To live and work in Japan as a non-citizen, it is mandatory to have a residency status that aligns with your line of work. Depending on your goals, you might apply for one of several residency permits, such as the Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager, or Specified Skilled Worker tracks. The type of permit also varies depending on your individual circumstances—for example, if you have married a Japanese national, or if you have lived in Japan for over 10 years and wish to apply for permanent residency.

Due to a recent rise in residency applications, processing times often exceed three months from the date of submission. And because the application process only starts once you have all the required documents in order, we recommend that you contact us for visa applications at least six months prior to your target date.

For business management visas, the requirements are:

1. Amount of investment: 30 M JPY more
2. Experience of business management: 3 years more, or holding master’s degree or higher on business management
3. Full – time employee: 1 employee more
4. Amount of investment: 30 M JPY more
5. Sufficient Japanese language ability: Applicant or employee
6. Business plan certified by specialist

While the requirements for capital have become considerably higher, we believe that ¥30 million is not an unreasonable figure. After all, it routinely takes five years or more for a business to get on track, and there are upfront business investments, living expenses, and other costs that must be covered during that time.

Because Yoshimoto Tax Office offers both tax accounting and certified administrative procedures legal specialist services, we are able to fulfill the requirement to have your business plan certified by a specialist (no. 5 above).

And of course, we would be happy to handle your tax and accounting needs after you have obtained your Business Manager visa.

Contact Yoshimoto Tax Office today to find out how we can help get your business up and running in Japan.