Good fit
High-earning remote workers from listed eligible countries who can prove income and insurance and only need up to six months in Japan without seeking local employment or permanent settlement.
Japan · Digital Nomad / Remote Work
Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)
A temporary Japan route for nationals of eligible visa-exempt tax-treaty countries who earn at least 10 million yen a year and hold private medical travel insurance covering death, injury and illness (medical treatment coverage of 10 million yen or more). Work must be remote international work for a foreign employer or overseas clients using ICT; local Japanese employment is not the model.
Status note. The Immigration Services Agency publishes Designated Activities (Digital Nomad) as an active status for remote international work for a stay not exceeding six months. Extension is not granted; after six months the same status cannot be reapplied for until another six months have passed, and a residence card is not issued.
Decision fit
Who this pathway serves
Important limits
Applicants from non-eligible nationalities, people below the 10 million yen income threshold, those needing longer than six months, or people seeking a Japanese employer-sponsored work status or permanent residence path.
Minimums · 1 of 9 fields sourced
Eligibility
Age
Work experience
ContextISA requires documents proving current work status such as an employment contract or certificate of employment, and materials explaining the activity schedule in Japan.
Language
Education
AssessmentNo
Selection threshold
CompetitionUnknown - confirm with the official source
Health and character
Medical examUnknown - confirm with the official source
Police certificateUnknown - confirm with the official source
Costs · 0 of 2 fields sourced
Funds and fees
Settlement funds
No settlement-fund table is published.
Application fees
No fee table is published.
Outcomes · 5 of 7 fields sourced
Residence, work, and family
Permanent residence
WorkYes
ContextThis status is temporary for up to six months, does not issue a residence card, and does not establish a permanent-residence pathway.
Family
PartnerYes
ChildrenYes
ContextISA publishes a separate Designated Activities status for the spouse or child of a digital nomad, also for six months with private medical insurance requirements.
Citizenship
ContextThe digital-nomad sources do not establish citizenship eligibility.
Processing time
ContextA Certificate of Eligibility application may be filed with regional immigration services. Stay is six months with no extension. After using the full six months, reapplication for the same status requires waiting another six months.
Sources
Official sources
Citations
Field provenance
Designated Activities for Digital Nomad
"Six months (No extension will be granted.)"
Other requirements
"Applicant must hold a private medical travel insurance which covers death, injury, illness during their stay."
Annual income of at least 10 million yen
"Annual income of an applicant must be at least 10 million yen at the time of application."
Other requirements
"Applicant must hold a private medical travel insurance which covers death, injury, illness during their stay."
Information only, not legal advice. Rules, fees, and processing times change. Confirm the linked official pages before acting.