Moving to Japan is more than a relocation; it is the start of a new chapter. To help you settle in, here are the main visa categories for living in Japan.
Japan groups residence status into a few broad frameworks: work, study, family and designated activities. Finding the right visa is your first step; finding a comfortable home is your second.
Work visas
These statuses allow employment and need a sponsoring employer or organisation.
- Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務). The most common route for IT professionals, designers and marketers: the standard work visa for international talent.
- Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職). A points-based status that weighs income, education and experience. It offers a five-year stay and a faster route to permanent residency.
- Business Manager (経営・管理). For people founding a company or managing an investment in Japan.
- Specified Skilled Worker, types 1 and 2 (特定技能1号・2号). For industries with labour shortages. Type 1 allows a cumulative five-year stay across designated sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, food production and food service, with newer fields such as automobile transport and railways. Type 2 is for advanced specialists who pass higher-level exams and hold supervisory roles; it can be renewed without limit and allows family members to join.
Study
- Student (留学). For language schools, universities and vocational colleges. With permission to engage in activity other than that permitted, students can work up to 28 hours a week.
Designated activities: longer stays
- Digital nomad (特定活動53号). For remote work for clients outside Japan. It requires an annual income of ¥10 million or more and eligible nationality, grants up to six months, and does not allow work for Japanese employers.
- Working holiday. For applicants aged 18 to 30 from participating countries, such as the UK, Australia, Canada and Taiwan. Some agreements, such as Taiwan's, now allow two working holidays in a lifetime.
- Long stay for sightseeing (特定活動40号). For people from visa-exempt countries, including the US, EU countries and Taiwan, who want to stay longer without working: for sightseeing, recreation or recovery. It is granted for six months and can be extended to twelve, and needs savings of ¥30 million or more.
Family visas
- Spouse of a Japanese national (日本人の配偶者等). For people married to a Japanese citizen, with broad freedom to work.
- Dependant (家族滞在). For the spouse and children of people on work or student visas (not parents or siblings). Part-time work is possible with permission.
A home base for your first months
Whatever your visa, a smooth start needs a reliable home. LOHUS homes are fully furnished, with Wi-Fi and utilities included. You need no guarantor, and there is no key money or agent's fee. You can stay from one month.
Visa information as of April 2026. Please check the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for the latest rules.
