Workers

Foreigners, who wish to work in Japan, need to get a work visa from a Japanese embassy or consulate outside of Japan in order to enter the country on a status of residence permitting work.

There are over a dozen such statuses of residence, each allowing the holder to work only in a specific professional field, for example, journalism, arts, research, education, engineering, entertainment, business management, international services, etc.

If you change jobs while you are in Japan and your new job falls into a different professional field (e.g. from education to engineering), you will need to change your status of residence.

A university degree or considerable professional experience in the applicable field is required to qualify for a working visa. Most types of working visas also require you to have a prospective employer as a sponsor. Residence permission is usually granted in periods of one or three years and is extendable.

Students

Foreigners, who wish to study in Japan (except for short term studies at language schools), need to get a student visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate outside of Japan in order to enter the country on a status of residence that permits long term studies.

There are a few such statuses of residence, differing on the type of study, e.g. pre-college, college or cultural activities. Sponsorship from an educational institution in Japan and proof of sufficient funds to cover all your expenses during your stay are required to qualify for a student visa. Residence permission is granted in periods of six months, one year or two years and is extendable.

Students are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get permission from their school and the immigration office. Even then, students may work only a set maximum number of hours per week.

Spouses and Dependents

Foreigners, who are married to a Japanese national or permanent resident of Japan (see below), can obtain a spouse visa, which allows them to engage in any paid activity in Japan. Residence permission is granted in periods of one or three years and is extendable.

Spouses of foreigners, who are currently staying in Japan under a status of residence permitting work, can apply for a dependent visa. Residence permission is granted in periods of between three months and three years and is extendable.

Dependents are not allowed to engage in any paid activities, unless they get permission from the immigration office. Even then, dependents may work only a set maximum number of hours per week.

Working Holidays

This is a special visa type for citizens of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom between the ages of 18 and 30. Consult the working holiday visa page for more details.

A visitor requiring entry into Japan must be in possession of a full, valid passport. Identity cards are not accepted for entry into Japan. Children’s identity cards from some countries are  accepted without a photograph up to age 9, and with a photograph from ages 10-16. A passport with the details of accompanying children is sufficient for entry into Japan if the children are accompanied by the parent. An initial ninety-day permission to stay is granted on entry.

Citizens of EU member states, as well as their dependent family, who wish to engage in paid employment, study or professional training or otherwise reside in Japan for more than 180 days, are required to obtain a visa from the Japanese mission (embassy or consulate) in their country of residence before landing in Japan. The actual permission to enter (the “Landing Permit”) is granted at the point of entry on the basis of the visa contained in the passport, and at the same time the status and duration of the residence appropriate to its purpose is established. The visa obtained at the overseas Japanese mission thus has the character of a border recommendation to the immigration official at the airport, and is granted after the overseas mission has clarified with the Japanese interior authorities what status (e.g. “engineer”) can be applied, and that all conditions for the granting of the visa have been satisfied. In normal cases the Landing Permit is granted at the airport on the same conditions as set out in the visa. However, immigration officials can refuse to grant permission to enter if they discover an irregularity in the visa, although this is a rare exception.

The time required for the mission to issue the visa can be shortened if the applicant submits a “Certificate of Eligibility.” This can be obtained from the local Regional Immigration Bureau in Japan by the office or company where the applicant is expected to be employed.

Within 90 days of entering Japan the overseas resident is required to register at the local ward office or city hall and obtain an alien registration card. Children born to non-Japanese parents residing in Japan must also be registered within 60 days of birth. Changes that require registration (such as status, address, passport number, and others) are to be notified within 14 days of their occurrence.

We strongly recommend that overseas residents of Japan apply for and obtain a re-entry permit from their Regional Immigration Bureau prior to leaving Japan for any purpose or period, if they intend to return to Japan. This is because the Landing Permit expires on the first exit from Japan, irrespective of its stated duration. Consequently, one’s residence status would be lost and it would be necessary to apply for a new visa for the return to Japan. The re-entry permit is valid for single journeys or, for those expecting to make several journeys, multiple journeys within a validity period of up to three years. A higher fee is charged for the multiple re-entry permit.

If the foreign resident intends to engage in additional activity (e.g. language classes) or an activity that does not correspond to the resident status granted, the resident should submit a request to the immigration authorities. A change of status can not be accomplished in many cases without leaving and re-entering the country.

The working holiday is a special case made to allow young German nationals a one-year vacation residence with the possibility of work to provide a supplementary income. It is necessary to obtain the working-holiday visa from the Japanese mission overseas prior to landing in Japan. Further details can be obtained from the Japanese Embassy in Berlin or the Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers (Homepage: www.jawhm.or.jp)

Personnel or family members of personnel dispatched by (German) official organizations who hold a diplomatic passport do not require a visa before landing and are not required to register their residence with their ward office or city hall. This exception, however, does not apply to overseas nationals being seconded by German institutions to a Japanese facility (for example lecturers at Japanese universities).