Short answers to the questions that come up most often, grouped by topic. Each links through to the page with the full picture.
Getting into Japan
Do I need a visa to visit Japan?
It depends on your nationality. Japan waives the requirement for short visits by nationals of 74 countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU. If yours is not on the list, you need a visa even for a weekend. See Visa-Exempt Countries.
What is JESTA and when does it start?
A pre-travel screening system Japan's Cabinet approved in March 2026, modelled on the US ESTA. Once fully rolled out, targeted for 2028, visa-exempt travellers will register online and get authorisation before boarding. It does not replace any visa and it does not remove visa exemption; it adds a step for people who currently need none.
How much does a Japan visa cost now?
Consular visa fees rose on 1 July 2026 for the first time since 1978: ¥15,000 single-entry and ¥30,000 multiple-entry, up from ¥3,000 and ¥6,000. Domestic immigration fees rose separately on 1 October 2026. See Japan Visa Fees by Category.
Can I extend a 90-day tourist stay?
Not normally. Extensions are granted only for unavoidable reasons such as illness. A few nationalities, including British, German, Irish, Swiss, Austrian and Mexican, have reciprocal arrangements allowing an application to extend a short stay to six months. See Tourist Visa.
Working in Japan
Does Japan issue a separate work permit?
No. Your status of residence itself determines whether and what kind of work you may do. There is no document to apply for on top of it. See Work Visas.
Can I work remotely from Japan on a tourist visa?
No. Temporary Visitor status permits no paid work, including work for an employer outside Japan performed from inside Japan. The Digital Nomad status exists for exactly this, with a ¥10 million income requirement and a six-month cap.
How long does a Japan work visa take?
One and a half to four months from a standing start: one to three months for the Certificate of Eligibility, then about five working days for the visa at an embassy. Add two to four weeks before that for assembling documents. See Processing Times.
My degree does not match the job. Can I still get a work visa?
Possibly. The Engineer/Specialist status accepts ten years of relevant professional experience instead of a matching degree, or three years for the International Services category. Certain IT qualifications substitute for the degree entirely.
Can I change jobs on a work visa?
Yes, if the new job falls within the same status of residence. Notify immigration within 14 days of leaving and of joining. Applying for a Certificate of Authorized Employment before you resign confirms in writing that the new role qualifies.
Studying
Can students work part-time?
With separate permission, yes: 28 hours a week during term, 8 hours a day during official holidays, counted across all jobs combined. Adult entertainment venues are excluded. The limit is enforced through payroll data, and exceeding it puts your status at risk. See Student Visa.
Do student years count toward permanent residency?
They count toward the ten-year residence total, but not toward the five years of work-status residence inside it. Four years of study plus five of work leaves you a year short.
Family
Can I bring my spouse and children?
In most cases. Spouses of Japanese nationals get Spouse of Japanese National status with unrestricted work rights. Family of a work or student visa holder come on Dependent status, which carries no work rights by default and the same 28-hour cap once permission is granted. See Spouse, Dependent & Family Visas.
Can I bring my parents to live with me?
Generally no. Japan has no standing route for parents. The exceptions run through Highly Skilled Professional status, where a parent may come to help with a child under seven or a pregnancy, and rare humanitarian permission for an elderly parent with no one to care for them abroad.
What happens to my visa if I divorce?
Spouse status depends on the marriage. Notify immigration within 14 days and apply to change to another status immediately. Long-Term Resident status is sometimes granted to former spouses with a long marriage or children in Japan, and carries unrestricted work rights.
Staying long term
How do I qualify for permanent residency faster?
The standard route is ten years. Spouses of Japanese nationals currently qualify after three years of marriage plus one year of residence, though this is moving to five and three. Highly Skilled Professional holders qualify after three years at 70 points, or one year at 80 points or via J-Skip.
What changed about permanent residency in 2026?
Three things. The fee went from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000 on 1 October 2026. Income is now benchmarked against the national average for a comparable household over five years. And from April 2027 applicants will generally need Japanese at roughly JLPT N2, while deliberate non-payment of taxes or social insurance becomes grounds for revoking the status. See Japan Permanent Residency.
Why do permanent residency applications get refused?
Most often for tax and pension records. Immigration checks not just that you paid but that you paid on time, and late payment counts against you even once the balance is settled. Get current, then let two or three clean years accumulate before applying.
Do I need Japanese to live in Japan?
Not for most work statuses, which have no language requirement at all. Specified Skilled Worker requires JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic. Permanent residency gains a roughly N2 requirement in April 2027. See Japanese Language Requirements.
Paperwork and terminology
What is the difference between a visa and a status of residence?
A visa is permission from a Japanese embassy to travel to Japan, checked once at the border and then spent. A status of residence is what Immigration grants you on arrival, and it governs how long you stay and what you may do. You renew the status, not the visa. See Visa vs. Status of Residence.
What if my period of stay expires while a renewal is pending?
If you filed before it expired, you may generally remain under the same conditions for up to two months while immigration decides. File three months out rather than relying on that. See Extending or Renewing Your Status of Residence.
What happens if I overstay?
Overstaying carries a re-entry ban and follows you through every future application. There is no administrative forgiveness for a short overstay. If a status is about to lapse and you have no application pending, leaving voluntarily protects your record in a way that staying does not.
A note on currency
Immigration rules change often, and several significant changes land between now and April 2027. Confirm anything time-sensitive with the Immigration Services Agency or a Japanese embassy before acting on it.