Reviewed by the XROSS HOUSE team — a Tokyo-based operator of share houses and furnished apartments across 11 prefectures in Japan, with more than 50,000 residents housed to date.
- Japan's digital nomad visa is a "Designated Activities" status for remote workers who earn from employers or clients outside Japan.
- The main requirements: an annual income of at least ¥10 million, a nationality on the official list, and private medical insurance with at least ¥10 million of cover for injury and illness.
- You can stay up to six months. There is no extension, and you must wait six months before applying for the same status again.
- No residence card is issued, so plan your phone, money and housing around your passport.
- A furnished apartment with a short contract is a natural fit: furniture and appliances are in place, and you can stay from one month.
Planning six months in Japan? Ask us about furnished apartments
What is Japan's digital nomad visa?
Japan introduced a residence status for digital nomads in 2024. Officially it is a type of "Designated Activities". It lets you live in Japan for up to six months while you keep working online for people outside Japan.
The status covers two kinds of work:
- Remote employees: you have an employment contract with a company or organisation set up under foreign law, and you work online for its office outside Japan.
- Freelancers and business owners: you provide paid services or sell goods online to people outside Japan.
Work that can only be done by being in Japan is not covered. You also cannot take a job with a Japanese company or organisation, and side work outside the status is not allowed in principle. If you want to work for a Japanese employer, you need a different status. Our Japan work visa guide explains the main options.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) (as of October 2026)
Japan digital nomad visa requirements
The Immigration Services Agency lists these conditions. All of them apply at the same time.
| Item | Official condition |
|---|---|
| Income | Your own annual income is at least ¥10 million at the time you apply |
| Nationality | A country or region that is covered by Japan's visa exemption for short-term visitors and that has a tax convention with Japan (see the official chart) |
| Medical insurance | Private insurance covering death, injury and illness for your whole stay, with at least ¥10 million for medical treatment of injury and illness |
| Length of stay | Up to six months, with no extension. Your stay under this status must not go over six months in any one year |
| Applying again | After your stay ends, wait six months before applying for the same status again |
| Residence card | Not issued |
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan and its overview sheet (as of October 2026)
The nationality rule surprises some people. If your passport needs a visa for a short visit to Japan, this status is not available to you, even if your income qualifies. Check the official chart before you plan anything else. We cannot judge whether a particular person qualifies, so confirm the details with the Immigration Services Agency or a Japanese embassy or consulate.
Bringing your spouse and children
A spouse and children who depend on you can come with you under their own "Designated Activities" status. They also need a nationality that is visa-exempt for short visits and the same level of medical insurance. Their stay follows the same six-month limit, and in principle they cannot work in Japan.
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How to apply: step by step
New arrivals apply through a Certificate of Eligibility, the document that Japanese embassies and consulates use when issuing your visa. A typical order looks like this:
- Check the basics: your nationality on the official chart, proof of your income, and your employment contract or client contracts.
- Buy medical insurance that meets the cover required for the whole stay.
- Apply for the Certificate of Eligibility at a regional immigration office in Japan. The official page lists who can submit the application and which documents are needed.
- Apply for your visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country once the certificate is issued.
- Book your first home and flights as soon as your dates are clear.
- Arrive in Japan and land with the status of "Designated Activities" for six months.
Processing times vary, so leave plenty of time before your planned start date. XROSS HOUSE does not handle visa applications. We help with where you will live.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (as of October 2026)
Living in Japan without a residence card
Most foreign residents staying longer than three months receive a residence card. Digital nomads do not. Your passport, with the landing permission stamp, is the document you show. This changes a few everyday things, so plan for them before you fly.
- Health cover: you are not in the usual system that residents join through the city office, which is why the private insurance requirement matters. Keep your policy details easy to find. Our National Health Insurance guide explains the public system for comparison.
- Phone and internet: many Japanese mobile contracts ask for a residence card. An eSIM or a prepaid plan is often easier for a six-month stay.
- Money: Japanese bank accounts usually ask for a residence card too. Most nomads keep using their overseas cards. Check card fees and ATM access before you arrive.
- Housing: a standard Japanese lease often expects a residence card and a long contract. A furnished home with a short contract avoids most of that.
Rules differ by provider, so ask each company what it accepts.
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Where to stay for six months as a digital nomad
Six months is too long for most people to stay in a hotel, but too short for a standard rental. Here are the usual choices.
| Option | Good points | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel or serviced apartment | Easy to book, cleaning included | High monthly cost over six months, small rooms, limited kitchen |
| Standard Japanese rental | Wide choice of areas | Contracts are usually built for long stays, the flat often comes empty, and initial costs can reach several months' rent |
| Share house | Private room, furnished, shared kitchen and lounge, free shared Wi-Fi | Shared bathroom and kitchen, less quiet for video calls |
| Furnished apartment | Your own flat with its own kitchen and bathroom, furniture and appliances included, short contracts | You arrange your own internet |
For more on these options in the capital, see our guide to long-term stay options in Tokyo. If you are comparing budgets, our cost of living in Japan guide breaks a month into categories.
Why a furnished apartment suits a six-month remote-work stay
For most remote workers, a private flat makes daily work easier: a quiet room for calls, your own kitchen, and no house rules about shared space. XROSS HOUSE furnished apartments are built for stays like this.
- Ready to live in: furniture and appliances are already in the room, so you do not buy a bed, a fridge or a washing machine for six months.
- Short stays: you can stay from one month and leave with one month's notice. Some discount campaigns come with a minimum stay, so check the conditions in your estimate if you use one.
- Digital nomad status accepted: we welcome residents on many statuses, including the digital nomad status. To apply, you need your passport, a photo, an emergency contact in your home country and your personal details.
- Arrange it from abroad: contracts are online, and online viewings are available. You can apply about one month before your move-in date, and the earliest move-in is 7 days after applying.
- Low start-up cost: initial costs for a typical Japanese rental, such as a deposit, key money and an agency fee, often add up to several months' rent. At XROSS HOUSE, the initial cost for a furnished apartment is a registration fee of ¥30,000 under a current campaign (normally ¥50,000), with no deposit or agency fee. A guarantee company fee is charged separately for individual contracts, as explained below.
- Split your six months between cities: we operate in 11 prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka. Moving between XROSS HOUSE properties carries no transfer fee, even across prefectures. If you joined a guarantee company, it re-screens you and charges its own fee.
Internet for remote work
Our furnished apartments do not include Wi-Fi. Residents can rent a mobile Wi-Fi router from XROSS HOUSE as a paid option, with 100 GB of data a month and no Japanese phone number needed. See our mobile Wi-Fi rental guide for the fees and terms. If your work involves long video calls every day, check whether that data allowance fits your workload before you choose. Our share houses and shared apartments have shared Wi-Fi that residents use free of charge.
Get an estimate for your six-month stay
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Guarantor and guarantee company
- No personal joint guarantor is needed.
- Individual contracts generally require joining a rent guarantee company. An initial guarantee fee and a monthly guarantee fee are charged separately, on top of the registration fee. The amounts are given in your estimate.
- If you pay everything from the initial costs through to the move-out costs in full at move-in, you do not need to join a guarantee company. In that case, you also do not need to submit a bank balance certificate.
Because a digital nomad stay has a fixed end date, paying in full at move-in is often the simplest route. Ask for a written estimate that lists the registration fee, monthly rent, the monthly support fee and the move-out administration fee (¥55,000 for furnished apartments), so you can see the total for your stay. Current details are on our fees page.
Without a Japanese bank account, payment is a common worry. The registration fee can be paid by credit card or QR code payment. How monthly costs are paid depends on your guarantee company plan, so if you plan to pay in full at move-in, ask about payment methods when you request your estimate.
Budget checklist for six months in Japan
Your costs depend on your city and lifestyle, so we do not give a single total here. Use this list to build your own budget.
- Before you fly: flights, medical insurance for the full stay, and any document fees.
- Housing: the registration fee, rent, the monthly support fee and the move-out fee from your estimate.
- Connection: an eSIM or prepaid phone plan and internet for work.
- Daily life: food, transport, coworking space if you use one, and a buffer for the first month.
- Exit: your flight home, or a move to another city if you split your stay.
Planning the whole move from the US? Our guide on how to move to Japan from the U.S. covers the wider picture.
FAQ: Japan digital nomad visa
Can I extend the Japan digital nomad visa beyond six months?
No. The status is granted for six months and cannot be extended. After it ends, you must wait six months before applying for the same status again. See the official page (as of October 2026).
Does the ¥10 million income include my partner's income?
The official overview says the applicant's own annual income must be at least ¥10 million at the time of application. Check with the Immigration Services Agency how your income should be documented.
Can I work for a Japanese company on a digital nomad visa?
No. The status covers remote work for a foreign employer, or paid services and sales to people outside Japan. Work under a contract with a Japanese organisation is not allowed. Our Japan work visa guide covers statuses for working in Japan.
Will I get a residence card as a digital nomad?
No. A residence card is not issued for this status. Your passport with the landing permission is the document you show, so check what each phone company, bank or landlord accepts before you arrive.
Can my family come with me?
A dependent spouse and children can apply for their own "Designated Activities" status. They also need a visa-exempt nationality and the same medical insurance cover, and in principle they cannot work in Japan.
Can I rent an apartment in Japan without a residence card?
Many standard leases expect one, but XROSS HOUSE accepts residents on the digital nomad status. You apply with your passport, a photo, an emergency contact in your home country and your personal details, and you can stay from one month.
Do I need a guarantor to rent a furnished apartment for six months?
No personal joint guarantor is needed at XROSS HOUSE. Individual contracts generally require joining a rent guarantee company, with an initial and a monthly guarantee fee charged separately. If you pay everything from the initial costs to the move-out costs in full at move-in, joining is not required. More answers are on our FAQ page.
Talk to our English-speaking team about your stay
The digital nomad visa gives you six months to live and work in Japan, but only if your income, nationality and insurance line up. Check those three first. Once your dates are clear, book a home that is ready on day one, so your first week goes into work and exploring, not shopping for furniture.
