The historic depreciation of the yen may have contributed greatly to this, with the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeding the pre-Corona level of 21 million. In the course of my work, I have visited 30 countries around the world, and after visiting foreign countries, I have come to think once again that Japan is amazing and wonderful. There is no end to the good things about Japan: delicious food wherever you go, outstanding technology such as the Shinkansen bullet train, the precision with which high-speed trains operate minute by minute, and the safety of being able to walk alone in the downtown area at night.
Since April this year, Japan has also started to recognise the status of residence of DEGITAL NOMADS, who are invited to visit all parts of Japan for six months, taste the delicious Japanese food and fully immerse themselves in the Japanese culture, which has more than 1,000 years of proud history.
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How to obtain a Digital Nomad Visa
There is also a way to apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your own country without coming to Japan, but it requires more documents and more time than the regular method of obtaining a COE(Certificate of Eligibility) in Japan.
This section explains how to come to Japan for a short-stay visa and switch to a digital nomad visa.
STEP1：Come to Japan on a short-stay visa.（Validity of short-stay visa is 90 days. However, in case of Switzerland, Ireland. Austria, Germany, UK and Mexico, more 90 days will be given just by applying for it.)
STEP2 : Apply for CEO for DEGITAL NOMADS to immigration office.
(If you use an administrative scrivener who specializes in immigration work, they will produce accurate documents for a low fee.)
STEP3 : After receiving permission, go to the immigration office again to have the visa affixed to your passport.
A resident card is always issued to foreign residents, but not to digital nomads. A visa will be affixed to your passport, which you must carry with you.
Normally, a permit is granted within one to two months, but if the 90-day period is exceeded, the applicant must either return to their countries or leave for Korea or other countries nearby that allow entry into Japan without a visa. If you leave Korea or other countries once and re-enter, you can stay for 90 days again.
About the Activities
Please refer to the guidelines from the Immigration Service Agency here.(Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” )
To the point；
- It must be something that uses ICT.(Information and Communication Technology)
- Should be addressed to a foreign company or to an individual in a foreign country, but not to an order from a company in Japan or involving
transactions in Japan. - Activities outside of the qualification are not permitted (e.g., part-time translation or teaching at a language school or part-time job at a
convenience store, etc.).
The major feature of the digital nomad visa is that the applicant must not to have an employer in Japan, which is a big advantage for the applicant, while the normal residence visa has a sticky condition that the applicant must have an employer in Japan.
Period of Stay
Six months (No extension will be granted.)
After the digital nomad visa is granted, you can stay in Japan for 6 months, but you must leave the country after the 6 months are up. If you wish to come to Japan again with a digital nomad visa, you will need to wait an interval of 6 months.
Please note that it is not possible to work part-time with a short-stay visa. You also cannot work while applying for a digital nomad visa. You need to bring enough money to stay in Japan for two months (about 500,000 yen) until your digital nomad visa is approved.
Allowed Countries of DIGITAL NOMADS
They are;
Europe:
Austria/ Belgium/ Bulgaria/ Croatia/ Czech/ Denmark/ Estonia/ Finland/ France/ Germany/ Hungary/
Iceland/ Ireland/ Italy/ Latvia/ Lithuania/ Luxembourg/ Netherlands/ Norway/ Poland/ Portugal/
Romania/ Serbia/ Slovakia/ Slovenia/ Spain/ Sweden/ Switzerland/ U.K
North and South America:
Brazil/ Canada/ Chile/ U.S./ Urguay/ Mexico
Oceania:
Australia/ New Zealand
Asia:
Brunei/ Hong Kong/ Indonesia/ Malaysia/ Korea/ Singapore/ Taiwan/ Thailand/ Turkey
Others:
Qatar/ UAE
Required annual income and medical-care insurance
● Annual Income: At least 10 million yen(about $70,000) at the time of application.
● Private medical travel insurance ：Covers death, injury, illness during your stay. And the amount of compensation for medical treatment for injury and illness, it should be 10 million yen or more
Digital nomads are not required to register as residents. Therefore, they do not have to pay resident tax nor national health insurance premiums. (For a Japanese with an annual income of about 5 million yen, the resident tax and national health insurance premiums would be about 1 million yen per year. )
This is a very big advantage!
However, on the other hand, the Japanese government's attitude is that if any problem arises, you must solve it yourself.
Spouse and children accompanying
You can bring your wife, husband, and children as family members on this visa, but you must support them.
In addition to the nationalities listed above, the following nationalities are also acceptable.
Argentina/ Andorra / El Salvador / Cyprus / Greece / Guatemala / Costa Rica / San Marino / Suriname Chenidia / Dominica / Bahamas / Barbados / Honduras / Macau/ Malta / Mauritius / Monaco / Liechtenstein/ Lesotho/ North Macedonia
A word from the writer
If you ever come to Japan, I hope you will enjoy real sushi. Sushi has already become a worldwide food, and each country has its own unique cuisine, which is mixed with the tastes and preferences of its own people. I don't deny this trend, and I like California rolls.
However, it is the effort of the artisans who go above and beyond in the preparation and processing of the fish that makes sushi truly delicious. Sushi is not just rice with ingredients on top. The rice and the ingredients are cooked in such a way that the rice and the ingredients will melt in your mouth. Please visit what is considered to be a first-class restaurant. I promise you that your view of the world will change.
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