How to get a Work Permit and Visa for Japan

Residency Permits: Temporary and Permanent

Knowing how to apply for a temporary or permanent residence visa in Japan first depends on how long you intend to stay. For short-term stays for tourism or business purposes, nationals of certain countries can enter Japan visa-free for anywhere between 15 to 90 days. You can find this complete list of countries on Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The requirements and fees for a temporary resident permit vary depending on your nationality. For all nationalities, you will at least need to show your passport, arrival card, and customs declaration form (given to you in the plane; read more below) upon arrival into Japan. Many nationals from around the globe can arrive temporarily without paying a fee but check with your consulate to be sure. If you have to pay a fee, it should only be between 1,000 to 2,000 JPY (10–20 USD). For most expats, your application for a temporary residence permit will be made at the airport upon your arrival.

For some nationalities, it is possible to renew your short-term stay for an extra 90 days by either applying at a local government office or leaving Japan and immediately returning. However, for most expats wishing to live and work in Japan for longer than three months, you will need a long-term visa.

How to Obtain Residency in Japan

If you want to know how to get permanent residency in Japan, you will need to start by obtaining a long-term residency visa. To do this, you must start the application process before arriving in Japan. If you enter Japan on a tourist visa and take up employment, you will still need to leave the country and start the application from abroad. You cannot change a tourist visa to a long-term or working visa. However, once you have a long-term visa, it is possible to change or alter its status.

Step One: Certificate of Eligibility

If you have a job offer or are moving to Japan to study, your sponsor should take care of applying for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for you. This document serves as a preliminary screening process that says you are legally allowed to enter Japan. If you do not have a job offer nor are being sponsored by a school, it is still possible to obtain a COE. Take a look at the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s website to see what category you may fall into and the documents required to apply for the COE.

Step Two: Residence Card

Unless you have a lot of time on your hands and want to set sail across the seas, you will arrive in Japan by plane (it is an island after all). On the plane, you will receive a landing card and a customs declaration form. If you do not, be sure to ask for one because these will be needed when going through customs.

These forms are standard. You will be asked to list:

your contact information;
passport number;
origin of departure and final destination;
address where you will be staying in Japan;
intended length of stay;
purpose of stay;
any declared goods.

If you do not know the address of where you are staying, you can just list the city or the name of your hotel.

If you are arriving at one of Japan’s major airports, such as Narita, Haneda, Chubu, or Kansai, you will need to join a line that is separate from everyone else queueing for a visa on arrival. It is best to show your COE/entry visa to an airport staff member and have them direct you to the correct area. You will have your fingerprints and photograph taken, and then you will wait for your laminated residence card to be made right there in the airport.

Keep in mind, everyone entering Japan has their fingerprints and photograph taken for security purposes. If you do not receive a laminated card, that means you did not receive your residence card.

In Japan, a residence card is called a zairyu card (在留カード).

Step Three: Register Your Residence

Once you have arrived in Japan, you will have two weeks to register your residence with the local city hall. You will need to do this in the same municipality in which you live, so finding a place to live immediately upon arrival is imperative. However, it is also possible to change your address on your residence card when you move, so registering with a temporary residence is also an option.

When you register, you will do so with the residence card you received at the airport and your passport. The process should take less than an hour.

Once you have completed these steps, you should be issued your long-term visa. For nearly every expat, this visa will need to be tied to a form of employment or as a dependent/family member of a Japanese resident. The length of stay will depend on the visa type, but most will be for somewhere between one to five years.

Long-Term Visa Fee

Your visa fee will depend on whether you want a single- or multiple-entry visa. Single-entry visas will cost 3,000 JPY (30 USD). Multiple-entry will be 6,000 JPY (60 USD).

How to Obtain Permanent Residency in Japan

In recent years, Japan has somewhat loosened its requirements for permanent residency. It used to be that foreigners could only apply for permanent residency status after ten years of continuous living in Japan. Now, expats can apply for permanent residence status as early as one to five years if they meet certain requirements.

These requirements are based on a point system. When completing an application for permanent residence in Japan, you will fill out a form that will score you based on several factors: your profession, years working in your profession, academic qualifications and work achievements, age, licenses and certificates you may hold, and salary. People with high scores will have doctorates, senior-level positions, and/or multiple years of work experience. You can also boost your score by proving knowledge of the Japanese language.

To qualify for permanent residency within one to five years of living in Japan, you will need to score a minimum of 70 points. Those with a score of 80 points or higher are eligible to obtain permanent residency after just one year.

Japan Permanent Resident Visa Requirements

While the length of time you must live in Japan varies based on each individual, these are the general requirements for anyone applying for permanent residence in Japan:

proof of no criminal record while residing in Japan;
satisfy the requirements of your current visa, whether that means you are still married or employed;
proof of adequate financial means;
proof that you have contributed to taxes and social security;
certificate of residence;
proof of income;
original passport and a copy;
residence card.

Permanent Resident Benefits Japan

One benefit of having permanent residence in Japan is no longer having the need to switch your visa status if you change jobs. You will also no longer be required to renew your visa, although you will still need to renew your residence card every seven years. For those looking to own property in Japan, it will also be easier to get a loan from a Japanese bank.

Spouse Visa

A spouse visa in Japan is the same as a dependent visa or a family visa. Dependent visas include children and other family members that residents can claim as dependents. Spouse visas can be used for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

The process to get a spouse visa in Japan is straightforward. Most of the documents required will be ones supporting the Japanese residence status of the sponsoring spouse. Once you have that, the applicant applying for the spousal visa will need the following:

certificate of eligibility
passport-sized photograph
certified copy of family register
marriage or birth certificate (if applying as a spouse or child)

The only additional cost included with this visa is a family register. This is usually not more than 500 JPY (7 USD).

There is no such thing as a fiancé visa in Japan.

How to get a Work Permit and Visa for Japan | InterNations (2024)