Long-stay visas for Japan
A six-month digital nomad route exists but is narrower than most coverage suggests: it is limited by nationality, carries a high income bar, and cannot be renewed or extended.
Designated Activities (Public Notice No. 53) โ Digital Nomad
6 months, non-renewable; the designated stay must not exceed 6 months within any one-year periodJapan's digital nomad route grants "Designated Activities (6 months)" under Public Notice No. 53 and cannot be extended โ the Immigration Services Agency Q&A states the stay is "ๆ้ท๏ผใๆ้ใงใใใๅจ็ๆ้ใฎๆดๆฐใฏ่ชใใใใพใใ", after which you must spend six months outside Japan before applying again. You need personal annual income of at least 10,000,000 yen at the time of application and private medical insurance whose treatment-cost cover for injury and illness is at least 10,000,000 yen, plus cover for death. Only nationals of the 51 countries and regions on the ISA's Notice 53 list (visa-exempt and with a tax treaty with Japan) qualify, and since 1 July 2026 the single-entry visa fee is 15,000 yen rather than the long-quoted 3,000 yen.
Insurance: ยฅ10,000,0005 corrections tracked
What a month actually costs
| Main hub | Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Lean month | about $1,400 |
| Comfortable month | about $2,600 |
Estimates for one person, excluding flights and insurance. Presented as estimates because no primary source exists for cost of living โ unlike every visa figure on this site, these are not sourced claims.