All 27 Japan Visa Types & Categories 2026

Choose the right visa type based on your purpose of visit

Japan has 29 statuses of residence; this site covers all 27 except Diplomat and Official. 15 Designated Activities sub-types, such as Working Holiday and Digital Nomad, have detail pages of their own.

Staying up to 90 days? (Short-term)

Tourism, family visits, business trips — whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. No COE involved.

Check by nationality Tourist Visa JAPAN eVISA

Staying longer than 90 days? (Long-term)

Work, study, family, business — pick your status of residence below. Every long-term visa starts with a COE.

COE process Immigration & PR

Short-Term Visits →

Tourism, business trips, and cultural experiences

1

Short-Term Stay (Tourism / Business)

Tourism, family visits, and short business trips — no COE needed

Work & Employment →

Work visas for various professions in Japan

14

Engineer / Humanities / International Services

IT engineers, translators, designers, marketers, and other professionals

✅ COE required

Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2)

Points-based visa for top professionals with fast-track PR eligibility

✅ COE required

Intra-Company Transferee

Employees transferred from an overseas office to a Japan branch

✅ COE required

Professor

Teaching and research at universities and colleges in Japan

✅ COE required

Researcher

Professional research at government agencies or private companies

✅ COE required

Educator

Language teaching and other education at primary and secondary schools

✅ COE required

Medical Services

Licensed doctors, dentists, nurses, and other medical professionals

✅ COE required

Legal / Accounting Services

Foreign law attorneys, certified public accountants, and similar

✅ COE required

Nursing Care

Certified nursing care workers (Kaigo Fukushishi)

✅ COE required

Entertainer

Actors, singers, dancers, and professional athletes

✅ COE required

Skilled Labor (Chef, Craftsman, etc.)

Foreign cuisine chefs, sports instructors, artisans, and pilots

✅ COE required

Artist

Paid artistic activities — composers, painters, writers

✅ COE required

Religious Activities

Missionaries and religious workers dispatched by overseas organizations

✅ COE required

Journalist

Foreign media correspondents and photographers based in Japan

✅ COE required

Business & Investment →

Start a business, invest, or manage a company in Japan

1

Business Manager

Entrepreneurs and managers running a business in Japan

✅ COE required

Specified Skills & Technical Intern →

Skilled workers and technical interns in designated industries

2

Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1 & 2)

Skilled workers in 14 specified industries; Type 2 allows family

✅ COE required

Technical Intern Training

Foreign nationals undergoing technical training in Japan

✅ COE required

Working Holiday · Designated Activities →

Working Holiday, Digital Nomad, and other specified activities

1

Designated Activities (特定活動)

Catch-all residence status for 20+ sub-types — from Working Holiday to J-Find, Medical Stay, EPA Nurse, and more

✅ COE required

Study & Training →

Study at universities, language schools, training programs, or unpaid cultural activities

3

Student

Study at universities, graduate schools, vocational schools, or language schools

✅ COE required

Trainee

Skills training at public or private institutions in Japan

✅ COE required

Cultural Activities

Unpaid academic or artistic activities, or learning traditional Japanese arts

✅ COE required

Family, Spouse & Permanent Residence →

Reunite with family, spouse visas, and permanent residency

5

Family Stay (Dependent)

Dependents (spouse/children) of foreign residents in Japan

✅ COE required

Spouse / Child of Japanese National

Spouse, child, or special adoptee of a Japanese national

✅ COE required

Spouse / Child of Permanent Resident

Spouse or Japan-born child of a permanent resident

✅ COE required

Long-Term Resident

Nikkei 3rd generation, refugees, and Chinese war orphans

✅ COE required

Permanent Resident

Permanent residence with no employment restrictions

🏠 Apply in Japan