Thailand nationals face 30 million yen capital rule for Japan Business Manager visas

What Japan is changing for long-term residents

Japan's Immigration Services Agency has begun phasing in tighter rules for long-term visa holders, with stricter renewal checks, expanded grounds to revoke status and sharply higher fees moving through the Diet. Business Manager and Highly Skilled Professional business-type visa changes took effect Oct. 16, 2025, with existing holders given until Oct. 16, 2028 to meet the new thresholds.

The Business Manager route now requires ¥30 million in capital, at least one full-time local employee with Japanese or qualifying long-term status and Japanese language ability around JLPT N2 for the applicant or an employee. Extended absences from Japan can be read as business inactivity and trigger renewal denials.

A Cabinet-approved bill also raises fee caps to ¥300,000 for permanent residency applications and ¥100,000 for extensions, alongside the JESTA pre-entry screening system targeted for fiscal 2028.

Who feels it, including Thailand travelers

Permanent residents face annual status reviews tied to tax, pension and insurance records, with revocation grounds for serious non-payment set to operate from April 2027. Naturalization residence requirements tighten from five to 10 years of continuous residence starting April 2026 and PR applicants will need to hold a five-year visa to apply from April 2027.

Thai passport holders and other short-stay visitors who need a visa face a proposed jump in single-entry fees from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000. Once JESTA goes live, designated nationalities will also submit pre-travel data on identity, purpose and planned locations.

Japan still has no dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers leaning on short-stay or business statuses face higher fees and tighter documentation, making informal setups riskier.

What to do before the deadlines

Business Manager and HSP-BM holders have until Oct. 16, 2028 to document local hires, capital and language compliance. Anyone targeting permanent residency should pull tax, pension and health insurance records now and confirm no gaps, because every application will be cross-checked.

Travelers booking Japan trips from Thailand should price in the higher single-entry fee landing within fiscal 2026 and watch for JESTA registration requirements ahead of fiscal 2028 trips.

Read our full Thailand guide for the complete picture and follow ongoing visa updates as the Diet finalizes the fee schedule.