What are the Japan Digital Nomad visa requirements?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

Japan's Digital Nomad status lets eligible nationals work remotely in Japan for up to six months if they earn at least 10 million yen a year and hold private medical insurance. The stay cannot be extended. The official Q&A is dated July 2024, and the outline has no date, so rules may have changed. Confirm with a Japanese embassy or consulate.

The rules at a glance

Item	Official rule
Status name	"Designated Activities" (for Digital Nomad)
Length of stay	Six months. The stay must not exceed six months within a year.
Extension	Not allowed
Nationality	Your country or region must be under Japan's visa exemption arrangements and also have a tax convention with Japan. See the official list.
Income	Your annual income must be at least 10 million yen at the time of application.
Insurance	Private medical insurance covering death, injury and illness during your stay, with at least 10 million yen for medical treatment. See the insurance page.
Residence card	Not issued

What work is allowed?

The Q&A lists two activities. Both use information and communication technology from Japan.

Remote employee: you work for the overseas office of a foreign organization under an employment contract with it.
Selling to people abroad: you provide paid services or sell goods to people outside Japan. The Q&A gives two examples: a manager of a foreign company, and a sole proprietor serving a foreign company or a person abroad. Activities that cannot be provided or sold without entering Japan are excluded.

What work is not allowed?

You cannot work with an organization or individual in Japan under an employment contract or a contractor agreement. This also applies to someone you meet while you are in Japan. Other activities outside your status are not granted, in principle.

How the 10 million yen income test works

Basic rule: your most recent annual income must be 10 million yen or more, in principle.
Pay rise: income expected to reach 10 million yen from the time of application, because of a raise this fiscal year, can also meet the test.
New job: a new hire paid 10 million yen a year can also meet the test.
Sole proprietors: the test uses profit after necessary expenses, not the contract amount.
Several income sources: stable incomes can be combined if together they reach 10 million yen.

The English Q&A sentence on sole proprietors is garbled. We used the Japanese version of the same Q&A for that point.

For worked examples and currency figures, see income proof for freelancers.

Can a spouse or child come too?

Yes. A spouse or child supported by the digital nomad can accompany them. They must be nationals of a country or region under the visa exemption arrangements, and they must hold the same kind of insurance. The nationality list for family is longer. Their stay is also up to six months with no extension, and other activities are not granted, in principle. See family rules in detail.

What we could not confirm

Exchange rate: we found no official statement on which rate is used if you earn in another currency.
Savings: the Immigration Services Agency says "annual income". The Chicago consulate checklist says you must "earn/hold" more than 10 million yen, which reads differently. Its list of proof names contracts and a bank letter on yearly earnings, not savings. Ask your embassy or consulate.