who have clean income documentation and can buy or prove insurance with medical-treatment compensation of at least JPY 10 million.

Who should probably skip it

Skip Japan if your annual income is below JPY 10 million, if your insurance cannot meet the official compensation requirement, or if you need a route that can extend beyond six months.

Also skip it if your nationality or region is not on the eligible-country list referenced by the Immigration Services Agency. The MOFA page links eligibility to that separate list.

Income and insurance are the core checks

The official page asks for documents proving annual income of JPY 10 million or more. It gives examples such as tax payment certificate, income certificate, employment contract, or a business-partner contract that clearly states the contract period and amount.

Insurance is equally important. The official page asks for insurance against death, injury, or illness during the stay, with medical-treatment compensation for injury or illness of JPY 10 million or more.

Application route

Before preparing the packet, check the Immigration Services Agency eligible-country or region list and the Japanese embassy or consulate route for your jurisdiction. If you have a Certificate of Eligibility, some supporting documents may be omitted; otherwise prepare the planned-activities document, income proof, and insurance proof.

Requirement dashboard

What to verify first

Use these fields to decide whether this route is worth deeper application work before reading every document rule.

Income requirement$5,150 / mo

Source amount: JPY 10,000,000 / year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs page requires documents proving annual income of JPY 10 million or more. Monthly USD display is the annual amount divided by 12 and converted using the JPY/USD reference rate fetched on 2026-06-30 from Frankfurter.

Stay length6 months

Maximum recorded stay length for this program.

RenewalNo

The MOFA page lists a six-month period of stay and says no extension will be granted.

Processing time-

Processing time is not recorded from the official MOFA page in this database yet.

Tax treatmentNo special break

No special digital-nomad tax treatment is recorded here. Short-stay tax and residency consequences should be checked separately.

Path to PRNo

This program is not recorded as a direct permanent-residence route.

Check fit

Start with income, stay length, remote-work proof, insurance, and renewal uncertainty.

Prepare evidence

Map each requirement to documents before choosing a consulate or application channel.

Verify route

Open the official source and confirm fees, deadlines, forms, and location-specific rules.

Plan risk

Check tax treatment, dependents, renewal, and residence consequences separately.

Evidence ledger

Source-backed requirements snapshot

These are the facts Nomad can show from the current record. Pending values stay visible instead of being converted into fake precision.

Government fee: -; Government visa fee is not recorded from the official MOFA page in this database yet.
Application time: -
Remote work proof: Yes
Health insurance: Yes
Official source: Open official source
Secondary source: Pending
Additional source: Pending

Before applying

Manual checks this page cannot replace

Use this list to turn the source-backed facts into an application decision for your nationality, current residence, family situation, stay length, and tax setup.

Open the official source and confirm this page still matches the current government wording.
Confirm that the linked application route accepts applicants in your current location or nationality situation.
Confirm nationality, passport, and current-residence restrictions for the consulate or application channel you will use.
Check whether applying from inside the country changes required documents, address registration, or fees.
Verify government fees in the original currency and by application route.
Check dependent rules against the official source if family members are applying with you.

Open official source How verification works

Document readiness

Application readiness checklist

Use these groups as a preparation map. They are not a substitute for the current official form or consulate-specific instructions.

Core digital-nomad documents

Visa application form with photo.
Passport.
Certificate of Eligibility, if presented.
Document explaining planned activities and period of stay during the stay in Japan.

Income proof

Documents proving annual income of JPY 10 million or more.
The MOFA page lists examples including tax payment certificate, income certificate, employment contract, or contract with a business partner clearly stating contract period and amount.

Insurance proof

Documents proving insurance against death, injury, or illness during the stay in Japan.
Medical-treatment compensation for injury or illness must be JPY 10 million or more.
The MOFA page lists examples such as certificate of insurance coverage, policy summary, credit card copy, and supplementary compensation documents.

Planning notes

Decision notes before you start

These notes affect whether the route is worth pursuing, even when the headline requirement looks achievable.

Where to apply: Apply through the relevant Japanese embassy or consulate after checking eligible country or region rules and document requirements.

Source note. Verified against Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified visa page for Designated Activities (Digital Nomad, Spouse or Child of Digital Nomad) on 2026-06-30.

Common questions

Search answers for this route

These answers mirror the structured data and stay visible for readers.

What is the income requirement for Japan Specified Visa: Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)?

JPY 10,000,000 / year is recorded as the source requirement. Verify this against the official source before making a decision.

Is Japan Specified Visa: Designated Activities (Digital Nomad) renewable?

Renewable status: No. Verify renewal, extension, and fresh-application rules with the official source before planning a stay.

Official next step

Verify the route before acting

First confirm the official application route and document requirements described above. Then use the official application page.

Open official visa form

Informational only, not immigration advice. Verify with the official source. Last verified: 2026-06-30.