What documents and fees does the Japan Digital Nomad visa need?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

You generally need a visa application form with a photo, your passport, an activity plan, proof of 10 million yen annual income and proof of insurance. The exact list depends on the embassy or consulate. Japan's general single-entry visa fee has been about 15,000 yen since July 1, 2026, and the Chicago checklist for this visa points to that general fee. Nationals on an office's exemption list, such as US citizens, pay nothing. Check your own office's current checklist.

Where you apply

The Q&A (July 2024) says that if you are outside Japan, you should apply for a visa directly at the embassy or consulate of the country where you are staying. This is because no one in Japan can act as your agent for a Certificate of Eligibility.

The Immigration Services Agency also lists documents for a Certificate of Eligibility application, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page lists that certificate as well. If you present one, the activity plan, income proof and insurance proof can be omitted at the visa stage. We could not confirm when this route applies to someone abroad. Ask your embassy or consulate. See where to apply.

Documents for a visa without a certificate

This list comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page and consulate checklists.

Document	Details
Application form and photo	Rules on signing and photo format differ by office
Passport	Blank page rules differ by office
Activity plan	Your planned activities and period of stay in Japan. See how to fill the form.
Proof of income	10 million yen or more a year. Examples: tax or income certificate, employment contract, or a business contract showing period and amount.
Proof of insurance	Certificate and policy summary. Credit card cover may count with a card copy and benefit details. See the insurance page.

Documents for a Certificate of Eligibility

This list comes from the Immigration Services Agency page. The agency may ask for more documents, or may waive some.

Application form
One photo meeting official standards
Reply envelope with registered mail postage
Activity schedule for the stay
Tax or income certificate from the country where you worked, showing 10 million yen or more
Proof of current work, such as an employment contract or certificate of employment
Explanation of insurance coverage
Copy of the insurance certificate and terms

Foreign-language documents need a Japanese translation.

Documents for a spouse or child

On the Certificate of Eligibility route, a spouse or child gives the same basic forms, plus proof of relationship, insurance documents and a copy of the digital nomad's passport. Income proof is not on their list. Consulates also ask for proof of the relationship. San Francisco asks for a marriage or birth certificate with a professional translation, and says all documents must be in English or Japanese. See spouse and child rules.

How offices differ

Item	What each office's page shows
Passport pages	San Francisco and Los Angeles: at least one blank visa page. Chicago: at least two. Houston: at least one and a half.
Where you live	San Francisco says you must live in its area. Los Angeles asks for proof of your current address, with California or Arizona documents as examples.
Entries and validity	Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco describe a single-entry visa valid for three months from issue.
Stay length	San Francisco and Los Angeles describe a stay of over 90 days and up to six months. The Immigration Services Agency says six months.
Processing time	Brisbane: generally 10 working days from acceptance. Los Angeles and Portland: referral to Japan, with a response that may take up to two months. San Francisco: at least 5 business days. Chicago: some applications take longer than usual. See the timeline page.

Visa fees

The fee rose on July 1, 2026. These are general visa fees for nationals who are not exempt. The Chicago checklist for this visa says to refer to the general single-entry fee.

Source	Single entry	Multiple entry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, new fee	About 15,000 yen	About 30,000 yen
Foreign Minister, old fee	3,000 yen	6,000 yen (double or multiple)
United States offices (New York, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Seattle)	101 US dollars	201 US dollars
United Kingdom	77 pounds	154 pounds
Sydney and Melbourne	156 Australian dollars	313 Australian dollars
Toronto	140 Canadian dollars	280 Canadian dollars

Free for some nationals: New York, Chicago, Melbourne and the UK embassy publish lists of nationals who pay no visa fee. They include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia. The United Kingdom and France are not on those lists. The lists vary slightly by office, so check yours.
India: Indian nationals pay a lower fee, for example 6 US dollars, 4 pounds or 9 Australian dollars. India is not on the chart for this visa.
No visa fee is charged if a visa is not issued, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Fees may differ or not apply, depending on your purpose and nationality.
An approved agency charges its own handling fee.
Local amounts can change. Melbourne's page shows these amounts from July 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
Payment rules vary. Chicago takes exact cash only. San Francisco and Los Angeles take money order, or exact cash in some cases.

What we could not confirm

Digital Nomad fee outside Chicago: Chicago says to use the general single-entry fee, and San Francisco says US citizens are exempt. Other offices do not state a fee for this visa type. Ask yours.
Exemption lists: most lists do not name this visa type. Only the Philippines and Romania carry a limit to Temporary Visitors on the lists we read.
Certificate of Eligibility fee: we found no fee information for that step.
Current checklists: offices update their lists. Check the date on yours.

Paid in another currency and spending yen in Japan? Check Wise's current fees and supported currencies. This has nothing to do with the visa income test.

See Wise fees and currencies