Overview: which visa fits your situation
Japan has 27 types of residence status, but the ones most foreigners care about are six work visas, a couple of "designated activities" categories, and the spouse / dependent visas.
The quickest way to figure out which one fits you: run our visa eligibility checker, then come back here for the deep dive. The HSP threshold can also be checked with the HSP points calculator.
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
The default work visa for most foreigners in tech, finance, business, design, marketing, translation, and language teaching. About 70% of new working-visa approvals fall under this category.
Who qualifies
- Bachelor's degree in a field relevant to the job, OR
- 10+ years of practical work experience in the field (less common, harder to prove), OR
- For language-teaching specifically: bachelor's degree (any field) + proven language skills.
Sponsorship
An employer has to sponsor your application. You can't apply for this visa speculatively without a job offer.
Cost
The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) costs ¥0 if filed by your employer in Japan. The visa sticker at the embassy is roughly ¥3,000 single-entry / ¥6,000 multi.
Duration
Granted in 1, 3, or 5-year increments. Renewable indefinitely.
Highly Skilled Professional (HSP), Type 1(b)
The "fast lane" visa. Points-based; you need 70+ to qualify for the 5-year HSP visa, or 80+ for the 1-year permanent-residency fast track.
Run the HSP calculator to score yourself. The most common ways to hit 70 are:
- Master's (20) + 7 yrs experience (15) + age <35 (10) + ¥7M salary (25) = 70
- Bachelor's (10) + 5 yrs (10) + age <30 (15) + ¥6M (20) + JLPT N1 (15) = 70
- PhD (30) + 5 yrs (10) + age <35 (10) + ¥7M (25) = 80
Business Manager
For founders and executives running a Japan-registered business.
Requirements
- Real office (no virtual offices accepted).
- ¥5M minimum capital investment.
- Either two full-time non-foreign staff OR ¥5M+ in operational expenses each year.
- A credible business plan.
Immigration officers may physically visit your office. Be prepared.
Instructor
Specifically for K-12 teachers at Japanese elementary, junior-high, and high schools. Eikaiwa (English conversation school) and corporate teaching roles use Engineer/Specialist instead, not Instructor.
Working Holiday
If you're 18-30 (some countries 18-25), citizen of one of 27 partner countries, and meet the financial requirements (typically ¥250K liquid assets at entry), you can apply for a 6-12 month working holiday visa.
It's not a path to long-term residence, but it's an excellent way to test Japan before committing.
Designated Activities (J-Find)
Introduced in 2023 for graduates of top-ranked global universities. Gives you up to 2 years in Japan to find work.
Spouse visa
If your spouse is a Japanese citizen or PR holder, this is the simplest visa. Unrestricted work rights, eligible for PR after 3 years, and you stop being a visa liability for employers.
Documents you'll need
Universal: passport, photos (4×3 cm), application form. Plus visa-specific items:
- Engineer/Specialist: diploma + transcript, employer's company registration, employment contract.
- HSP: all of the above + point sheet + supporting documents (JLPT certificate, etc.).
- Business Manager: business plan, office lease, capital deposit proof, hiring records.
- Spouse: marriage certificate (Japanese family register if applicable), spouse's residence card or koseki.
Use our visa timeline tool to get a checklist specific to your situation.
Realistic timeline
- Engineer/Specialist via Japanese employer: COE takes 4-12 weeks, visa sticker 3-5 days, total ~2-4 months.
- HSP: similar to E/S but officers may take longer if points are borderline (~8-14 weeks).
- Business Manager: 8-16 weeks plus 2-3 months of pre-setup (registering company, opening office).
Common pitfalls
- Mismatched job and degree: a CS grad applying for a marketing role gets refused under E/S. You'd need 10+ years of marketing experience to compensate.
- Salary below the minimum: ¥3M floor for E/S in practice. HSP requires ¥3M absolute minimum.
- Working before COE arrives: illegal. Wait.
- Employer trouble: if your sponsoring employer goes bankrupt or your visa is for a job that ends, you have 3 months to find a new sponsor.
- Visa-status mismatch: doing a job your visa doesn't permit (e.g., teaching on a marketing visa) can trigger refusal of future renewals.
Transitioning between visa types
Common transitions:
- Working Holiday → Engineer/Specialist (must find sponsor before WH expires).
- Engineer/Specialist → HSP (apply once you score 70+).
- Engineer/Specialist or HSP → Business Manager (founding a company).
- Any work visa → Spouse (marriage).
Path to permanent residence
Standard path: 10 years of continuous residence in Japan, with 5+ of those on a working visa. HSP shortcuts this: 80+ points = PR in 1 year; 70+ points = PR in 3 years.
Spouse visa holders: PR in 3 years (or 1 year if married 3+ years and resident 1 year).