Digital nomad visa applications to launch in Japan in March
Ahead of cherry blossom season, Japan will reportedly roll out a digital nomad visa next month for visitors looking to work and stay for up to six months, per local outlets citing the country's Immigration Services Agency.
The visa will be available for remote workers who make at least $68,300 annually, including self-employed applicants, according to Japan Times. The publication reported that digital nomad visas will be issued starting at the end of March to allow visa holders to work from anywhere in Japan.
Digital nomad visas will be available for short- and mid-term workers from more than 45 countries — including the U.S. — that have a tax treaty with Japan permitting stays in the country for up to six months. Qualified applicants must fall under the "specified activities" visa category, per Japan Times. In addition to the aforementioned income and activity requirement, applicants must also have private health insurance, according to the newspaper.
Based on reporting by Unseen Japan, digital nomads will be eligible to renew their visa for an additional six months after exiting the country for six months, per a tweet from Imaeda Soichiro, deputy minister at Japan's Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture and Science, on Jan. 30, interpreted by the outlet.
As of Feb. 2, it is unclear how the application process will work or how much it will cost. Neither the U.S. Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy in Japan have updated their websites to include information on Japan's digital nomad visa application process for Americans.
Though Japan is Asia's latest country to implement a digital nomad program, nearly 50 countries currently offer programs for remote workers to live abroad for extended periods, including Italy, Croatia and Portugal.
This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
Related reading:
- 575 flights, 432 award nights and 259 cities: How I spent 6 years as a digital nomad
- Japan is slowly reopening to tourists: Here's how I visited without a group tour
- The best ways to travel to Japan with points and miles
- The best times to visit Japan
- 2024 cherry blossom forecast announced for Japan
- Want to become a digital nomad? This is where you should go
- 6 ways award travel and elite status pair well with my digital nomad life
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