Published: September 15, 2025
Types of Visas for Business Managers in Japan
When a non-Japanese founder starts a business in Japan, the usual path is to incorporate a company and serve as its representative director. To perform that role in Japan, you need a work-authorized residence status (commonly called a ”Visa”) that matches your purpose.
The most common category is Business Manager. Depending on your situation, you may instead start under a Designated Activities (Startup) program or, if you qualify as highly skilled talent, the Highly Skilled Professional route.
Below is a founder-focused overview of the three routes and how to choose between them.
A. Business Manager
What this status is for
The Business Manager status allows you to incorporate in Japan and engage in business management/administration. Typical permitted stay lengths are 5 / 3 / 1 years, or 6 / 4 / 3 months.
In Vol. 2, we explained the common initial route for founders coming from overseas: obtaining a 4-month Business Manager Visa.
Operational checkpoints
- Office: You’ll need a dedicated business premise—not a residence or “virtual” address.
- Scale of business: As a rule of thumb, paid-in capital of JPY 5 million or two or more full-time employees is used to evidence continuity and substance.(As of September 2025, policymakers are discussing changes to capital and related thresholds. We will update once finalized.)
- Business reality: Consistency between your business plan and startup funds is important.
Who this suits
- Founders with ~ JPY 5 million in capital and a clear, concrete business plan.
Typical sequence (4-month Business Manager Visa → 1-year renewal)
You’ll often start with a 4-month Business Manager status and then apply to extend it to 1 year. The focus of review differs at each step.
(1) 4-month Business Manager Visa (Certificate of Eligibility → visa issuance)
- Clarify your business scope with your draft of articles of incorporation.
- Show how your startup funds are prepared and the source of funds.
- Provide a business plan with revenue assumptions to demonstrate viability.
- Outline your office plan and post-entry setup timeline in Japan.
Once the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) is issued, apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy/consulate and enter Japan. After arrival, complete basic local registrations (address, municipal records, and—where required—seal/signature registration), secure your office, and complete company registration.
When these steps are done, file for the next stage:
(2) 1-year Business Manager Visa (extension of period of stay)
- Finalize your articles in line with the draft and confirm governance.
- Complete incorporation and obtain the company registry extract.
- Maintain a separate, business-use office (not your home).
- Apply for any sectoral licenses/permits required for your line of business.
- Provide materials showing your business is operational and sustainable in line with the plan.
You can start trading immediately after incorporation, but in practice many advisors treat the upgrade to a 1-year periodas the point at which the initial “foreign founder setup” is complete.
B. Highly Skilled Professional + J-Skip
What this status is for
Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Category 1(h) covers management/administration roles for recognized highly skilled talent. It uses a points-based test (education, career, salary, etc.). The status allows management activities similar to Business Manager, plus broader activities and preferential treatment for stay length, family, and permanent residency.
What is J-Skip?
J-Skip is a fast-track for top talent that waives the points calculation if you meet set experience and incomethresholds. For the management track, the practical bar is 5+ years in an executive/manager role and JPY 40 million+ annual income, so eligibility is narrow.
Operational checkpoints
- You still need a real, operating business in Japan.
- The advantage is the preferential treatment (longer stays, family options, PR track).
- J-Skip is straightforward to screen but stringent on experience/income.
Who this suits
- Founders with senior management credentials at global firms or research institutions and high compensation offers that meet HSP/J-Skip thresholds.
C. Designated Activities (Startup / For Graduates / J-Find)
Japan offers Designated Activities routes that let you secure status first and build the business before switching to Business Manager.
1) “Startup Visa” (Foreign Entrepreneur Support Program)
Under programs certified by the national government and specific municipalities/authorized operators, you can obtain Designated Activities to conduct startup preparation. If approved, you typically get up to 2 years to set up and then switch to Business Manager.
Notes: Only available in participating municipalities. The process adds a plan confirmation step before immigration filing and requires periodic reporting after approval.
2) For new graduates of Japanese universities
If you graduated from a Japanese university/graduate school, certain frameworks allow up to 2 years under Designated Activities to prepare a startup, subject to university endorsement, funds/office, and support arrangements.
Note: Eligibility is often tied to government-endorsed university programs, so only selected schools qualify.
3) J-Find
For graduates of top global universities, J-Find allows up to 2 years of job seeking or startup preparation under Designated Activities, typically within 5 years of graduation, with the option to switch to Business Manager once requirements are met.
Operational checkpoints
- All are “pre-launch” statuses; the end goal is a switch to Business Manager.
- Entry requirements differ (municipal certification, university endorsement, eligible-school lists), so choose the path of least resistance for your profile.
Who this suits
- Founders who need status first to prepare, then launch.
- Students/researchers/early-career founders who can leverage university, municipal, or accelerator support.
Quick chooser: which path fits?
- Ready to start now (capital + office lined up) → Business Manager
- Elite credentials and you value preferential treatment → HSP / J-Skip
- Need a runway to prepare and can use university/municipal programs → Designated Activities (Startup / Graduate / J-Find)
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us using our inquiry form.
*Note 1
“Status of residence” and “visa” are technically different under Japanese law. However, since most foreigners use the term “visa” to mean “status of residence in Japan,” we use “Visa” throughout this series for readability and convenience.
*Note 2
Whenever we mention “Immigration” in these articles, we are referring to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
