Moving to Japan: Digital Nomad Visa, Local Employment, and What to Plan Ahead

Are you thinking about settling in Japan, whether as a digital nomad or as an employee of a local company? This article helps you tell the two paths apart, understand what each one prohibits, prepare your digital nomad visa application, and see what changes for your spouse, your children, and your driving license.

The Digital Nomad Visa: The Framework

Japan has created a "Designated Activities" residence status for digital nomads. It applies to people who stay in Japan for no more than six months and work remotely for clients outside the country^[1].

The first thing to keep in mind: this status does not allow you to work for a Japanese employer. Japan's immigration authority specifies that under this status, you may not work under an employment contract or equivalent arrangement with any Japanese organization, whether public or private^[1]. Your work must therefore stay oriented toward clients abroad.

The duration is limited. Once you reach the maximum stay of six months under this status, you must wait six months before you can apply for the same status again^[1]. It is therefore not a path to long-term settlement: if you plan to stay in Japan for several years, you will need another status, such as one tied to local employment (see below).

Finally, your nationality matters. The applicant must be a citizen of a country or region listed in the official list published by Japan's immigration authority. These countries must be eligible for visa exemption for temporary stays and have a tax treaty with Japan^[1]. Check this list before you start anything.

Preparing Your Application

The application form can be downloaded from the Immigration Services Agency website; paper copies are also available at regional immigration bureaus. The procedure described here applies to a first entry into Japan under this status^[1].

Among the required documents is proof of your current professional situation: an employment contract, a certificate of employment, or equivalent^[1]. Also prepare documents related to your private insurance, especially if you plan to rely on family coverage.

One detail that helps avoid delays: if the name on your certificate of eligibility differs from the name on your passport, processing may slow down, because checks take place at each stage before you enter the country. The authority therefore advises attaching a copy of your passport when you submit the application, if possible^[1].

Moving with Family: Spouse and Children

A separate status exists for the spouse or child of a digital nomad. It covers daily activities carried out as the spouse or dependent child of a person holding the digital nomad status^[1].

The applicant must also be a citizen of a country or region eligible for visa exemption for temporary stays^[1]. The application must establish the link with the main holder: the authority notably requires a copy of the passport of the spouse or parent who resides, or plans to reside, in Japan under the digital nomad status^[1].

If you plan to use insurance that covers your family, for example insurance attached to a credit card, you must attach documents proving the scope of that coverage^[1].

Working in Japan: Employer and Work Visa

If your plan is to be an employee of a Japanese company, the digital nomad status is not suitable, since it excludes any contract with a Japanese organization^[1]. You will need to obtain an employment-related residence status.

For an IT profile, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) indicates that foreign IT professionals are generally classified under the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" category^[2]. This status requires work that matches your degrees and your expertise or professional experience, carried out under a contract with a public or private organization in Japan^[2].

Salary level also comes into play: the person applying for this status must earn an income equal to or higher than what a Japanese person would earn in the same positions and functions^[2].

Two other cases are worth knowing about. A professional judged highly skilled under the points-based system (degrees, experience, annual income, etc.) can access the “highly skilled professional” category and privileged immigration treatment^[2]. And employees of a company established abroad who are seconded for a limited period to an office in Japan fall under the intra-company transferee status, for activities of the same type as those of engineers and specialists in the humanities and international services^[2].

Settling In and Getting Information: Official Resources

To prepare a stay or a move, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan publishes a practical guide that gathers the essential information for living and working in Japan as a foreign national^[3]. If you are French, the website of the French Embassy in Japan brings together residency formalities and the security situation to check before departure^[3].

A practical point that often surprises people: the international driving permit issued in France is not recognized in Japan. To drive, you need a translation of your French driver's license^[3]. If your license comes from another country, check with the Japanese authorities which rules apply to you before planning to drive.

Steps, in Order

• Choose the route that fits your project: remote work for a foreign employer for six months at most (digital nomad status) or employment with a Japanese organization (another residence status).
• For the digital nomad visa, check that your nationality is on the official list of eligible countries.
• Gather your professional and insurance documents, and make sure the names are identical across all documents and your passport.
• If you are coming with family, prepare the file for your spouse or child, with proof of the family relationship and insurance coverage.
• For local employment, identify the status category that matches your profile and your degree.
• Before departure, consult the Immigration Services Agency guide and the information from your embassy.
• If you plan to drive, have your French license translated.

This article gives you the essential benchmarks. Arrival procedures, housing, a line-by-line budget, taxation, and social protection require going further to truly settle in: check with the Japanese authorities and your embassy before committing.