Visiting Japan (Japanese Visa information / requirements)

REQUIREMENTS

Professor 
  Examples: university professor, assistant professor, assistant, etc.
      >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Artist 
  Examples: composers, songwriters, artists, sculptors, craftspeople, photographers, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Religious activities 
  Examples: religious people such as monks, bishops, missionaries, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Journalist 
  Examples: newspaper journalists, magazine journalists, editors, news cameramen, announcers, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Business manager 
  Examples: company presidents, directors, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 4 months

Legal/Accounting services 
  Examples: attorneys, judicial scriveners, public accountants, tax accountants, etc. certified in Japan
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Medical services 
  Examples: physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, etc. certified in Japan
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Researcher 
  Examples: researchers, investigators, etc. at research institutes, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Instructor 
  Examples: teachers, etc. at elementary schools, intermediate schools and high schools
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Engineer/Specialist in humanities/International services 
  Examples: scientific engineers, IT engineers, foreign language teachers, interpreters, copywriters, designers, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Intra-company transferee 
  Examples: people transferred to the Japanese branch (head office of the same company, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Nursing care 
  Example: certified care worker 
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Entertainer 
  Examples: musicians, actors, singers, dancers, sportspeople, models, etc.
     >Period of stay: 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or 15 days

Skilled labor 
  Examples: chefs specializing in the food of a foreign country, animal trainers, pilots, sports trainers, sommeliers, etc.
     >Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

Specified skilled worker(i)(ii) 
  Examples: Work-ready foreign nationals who possess certain expertise and skills in certain industrial fields.
    > Period of stay:  (i): 1 year, 6 months or 4 months
                             (ii): 3 years, 1 year or 6 months

Technical intern training 
  Examples: Technical intern
     >Period of stay: 1 year, 6 months or a designated period of less than 1 year

Start-up
  Examples:  Entrepreneur supported by municipalities in Japan and the spouse or children of the entrepreneur.
     >Period of stay: 6 months

Highly skilled professional (i) (a)/(b)/(c) 
  Examples: highly-skilled human resources per “Points System”
     >Period of stay: 5 years
 
Highly skilled foreign professional 
  Examples: dependents of the highly skilled foreign professional, etc.
    >Period of stay: 5 years

(Note) “Highly skilled foreign professional” means the person who has been admitted into Japan on or before March 31, 2015 with a status of residence of “designated activities (highly skilled foreign professionals)”. The person with outstanding abilities and credentials who enter Japan on or after April 1, 2015 will be granted the status of residence as “Highly skilled professional”. A spouse or child of the Highly skilled professional can apply for a General visa as dependent. A spouse who intends to work in Japan, parents or house servants of the Highly skilled professional can apply for a Designated activities visa.

NOTES

• Documents must be original.
• ​A person staying in Australia with a tourist/visitor visa can apply only in her/his own country.
• Additional documents may be required if necessary.
• Processing time is roughly 5 business days; however, it may take longer depending on the situation.