Japan · Business / Startup
Japan Startup visa
Investment needed: ¥30M+ ≈ $189k
Designated Activities: Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project (Startup Visa)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Startup visa is a business / startup route for Japan. Applicants need an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k. You can stay 2 yrs. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- ¥30M+ ≈ $189k
- Processing
- 1–3 months
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: investment ¥30M+ ≈ $189k; decision: 1–3 months. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Invested and held¥30M+ ≈ $189k
- JPY 30,000,000 (≈ $189,000)Total value of property used for the business expected within 1 year of the application (6 months at renewal), effective 2025-10-16; previously JPY 5,000,000 (≈ $31,500).
RenewalRenewable, 2 years max
The start-up preparation period, together with any National Strategic Special Zone start-up period, may not exceed 2 years in total.
Processing1–3 months
Standard processing: 1 to 3 months for a Certificate of Eligibility, 1 to 2 months for a change of status inside Japan and 2 weeks to 1 month for an extension.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Time on this route is capped at 2 years in total
- Needs a sponsor in Japan
- Work rights are limited
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant prepares the business under the management and support of a municipality or private operator certified by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, which confirms the start-up preparation plan.
- The applicant has at least 1 year of experience managing a business.
- Alternatively the applicant has a master's-level or higher degree in management or a field needed for the business.
What you must show2
- Total property used for the business is expected to reach JPY 30 million (≈ $189,000) within 1 year of the application, rules effective 2025-10-16.
- The figure was JPY 5,000,000 (≈ $31,500) before 2025-10-16.
Steps3
- At least one full-time employee is expected within 1 year (6 months at renewal).
- A business office in Japan is expected within 1 year (6 months at renewal).
- The applicant lives in Japan during the preparation period.
After you arrive1
- The preparation period under the Startup Visa plus the National Strategic Special Zone start-up programme may not exceed 2 years in total.
When you become tax resident
How Japan decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years in total
- Tax residence
Resident individuals are domiciled in Japan or have continuous residence of 1 year or more.
- Foreign-source income
Remittance basis
Non-permanent residents are taxed in Japan on Japan-source income and on foreign-source income paid in or remitted to Japan; foreign-source income paid and kept abroad is outside the Japanese tax base.
- Special regime
Non-permanent resident foreign-source income treatment · Tax relief
All tax rules for Japan Tax records checked
Full official text
Designated Activities status for start-up preparation under the management and support of a municipality or private organisation certified by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; business plan reviewed first by that organisation, then by immigration. 1 2 3 4 5 6
What you must show
- An investment of at least JPY 30,000,000 (≈ $189,000) · Total value of property used for the business expected within 1 year of the application (6 months at renewal), effective 2025-10-16; previously JPY 5,000,000 (≈ $31,500). 1
Requirements
- The applicant prepares the business under the management and support of a municipality or private operator certified by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, which confirms the start-up preparation plan. 3
- The applicant has at least 1 year of experience managing a business. 1
- Alternatively the applicant has a master's-level or higher degree in management or a field needed for the business. 1
- Total property used for the business is expected to reach JPY 30 million (≈ $189,000) within 1 year of the application, rules effective 2025-10-16. 1
- The figure was JPY 5,000,000 (≈ $31,500) before 2025-10-16. 1
- At least one full-time employee is expected within 1 year (6 months at renewal). 1
- A business office in Japan is expected within 1 year (6 months at renewal). 1
- The applicant lives in Japan during the preparation period. 1
- The preparation period under the Startup Visa plus the National Strategic Special Zone start-up programme may not exceed 2 years in total. 1
Stay
- Up to 2 years of start-up preparation (period set per grant); a business plan must lead to Business Manager status.
- First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
Work
Start-up preparation activities approved in the project plan.
Family
Family can enter under the separate status for family of a foreign entrepreneur. Your spouse or partner needs their own work permit to work in Japan: permission for activities outside their status, limited to 28 hours a week.
Fine print
The JPY 30 million (≈ $189,000) business scale, the full-time employee and the office conditions come from a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry document of 16 October 2025 that could not be read when checked on 12 October 2026. The ministry's Startup Visa page confirms the stay of up to 2 years and the review by an approved organisation and then by immigration, but states no amounts; nor does the Immigration Services Agency page for this status.
Official sources
- Startup Visa requirement revision effective 16 October 2025 (METI) · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-10-16
- Startup Visa (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project), organisation list updated 2026-04-30 (METI) · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2026-04-30
- Foreign entrepreneur (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project) status page (ISA) · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Startup-related policies / Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-10
- List of Designated Activities notice items (as of May 2025) · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Permission to engage in activities other than those permitted for "Dependent" status holders · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Certificate of Eligibility application: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for change of status of residence: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for extension of period of stay: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
Startup visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup visa | Needs an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 2 yr | Limited |
| Business Manager | Needs an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| SMART Visa S · 2 years Thailand | Needs savings of ฿600k+ ≈ $18k | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden · Entrepreneur United Arab Emirates | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| EntrePass Singapore | Needs an investment of SGD 100k+ ≈ $78k | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Startup visa?
An investment of at least JPY 30,000,000 (≈ $189,000). Total value of property used for the business expected within 1 year of the application (6 months at renewal), effective 2025-10-16; previously JPY 5,000,000 (≈ $31,500).
How long can I stay on the Startup visa?
Up to 2 years of start-up preparation (period set per grant); a business plan must lead to Business Manager status.
How long does the Startup visa take to process?
Standard processing: 1 to 3 months for a Certificate of Eligibility, 1 to 2 months for a change of status inside Japan and 2 weeks to 1 month for an extension.
Can I work on the Startup visa?
Limited. Start-up preparation activities approved in the project plan.
Can I bring my family on the Startup visa?
Family can enter under the separate status for family of a foreign entrepreneur.
Is there a tax break for Startup visa holders in Japan?
Non-permanent resident foreign-source income treatment: Non-permanent residents are taxed in Japan on Japan-source income and on foreign-source income paid in or remitted to Japan; foreign-source income paid and kept abroad is outside the Japanese tax base. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Non-permanent resident foreign-source income treatment
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Resident: domicile or continuous residence in Japan for one year or more
Non-permanent residents are taxed in Japan on Japan-source income and on foreign-source income paid in or remitted to Japan; foreign-source income paid and kept abroad is outside the Japanese tax base.
Taxed on
Income tax on all Japan-source income plus foreign-source income that is paid in Japan or remitted to Japan from abroad, at the progressive national rates of 5% to 45%.
Who it applies to
- Resident: domicile or continuous residence in Japan for one year or more.
- Non-Japanese nationality.
- Domicile or residence in Japan for an aggregate of five years or less within the preceding ten years.
Exclusions
- Japan-source income, including pay for work performed in Japan, is taxed in full.
- Residents who are not non-permanent residents are taxed on worldwide income.
Tax residence
Resident = domicile, or continuous residence of one year or more. Non-permanent resident = non-Japanese national resident for an aggregate of five years or less in the preceding ten years. Based on facts, not visa type.
Visas
No visa grants this treatment; it follows tax residence and nationality.
Other taxes
Consumption tax: standard rate 10% (7.8% national plus 2.2% local) and reduced rate 8% (6.24% national plus 1.76% local). Local inhabitant tax and social insurance are separate.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Japan
Business / startup visas elsewhere
Head to head
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 9 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Startup Visa requirement revision effective 16 October 2025 (METI) · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry · checked 2026-10-10
- Startup Visa (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project), organisation list updated 2026-04-30 (METI) · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry · checked 2026-10-12
- Foreign entrepreneur (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project) status page (ISA) · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Startup-related policies / Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-10
- List of Designated Activities notice items (as of May 2025) · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Permission to engage in activities other than those permitted for "Dependent" status holders · Immigration Services Agency of Japan · checked 2026-10-12
- Certificate of Eligibility application: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for change of status of residence: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
- Application for extension of period of stay: standard processing period · Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Ministry of Justice · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.