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Japan · digital nomad visa · 2026

Japan's digital nomad visa

6months
Designated ActivitiesOpen · checked 2026-08-18 · moj.go.jp

Japan runs the Designated Activities (Notification No. 53) — Digital Nomad, an initial 6 months for remote workers earning 10,000,000 JPY a year.

Next step

One email when the app can count this stay for you.

How we know

Every figure here is as moj.go.jp publishes it, checked 18 August 2026. Where a number is our own arithmetic rather than a printed figure, the row says so.

Status
Open
Visa
Designated Activities (Notification No. 53) — Digital Nomad
Initial stay
6 months
Renewal
Not renewable. The Immigration Services Agency states the period of stay as "６月（更新不可）" — six months, extension not possible. After leaving Japan, a further application becomes possible six months later.
Income required
10,000,000 JPY a year — "申請の時点で、申請人個人の年収が１,０００万円以上であること" — at the time of application the applicant's personal annual income must be at least 10,000,000 yen.
Who qualifies
For foreign nationals staying in Japan for the purpose of international remote work. Requires private medical insurance covering death, injury and illness ("死亡、負傷及び疾病に係る海外旅行傷害保険等の医療保険に加入していること") with treatment cover of at least 10,000,000 yen. Nationality is restricted to the countries and regions on the Agency's published list (別添 対象国・地域一覧): 51 countries and regions qualify for the digital nomad status itself.
Family
A spouse and children may accompany the holder under Designated Activities Notification No. 54, for the same maximum six months and subject to the same insurance requirement, with no separate income test. The accompanying-family list is broader than the principal's: 73 countries and regions.
Where to apply
Applications are made through the Immigration Services Agency's Certificate of Eligibility route or at a Japanese embassy or consulate. The Agency publishes both the country list and a Q&A document alongside the application forms.
Official page
moj.go.jp
Checked
18 August 2026

Sources are listed further down the page.

What to know before you apply

This is the route launched in March 2024 and it remains six months and non-renewable as of today's check — the Immigration Services Agency page still states "６月（更新不可）", so reports that the duration was extended are not reflected in the official guidance. The eligible-country annex we fetched today lists 51 countries and regions for Notification No. 53 (the nomad status) and 73 for Notification No. 54 (accompanying spouse and children), so the two lists are genuinely different and the commonly quoted single number is misleading. Fee and tax fields are null because MOFA's visa pages (mofa.go.jp and the emb-japan.go.jp embassy domains) returned HTTP 403 to every request from our environment and no official fee figure could be read.

What it means for your tax days

Not stated on the page fetched. Nationality eligibility is tied to Japan having both a tax treaty (or equivalent agreement) and a visa exemption arrangement with the applicant's country, but the Immigration Services Agency page does not set out the tax consequences of the stay, so none are asserted here. A visa is permission to stay; tax residency follows the days you actually spend. Check Japan's tax authority for the day test that applies to you — and count the days either way.

Sources

  • moj.go.jp — official source, checked 2026-08-18
  • moj.go.jp (official), retrieved 2026-08-18
  • moj.go.jp (official), retrieved 2026-08-18

Questions people ask about Japan

Does Japan have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Japan runs the Designated Activities (Notification No. 53) — Digital Nomad, which grants an initial stay of 6 months (not renewable. the immigration services agency states the period of stay as "６月（更新不可）" — six months, extension not possible. after leaving japan, a further application becomes possible six months later.). Checked 18 August 2026 against moj.go.jp.

How much do you need to earn for the Japan digital nomad visa?

10,000,000 JPY a year — "申請の時点で、申請人個人の年収が１,０００万円以上であること" — at the time of application the applicant's personal annual income must be at least 10,000,000 yen.. That is the figure as published; check the official page for the current amount before you apply.

How long can you stay on the Japan digital nomad visa?

6 months on the initial permission; not renewable. the immigration services agency states the period of stay as "６月（更新不可）" — six months, extension not possible. after leaving japan, a further application becomes possible six months later.. Stretch counts the days either way and tells you the date you must be out.

Does a digital nomad visa in Japan make you tax resident?

Not stated on the page fetched. Nationality eligibility is tied to Japan having both a tax treaty (or equivalent agreement) and a visa exemption arrangement with the applicant's country, but the Immigration Services Agency page does not set out the tax consequences of the stay, so none are asserted here.

How does Stretch help with the Japan digital nomad visa?

Log the day you land and Stretch counts the days against the permission you are on, shows the date you must be out, and reminds you at 14, 7, 3 and 1 days. It also tallies the days that count towards tax residency, so the 183-day question answers itself. The counting and the alerts are free, forever.

Other digital nomad visas

Japan, the rest of it

Stretch is a tracker, not legal advice, and this is not tax advice. Visa and tax rules change and are applied by the authority, not by an app — every figure here shows its source and the date we checked it. Checked 2026-08-18; confirm on the official page before you apply or file.