Moving to Japan · Visas and status
Visas and residency in Japan
Japan does not have one visa. It has a list of statuses of residence, each tied to what you do here. These guides explain the main ones, how a typical application works, and what changed in 2026, so you know what to ask before you apply.
If you remember six things
These cover the points where people most often go wrong.
- A tourist stay does not allow work, and a visa-free entry is usually limited to 90 days or fewer. Short stays and visa-free entry →
- Most work visas start with your employer applying for a Certificate of Eligibility in Japan. Work visas →
- Part-time work on a student or dependent visa needs separate permission and has an hours limit. Student visas and Japanese language schools →
- Apply to extend before your period of stay ends. You can apply up to three months early. Extending and changing your status →
- Keep your tax, pension and health insurance paid. Permanent residency and renewals check them. Permanent residency →
- Carry your passport or residence card, and report changes of address, job or marital status within 14 days. Getting help and rules to follow →
The guides
Visiting
Short stays, and long trips that are not yet a move.
Coming to live
Work, study and family routes to a residence card.
- Work visas The main working statuses, how a Certificate of Eligibility works, and what changed in 2025 and 2026.
- Student visas and Japanese language schools How the Student status works, part-time work limits, and what you need to enrol.
- Spouse and family visas The Dependent and Spouse of a Japanese National statuses, and what each allows.
Staying long-term
Renewals, permanent residency, naturalization and where to get help.
- Extending and changing your status When to apply, what to report, re-entry permits and the fee changes from October 2026.
- Permanent residency The usual route, the shorter routes, and the tighter rules and higher fee from 2026.
- Naturalization: becoming a Japanese citizen The conditions, the interview, dual nationality, and how it differs from permanent residency.
- Getting help and rules to follow Where to ask, who can apply for you, scams to avoid, and the rules that cause the most trouble.
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Words worth knowing
- 在留資格 zairyū shikaku
- Status of residence. What the law lets you do in Japan.
- 在留カード zairyū kādo
- Residence card, given to most people staying longer than three months.
- 在留期間 zairyū kikan
- Period of stay, such as one, three or five years.
- 在留資格認定証明書 zairyū shikaku nintei shōmeisho
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE), issued in Japan before you apply for the visa.
- 出入国在留管理庁 shutsunyūkoku zairyū kanri-chō
- Immigration Services Agency (ISA).
- 永住者 eijūsha
- Permanent resident.
- 帰化 kika
- Naturalization, becoming a Japanese citizen.
- 行政書士 gyōsei shoshi
- Administrative scrivener, a licensed professional who can prepare immigration applications.
Related on e2japan
Common questions
Can I work on a tourist stay?
No. Temporary visitor status does not allow any paid work, and that includes remote work for a Japanese client. A few visas, such as the working holiday and digital nomad visas, are designed for specific kinds of work.
What is a Certificate of Eligibility?
A document, usually applied for by your employer or school in Japan at an immigration bureau, that says you meet the conditions for a status. With it, the visa at a Japanese embassy is usually quick. It is not itself a visa.
Do I need a residence card?
Most people who stay longer than three months get one, and you must carry it. Tourists carry their passport instead. The living guide explains what to do with the card when you arrive.
How long until permanent residency?
It depends on your route. The general rule has been ten years of residence, with shorter periods for highly skilled professionals and for spouses of Japanese nationals. The rules were tightened in 2026 and more changes are reported from 2027.
Can I hold two nationalities?
Japan generally does not allow adults to keep two nationalities. Becoming a Japanese citizen normally means giving up your other nationality, so think about that before you apply.
Requirements depend on your nationality, status and case, and officials have some discretion. The Immigration Services Agency has the final word.