- ‘Business and Management’ residence visa
The ‘Business and Management’ visa is a residence status that allows foreigners to engage in activities related to the management or administration of commercial businesses in Japan.
The main requirements are as follows:
- Have a place of work
It is necessary to obtain an office or business premises for the business; virtual offices or shared spaces are not permitted.
- Business Size
A share capital of at least 5 million yen, or the employment of at least two full-time employees is required.
- Business Continuity
A business plan must be drafted to ensure continuity and stability, including income forecasts and a financing plan.
- Introduction of the visa for start-ups and background
For foreign nationals residing abroad who wished to set up a company in Japan, it was very difficult to rent premises or deposit share capital in Japan before arriving in Japan.
Therefore, a four-month ‘Business and Management’ visa, known as the ‘startup visa,’ was introduced, allowing foreign nationals to establish a company and rent premises during their stay in Japan.
This visa requires the holder to obtain a one-year ‘Business and Management’ visa, once the four-month period has elapsed.
- News regarding changes to share capital requirements
As mentioned above, the ‘Business and Management’ visa system has improved, but there have recently been important news related to this visa.
At the time of writing this article, it has been reported that the Immigration Services Agency plans to increase the share capital requirements for the ‘Business and Management’ visa, from the current 5 million yen to 30 million yen as a general rule.
In addition to the capital requirement, the hiring of at least one full-time employee will be required. As the business size requirement currently only requires 500 million yen in capital or two full-time employees, we can say that this will be a significant change.
This is because the previous criteria were not very strict, leading to abuses of the system, such as the creation of shell companies or the obtention of visas for the purpose of residence.
The Immigration Services Agency will hold a meeting of experts in August 2025 and, according to reports, plans to amend the ministerial regulations based on the opinions expressed and bring them into force in 2025.
At the moment, this is only information reported in the media and there has been no official announcement by the Immigration Services Agency.
However, foreigners considering doing business in Japan should be aware that the requirements could change significantly.
Satoshi Minami
Vilá Abogados
For more information, please contact:
8th of August 2025
