Japan Startup Visa

Japan's Startup Visa gives foreign founders time to prepare a business before they meet the Business Manager requirements. It runs under the Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion program of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI): a municipality or private organization approved by METI checks the business plan, then the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) grants a Designated Activities status for startup preparation.

Preparation can last up to 2 years in total. By then the business has to qualify for Business Manager status, which since Oct. 16, 2025 requires at least ¥30,000,000 in capital, one full-time employee and Japanese ability.

It suits founders with a concrete plan for a company in Japan and the means to reach that bar. Remote workers for employers abroad fit the digital nomad status better.

• Support organization: the business plan must be accepted by a Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Organization, a municipality or private organization approved by METI, which then issues a confirmation certificate.
• Experience or education: At least one year of business management experience, or a doctorate, master's or professional degree in business management or a field relevant to the planned business.
• Business goal: the preparation has to lead to the Business Manager requirements within the 2 years limit.

Each organization sets its own criteria and documents, so the local program matters as much as the national rules. The national pages set no income or savings figure for the startup stage.

Family members can join: the ISA publishes a separate document list for the family of foreign entrepreneurs.

The route needs two files, one for the support organization and one for immigration.

• For the organization: a business plan and the other documents it lists. Requirements vary by organization.
• For the ISA: the organization's confirmation certificate for startup preparation, proof of business management experience or a qualifying degree, and the standard application for a Certificate of Eligibility (from abroad) or a change of status (in Japan).
• For family members: the separate ISA document list for the family of foreign entrepreneurs.

The national pages list no fee specific to the Startup Visa. The support organization confirms any charges of its own, and the embassy or consulate confirms any visa charge.

Extensions inside Japan pay the standard immigration fee. Under the schedule for applications received from Oct. 1, 2026, an extension granted for one year costs ¥33,000 filed at the counter or ¥27,000 filed online, plus a separate transaction fee online. Shorter and longer grants have their own fees. Applications received by Sept. 30, 2026 pay the old flat fee even if they're decided later.

The step up to Business Manager status needs at least ¥30,000,000 in capital, which dwarfs the fees.

First to a METI-approved Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Organization (a municipality or private organization) with a business plan; with its confirmation certificate, then to the Immigration Services Agency for a Certificate of Eligibility (from abroad) or a change of status (in Japan).

1. Pick an approved organization for the city where the business will be prepared and submit the plan.
2. Receive the confirmation certificate once the organization accepts the plan.
3. Apply to the regional immigration services bureau: for a Certificate of Eligibility from abroad, or for a change of status of residence from inside Japan.
4. With a Certificate of Eligibility, apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate.
5. During the stay, keep preparing the business with the organization's support and apply for any extension well inside the two-year total.

No official processing time is published for either review.

Startup preparation can last up to 2 years in total. Extensions are possible within a cumulative two-year cap; the holder must then change to Business Manager status.

The national pages don't state the length of each grant, so the support organization and the immigration bureau set the review points. The ISA asks holders to apply early enough that the total never passes two years.

Next step: Change to Business Manager status once its requirements are met. Since Oct. 16, 2025, Business Manager requires at least 30 million yen in capital, one full-time employee, Japanese ability at about JLPT N2 held by the applicant or the employee, and a graduate degree or three years of management experience. Startup Visa holders whose confirmation certificate was issued before the revision are assessed under the old criteria.

The Startup Visa carries no tax regime of its own. Japan's general rules apply: the National Tax Agency (NTA) treats a person as a resident when they have a domicile in Japan or have lived there continuously for 1 year or more, and as a non-resident otherwise.

Non-residents are taxed on Japan-source income, which includes pay for work carried out in Japan. A founder who establishes a domicile in Japan falls under the resident rules, which the NTA publishes in English.