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Work Permit in Japan

Work Permit in Japan

Foreign citizens who want to work or to open their own business in the country are required to obtain a work permit in Japan from a Japanese embassy or consulate from their countries of origin. 

In this article, our company formation advisors in Japan present a short guide to obtaining a Japanese work permit.

Work visas for entrepreneurs in Japan

In case you are traveling to Japan in order to effectuate the due diligence for a new business idea, sign contracts or perform another type of work which is not paid, you will need to obtain a temporary visa.

If certain conditions are met, you can prolong this visa through a certificate of eligibility to get a longer term entrepreneur or investor visa. Or, a Business Manager Visa can be required, which is valid for four months.

Even though the precise requirements may differ subject to each individual’s particular circumstances, in order to obtain an entrepreneur visa, the applicant will have to provide evidence that he or she has a business address in Japan, the investment details, a business plan and proof that he or she will offer employment for local workers.

Applying for a certificate of eligibility in Japan is a complex process which takes time. Our company registration consultants in Japan can assist you with this procedure so that it will be easier to obtain. We can also assist you with the entire process of setting up a company in Japan.

Types of working visas in Japan

In Japan, there are three most common types of work visas:

  • Engineer/specialist in humanities/international services: it is obtainable by engineers (working in domains of physical science), engineering or other natural science, specialists in humanities (who are working in the economic, legal, social industries or in the human science) and international services (in translations, language instruction, interpretation, public relations and others);
  • Intra-company transferee: these are foreign citizens who work in foreign companies or in the subsidiaries of local firms which are located abroad;
  • Skilled labor: these are gastronomy, civil engineering or architecture fields which characterize foreign states;
  • Other types of visas: our Japan company formation specialists can provide further details on what these other types of visas consist of.

Work permit holders are understandably interested in acquiring Japanese residency on a permanent basis. Working in the country for a sufficient period of time (during which the individual has spent a significant time being present in the country) opens this possibility. Our team can give you detailed information about permanent residency if you are already employed in Japan.

If you need to know more about the work visas in Japan, we kindly invite you to contact our company formation representatives in Japan.