Japan offers six-month digital nomad visa from next month

By Hoang Vu February 21, 2024 | 04:21 am PT

People walk at a Japanese Izakaya pub alley in Tokyo, Japan, July 6, 2022. Photo by Reuters

Japan has announced a six-month visa for digital nomads from late March with certain requirements, becoming the latest destination to join the race of over 50 countries issuing digital nomad visas.

Only citizens from 49 countries and territories including Thailand, Singapore, the U.S. and Australia are eligible for the visa, Japan Times reported.

Applicants are required to earn a minimum annual income of ¥10 million (US$66,681) and have private insurance.

They will be allowed to live and work remotely from anywhere in the country, but they do not qualify for a residence card, which typically grants access to certain government benefits.

In addition, the visa is non-renewable and requires reapplication, only six months after leaving Japan, according to travel and hospitality website Travel Daily Media.

However, digital nomad communities complained the requirements of Japan’s visa are restrictive, Australia’s ABC News reported.

They said the visa’s six-month validity "was too short" for long-term travelers and the minimum annual salary requirement "was too stringent."

In Southeast Asia, only Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia offer special visa programs for foreigners to work remotely with certain requirements.