Business manager visa in Japan

• The Business Manager status is for running or managing a trade or other business in Japan, such as company executives and managers. Activities that legally need a legal or accounting qualification are excluded. The Agency's list of 28 statuses has no separate investor status and no startup status.
• You need either a doctoral, master's or professional degree in management or in the business's own field, or 3 or more years of experience running or managing a business. Time in Japan on a Designated Activities status for start-up preparation counts toward the 3 years.
• You or a full-time staff member must have Japanese at about CEFR B2. Accepted proof includes JLPT N2 or higher, a BJT Business Japanese Test score of 400 or more, 20 or more years in Japan as a mid- to long-term resident, or graduating from a Japanese university.
• The business must have at least one full-time employee living in Japan besides the person who manages it. That employee must be Japanese, a special permanent resident or hold a Table 2 status; people on work statuses do not count, and dispatched, seconded or contracted workers are not regular employees.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The business-scale test is property used for the business of about ¥30 million, including capital. To be safe, have more than ¥31 million. For a company that means paid-in capital (or total contributions for an LLC or partnership); reserves, surplus and retained earnings do not count. For a sole proprietor it is the total put into the business, such as premises costs, a year of staff salaries and equipment.
• This is a recent change: the capital level was raised sixfold, effective 16 October 2025. Applications accepted before that date were judged under the old criteria. Proceeds from stock acquisition rights can count if they are non-repayable and will be booked as capital whether or not the rights are exercised.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The Certificate of Eligibility file includes the form and a photo, proof of your role (such as articles setting executive pay or an appointment letter), the latest annual financial statements, a description of the business or its registry transcript, and proof of any licences the business needs. The business plan must be reviewed by a certified SME management consultant, certified public accountant or licensed tax accountant who is not an officer or employee of your company.
• You show the premises with a registry transcript and a lease. The premises must be continuous: month-to-month short-term rentals and easily moved stalls do not qualify, and the lessee should be the company itself. Incubator or JETRO business support centre offices can qualify with a written usage consent.
• You also file payroll records and a residence record for the full-time employee, proof of Japanese ability (a test certificate or proof of education), and proof of your career: a degree certificate, or a CV with an employment certificate. The Agency's list names no police certificate and no apostille.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The Certificate of Eligibility is filed with the Regional Immigration Bureau covering where you plan to live, by you or an agent in Japan; postal applications are not accepted. The standard processing period is 1 to 3 months overall, and the page gives no separate period for this status.
• The Agency's page shows the dates that changed the file: the criteria took effect on 16 October 2025, and for applications from 15 April 2026 organisations in categories 3 and 4 add a representative declaration if the applicant manages the business.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The Certificate of Eligibility carries no fee, and the consular fee-exemption lists name citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• From 1 October 2026 an extension or change of status costs by the period granted, at the counter: ¥10,000 for 3 months, ¥18,000 for 4 or 6 months, ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years and ¥75,000 for 5 years. Online filing is cheaper for periods over three months, plus a transaction fee.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The status is granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 4 months or 3 months. You apply to extend on or before the day your period ends, or from three months before if your period is six months or more.
• Renewal looks at your last two fiscal years as a whole. Deficits can be accepted with a credible improvement plan, and the Agency weighs tax and social insurance compliance, including for sole proprietors; a start-up is a domestic unlisted company set up within the past five years.
• People already holding the status on 16 October 2025 are not refused a renewal solely for missing the new criteria until 16 October 2028. After that the new criteria apply, with allowance for a sound business that pays its taxes and is likely to meet them by the next renewal.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The Agency's draft guideline, for applications from 1 April 2027, shortens the usual 10 years for highly skilled professionals (3 years at 70 points, 1 year at 80), spouses, long-term residents and refugees, among others. It names no shortened period for business managers.
• The permanent residence application fee is ¥200,000 from 1 October 2026, up from ¥10,000 for applications received up to 30 September.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• A company is taxed through a final return and payment, due within two months of the day after its account-closing day. The National Tax Agency says the corporation tax rate differs with capital and taxable income.
• Your own tax follows residence: a resident is someone with a domicile or residence of a year or more, and a non-Japanese resident of five years or less in the past ten is a non-permanent resident taxed on Japanese income and on foreign income paid in or sent to Japan.

Sources: National Tax Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026.

• Digital nomad visa in Japan
• Work permit in Japan
• Family visa in Japan

• Visas in Japan
• Japan

1. Status of Residence "Business Manager" (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Periods of stay 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 4 months or 3 months; document list; criteria amended 16 October 2025; from 15 April 2026 categories 3 and 4 add a representative declaration.
2. Visa and Travel Information (Embassy of Japan in the United States), Embassy of Japan in the United States (Internet Archive copy captured 28 September 2026). Checked 17 October 2026. Page dated 1 July 2026; opened through the Internet Archive on 17 October 2026. Washington embassy rules, fee exemption for US citizens, visa validity and processing time.
3. U.S. citizens and residents abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 17 October 2026. Page last reviewed or updated 28 September 2026. Citizens and residents abroad generally file as if in the United States; filing depends on gross income from worldwide sources.
4. List of Japan's tax conventions, Ministry of Finance, Japan. Checked 16 October 2026.
5. Status of Agreements in Force (Japan social security agreements; page updated 2 March 2026), Japan Pension Service. Checked 16 October 2026.
6. Visa and Consular Section (Embassy of Japan in Canada), Embassy of Japan in Canada, Ottawa (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 3 October 2026, opened on 16 October 2026. Page dated 1 July 2026: which of the embassy and four consulates general handles which provinces, an English hotline for general visa questions (+1-587-883-9002, 24 hours), appointments for consular services, and a link to Visit Japan Web.
7. Visa and Consul Fees (Embassy of Japan in Canada), Embassy of Japan in Canada (Internet Archive copy captured 3 October 2026). Checked 17 October 2026. Page dated 11 August 2026; opened on 17 October 2026. Visa fees are exempt for Canadian passport holders.
8. Tax treaties in force (Japan), Department of Finance Canada. Checked 16 October 2026.
9. Visa and Travel Information (Embassy of Japan in Australia), Embassy of Japan in Australia (Internet Archive copy). Checked 17 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 27 September 2026, opened on 17 October 2026. Page dated 1 July 2026: general visa fees from 1 July 2026 are A$156 (single entry) and A$313 (multiple entry), up from A$31 and A$63; Canberra takes applications only from residents of Canberra and its immediate surrounds.
10. Visa Fee Exemption (list), Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney. Checked 17 October 2026. Undated list opened through the Internet Archive on 17 October 2026; names Australia and New Zealand, the U.S.A. and Canada as exempt from visa fees.
11. Visa Enquiries & FAQ (Embassy of Japan in Australia), Embassy of Japan in Australia (Internet Archive copy). Checked 17 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 8 June 2026, opened on 16 October 2026. Page dated 1 April 2026, written for Australian passport holders: tourists may stay up to 90 days and may not undertake any form of work, paid or unpaid; entry status cannot in principle be changed once in Japan; which consulate-general serves which state (Sydney for NSW and the Northern Territory, Perth for WA, Brisbane for QLD, Cairns for the Cairns area, Melbourne for VIC, TAS and SA).
12. Income tax treaties (Japan: DTA signed 31 January 2008, in force 3 December 2008), Australian Treasury. Checked 16 October 2026.
13. Frequently Asked Questions (Embassy of Japan in New Zealand), Embassy of Japan in New Zealand (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 18 February 2026, opened on 16 October 2026. Page dated 16 December 2025. Who may apply at the Wellington embassy (New Zealand passport holders, or holders of a long-term New Zealand visa) and the regions each office serves; no urgent service; in principle a visa type cannot be changed once in Japan, so work needs a work visa obtained abroad.
14. Visa & Certificate Top (Embassy of Japan in New Zealand), Embassy of Japan in New Zealand (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 20 April 2026, opened on 16 October 2026. Page dated 9 March 2026. Address, telephone and e-mail of the Wellington embassy (Level 18, The Majestic Centre, 100 Willis Street), the Consulate-General in Auckland and the Consular Office in Christchurch, and the regions each serves; visa types listed are temporary visitor, transit, work, student, working holiday, spouse or child of a Japanese national and dependent, with no page for the digital nomad status; advice to take travel insurance; Visit Japan Web.
15. Visa Fees (Embassy of Japan in New Zealand), Embassy of Japan in New Zealand (Internet Archive copy). Checked 16 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 8 July 2024 (the only capture found; the page is dated 1 April 2024), opened on 16 October 2026. Lists New Zealand among the nationalities exempt from visa fees and says fees are paid in cash when the passport is collected. It is two years old and does not name the digital nomad status.
16. Visa Fee Exemptions, Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville. Checked 17 October 2026. Page dated 6 June 2025 (Reiwa 7); opened through the Internet Archive on 17 October 2026. The list of fee-exempt nationalities names the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
17. Tax treaties (double tax agreements in force, Japan listed), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 16 October 2026.
18. Finding a status of residence by activity: the 28 statuses (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Lists 28 statuses; Business Manager is No. 7; no investor, startup or retirement status is listed.
19. Business Manager: activities and landing criteria (PDF in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Ministerial criteria: a premises in Japan; a full-time resident employee other than the manager; property used for the business of ¥30,000,000 or more including capital; Japanese ability; a management degree or 3 years of experience; pay equal to a Japanese national for those who manage a business.
20. "Business Manager" criteria review: old and new requirements (comparison sheet, in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Capital or total contributions ¥5,000,000 before and ¥30,000,000 after 16 October 2025; employment duty and expert check of the business plan added.
21. Revision of the Business Manager landing criteria, in force 16 October 2025 (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Business scale of ¥30,000,000; what counts as capital; full-time employee; Japanese at about CEFR B2; business plan reviewed by an expert; renewal measures until 16 October 2028.
22. Clarifying the status criteria for foreign business managers (guidance, in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; opened on 17 October 2026. Premises, several managers, business continuity over the two most recent fiscal years, proceeds of stock acquisition rights counting toward ¥30,000,000; a June 2026 revision of the tax-compliance wording.
23. Application for Certificate of Eligibility (procedure page, English view), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. Opened on 17 October 2026. Who can apply, where, postal applications not accepted, standard processing period of 1 to 3 months overall, no fee.
24. Fees for residence procedures for foreign nationals will be revised from October 1, 2026 (leaflet, English), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. Counter and online fees by permitted period for change of status and extension (JPY 10,000 to JPY 75,000) and JPY 200,000 for permanent residence; applications received by 30 September 2026 pay the old fees.
25. Revision of residence permission fee amounts from 1 October 2026 (page in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese. In force from 1 October 2026; online applications are paid by convenience-store or bank payment only; counter applications by revenue stamps.
26. Extension of period of stay: application (procedure page, in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese. Apply on or before the day the period of stay ends; with a period of six months or more you may apply from three months before it ends.
27. Guidelines for permission for permanent residence (draft, in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese; a draft (案) with the revision date left blank, published for the Immigration Policy Round-table of 16 September 2026. It says the revision applies to applications from 1 April 2027.
28. Permanent residence permission application (procedure page, in Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. In Japanese. Fee JPY 200,000 on permission; JPY 10,000 for applications received up to 30 September 2026.
29. Outline of Corporation Income Tax (English), National Tax Agency of Japan. Checked 17 October 2026. Opened on 17 October 2026. Final return and payment within two months of the account-closing day; the rate depends on capital and taxable income.
30. 2025 Income Tax and Special Income Tax for Reconstruction Guide: 1-2 Final return and 1-3 Taxpayers and the scope of taxable income, National Tax Agency of Japan. Checked 16 October 2026.