Moving to Japan: Visa, COE and Pre-Departure Steps
A job offer in Japan does not automatically authorize you to work there. Registering a Japanese company does not guarantee residence permission either.
Before booking flights or signing a lease, identify the Japanese status of residence that matches your plans.
For many people moving to Japan for work, business or family reasons, the usual sequence is:
Confirm your immigration eligibility.
Arrange a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) application.
Apply for a Japanese visa through the appropriate embassy or consulate.
Enter Japan while the relevant documents remain valid.
The requirements differ by immigration category, nationality and circumstances.
 |
| Preparing for a move to Japan |
1. Choose the Right Japanese Residence Category
Moving to Japan for Work
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services is one common status for qualifying professional work, including engineering, business, translation and design.
Immigration authorities examine your actual duties, qualifications, experience and employment conditions—not merely whether you have a job offer.
Before accepting a position, ask your Japanese employer which status it will support, whether your qualifications match the proposed duties and who will coordinate the COE application.
Other occupations may require different residence categories.
Starting a Business: The ¥30 Million Requirement
Japan tightened its Business Manager (経営・管理) requirements on October 16, 2025.
Standard new applications, rather than applications covered by transitional arrangements, generally require:
At least ¥30 million in qualifying capital or business investment.
At least one eligible full-time employee.
Japanese proficiency equivalent to B2, demonstrated by the applicant or a qualifying full-time employee.
A relevant master's, doctoral or professional degree, or at least three years of qualifying management experience.
A business plan confirmed by an accepted Japanese professional.
Suitable business premises.
These requirements work together. Registering a company with ¥30 million does not automatically qualify you.
Three common traps deserve attention before investing.
Capital versus expenses: For a corporation, immigration examines qualifying paid-in capital or contributions. Salaries and office expenses cannot simply be added to reach ¥30 million. For a sole proprietor, qualifying business investment may include premises, equipment and specified employment costs.
Which employees count: The mandatory full-time employee must be a Japanese national, special permanent resident, or foreign national holding Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident status.
The employee categories accepted for demonstrating Japanese proficiency are broader. JLPT N2 or a BJT score of at least 400 are among the recognized ways to demonstrate the required level.
Who can confirm the business plan: The accepted Japanese qualifications are Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (中小企業診断士), Certified Public Accountant (公認会計士) and Certified Tax Accountant (税理士).
A foreign CPA qualification alone is insufficient. A director or employee of the applicant's company cannot act as the required independent reviewer.
Lawyers and administrative scriveners do not qualify on those qualifications alone. They may, however, perform separate legal or immigration application work within their authorized roles.
Using a home as the business office is also generally not accepted.
See the Immigration Services Agency's Business Manager amendment guidance (Japanese).
What if You Cannot Meet the Business Manager Requirements Yet?
Investigate Japan's Startup Visa before committing significant funds.
Under the program administered through Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), you submit a startup activity plan to an approved municipality or organization.
If the plan passes the organization's review and immigration approves your application, you may receive Designated Activities status to prepare your business.
The program can provide up to two years for preparation, subject to the applicable immigration decisions and program conditions.
It is not a permanent exemption from Business Manager requirements. You must plan how to meet the requirements applicable when seeking that status, including the revised capital, staffing and premises rules.
Your first action: Check METI's list of participating organizations, find one serving your intended location and review its business eligibility and application documents before paying an adviser.
METI — Startup Visa and participating organizations
Already holding Business Manager status? Transitional treatment applies to certain renewal applications during the three-year period ending October 16, 2028. Immigration examines each case individually; the arrangement should not be assumed to apply to new applicants.
Moving to Japan With Family
Dependent (家族滞在) status may be available to qualifying spouses and children of residents holding eligible statuses.
Immigration authorities may examine the family relationship, the sponsor's residence status and financial support.
Not every category permits the same family arrangements. For example, the spouse of a Japanese national may need a different status.
Confirm each family member's eligibility before committing to school or housing dates.
2. What Is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is issued by Japan's Immigration Services Agency after examining whether the proposed activities and circumstances meet relevant immigration requirements.
For many long-term moves, obtaining a COE before applying for a visa is the usual route.
However, a COE is not a visa, residence card or guarantee of entry. It does not guarantee visa issuance either.
Who Can Submit the COE Application?
Depending on the application, an eligible applicant, authorized representative or qualified intermediary may submit the documents.
Japanese employers commonly coordinate employment-related applications.
Japanese lawyers and administrative scriveners who meet the applicable requirements may handle certain immigration submissions. An overseas translator or relocation consultant is not automatically authorized to do so.
Ask your adviser: Who will actually submit my application, and under what authority?
The Japanese government charges no fee for the COE issuance application itself. Private professional, translation and document-preparation fees may still apply.
The published standard processing period is one to three months, although individual applications can take longer.
Immigration Services Agency — COE procedure (Japanese)
3. Plan Your COE, Visa and Arrival Dates
A frequent mistake is assuming that COE approval allows you to travel whenever convenient.
Before COE submission: Confirm the required supporting documents, arrange translations where necessary and check whether nationality-specific medical screening applies.
While waiting: Allow for the one-to-three-month standard processing period, but do not treat it as a guaranteed deadline. Avoid nonrefundable commitments where possible.
After COE issuance: Apply promptly through the Japanese embassy, consulate or authorized application channel responsible for your place of residence.
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that visa processing normally takes five working days from the day after an application is accepted, provided no further examination is necessary. Additional review can take substantially longer.
A COE is generally valid for three months from issuance. A single-entry visa is also generally valid for three months, but the periods are calculated separately.
A newly issued visa does not extend an expiring COE.
For example, if your COE is issued on June 1 and your visa is issued in July, do not assume you can postpone arrival until October. Check both documents' actual expiry dates and complete the required landing examination in time.
4. Does Your Nationality Require TB Screening?
Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) applies to certain nationals seeking medium- or long-term residence, subject to exemptions.
Mandatory certificate submission applies to covered applicants from the Philippines, Nepal and Viet Nam.
For Indonesia, mandatory submission is scheduled to begin on January 4, 2027. Dates for Myanmar and China have not yet been announced.
Where screening is required, use a Japanese government-designated panel clinic.
A TB Clearance Certificate is normally valid for 180 days from the chest X-ray date, or 90 days in specified recent-contact circumstances.
For a COE application, the certificate must be valid when submitted. It does not ordinarily need to remain valid through subsequent visa issuance or landing, and resubmission at those stages is generally unnecessary.
If you are applying directly for a visa without a COE, confirm the applicable submission requirements with the Japanese diplomatic mission.
Practical tip: Check the screening requirement before filing your COE application, but avoid obtaining a certificate so early that it expires before submission.
JPETS — Official screening requirements and FAQs
5. Before Meeting an Immigration Professional
Prepare these five items to make your consultation more useful:
Education, qualifications and relevant work experience.
Japanese employer details, business proposal or family sponsor information.
Available funds and planned business activities, if applicable.
Accompanying family members and your intended departure date.
Previous Japanese visa refusals and any COE denials, with dates and circumstances.
Visa refusals and COE denials are different decisions.
Japan generally does not accept another visa application for the same purpose within six months of a visa refusal. Limited exceptions may apply where circumstances have changed significantly and humanitarian reasons justify travel.
Ask who will handle each application, which documents are necessary, what the quoted fees include and how delays or refusals will be handled.
No private adviser can guarantee approval.
Key Japanese Immigration Terms
Status of residence (在留資格): The legal category governing your permitted activities or residence circumstances.
COE (在留資格認定証明書): A pre-entry eligibility document issued by Japanese immigration authorities.
Dependent (家族滞在): A residence category for qualifying family members.
Business Manager (経営・管理): A residence category for qualifying business management activities.
A visa issued abroad is separate from both the COE and the immigration officer's permission to land in Japan.
Last checked: November 8, 2026.
This article provides general immigration information, not individualized legal advice. Requirements and procedures can change. Confirm your circumstances with the relevant Japanese authorities or an appropriately qualified professional before making significant financial commitments.
Keep this guide handy
Immigration rules, financial requirements, and administrative procedures can change. Bookmark this guide for reference, and always check the latest official requirements before applying.
← Previous:
→ Next :
Comments
Post a Comment