Guidance written by Elias Verne · last reviewed 2026-07-07
Who is eligible
Two gates decide eligibility. First, income: you need a high annual figure (shown above, around ten million yen) earned from non-Japanese sources. Second, nationality: the visa is open only to citizens of designated countries that hold the relevant agreements with Japan. Check that your passport qualifies before anything else, because no income level overrides that list.
It fits well-paid remote professionals from eligible countries who want to base themselves in Japan for part of a year.
Six months, then you leave
The visa runs for six months and is non-renewable. It is explicitly a way to live in Japan for a season, not a step toward residence or a longer stay. Plan your exit from the day you arrive.
If your goal is a multi-year base or a path to permanent residence, this is the wrong tool; the European routes on this site are built for that and Japan's is not.
The tax upside of a short stay
Because the stay is capped at six months, you generally remain a non-tax-resident of Japan, so your foreign income is not taxed there under the visa. That clean tax position is part of what makes a Japanese season attractive.
This depends on staying under the residency threshold and on your own circumstances, so confirm your position rather than assume it.
Insurance, family, and the Asia comparison
You need private health insurance covering the full six months with substantial medical cover (around ten million yen), and a spouse or child may accompany you under the same category.
For a longer Asian base, compare Japan with Thailand's DTV, which is savings-based rather than income-based and runs for years rather than months; the two suit very different plans. See the Thailand fiche to weigh them.
The figures above are the sourced, dated record; this guide explains and compares them and is not legal or tax advice.