Japan's Startup Visa, formally Designated Activities (特定活動) under 特定活動告示44号, runs for a maximum of two years of business-preparation activity, up from 18 months before January 1, 2025. It is renewed periodically within that two-year cap rather than granted as one continuous period, and the clock exists to get the founder to a convertible status, most often the Management Visa (経営・管理), not to extend indefinitely.
What Is Japan's Startup Visa, Exactly?#
It is a 特定活動 (Designated Activities) residence status issued under METI's 外国人起業活動促進事業 (Program to Promote Business Startups by Foreign Nationals), not a status created by incorporating a company. Eligibility comes from a certified 起業準備活動計画 (business-preparation activity plan), reviewed and certified by a host organization before the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) will grant the status.
The host organization is typically a local government, though the program now also certifies private-sector support organizations. Forming a KK or GK on its own, without a certified plan behind it, creates no visa eligibility. The sequencing runs plan certification first, then the residence application, with incorporation often following once the founder has entry.
Do You Have to Apply Through a Specific City?#
No. Since January 1, 2025, the program runs nationwide. Before that date, only a small number of designated municipalities, including Fukuoka, Tokyo's Shibuya ward, Osaka, and Kyoto, could certify a founder's plan, which meant the founder's business had to be based in one of those areas to qualify at all.
Nationwide coverage means any certified host, anywhere in Japan, can now run the program, so the founder's choice of host is a question of fit and process speed rather than a relocation constraint. A founder evaluating hosts should ask directly about current processing time for plan certification, since that step sits before the immigration filing and controls how quickly the two-year clock actually starts.
How Long Does the Status Last, and How Does Renewal Work?#
The maximum preparation period is two years, raised from the prior 18-month cap effective January 1, 2025. The status is not issued as a single two-year grant; it is renewed periodically within that ceiling, so the founder files renewal applications showing continued progress on the certified plan rather than receiving one uninterrupted term.
Key points:
(a) The two-year figure is a ceiling on total preparation time, not a guarantee that every renewal within it will be approved automatically.
(b) Progress against the certified 起業準備活動計画 is what renewal review looks at, so a plan that has stalled is a real renewal risk, not just a paperwork formality.
(c) The clock is meant to end in a conversion, most commonly to the Management Visa (経営・管理), not in a further Designated Activities renewal once the two years run out.
What Happens When the Two Years Run Out?#
The intended outcome is conversion into a status the founder's business has grown into, most often the Management Visa. Since October 16, 2025, that conversion requires paid-in capital of at least JPY 30,000,000, at least one qualifying full-time employee in addition to the founder, Japanese language proficiency at JLPT N2 or CEFR B2 for the founder or that employee, and a business plan certified by a Japan-licensed public accountant (公認会計士), tax accountant (税理士), or Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (中小企業診断士). The full criteria set, including the added management-experience-or-degree requirement, is in the Business Manager Visa October 2025 reform guide.
The Startup Visa defers that gate; it does not reduce it. A founder who spends two years preparing without a credible path to the capital, the hire, and the language proof arrives at the deadline with a strong business plan and no eligible next status. The Startup Visa to Management Visa conversion guide walks through how the two programs interact, including the one piece of good news: time spent on Designated Activities status counts toward the three-year management-experience limb for founders using the experience route rather than a qualifying degree.
Capital readiness is worth testing early rather than in month 23. Non-resident founders without a Japan bank account have specific permitted routes for getting the JPY 30,000,000 into the country, covered in the company incorporation guide, and a founder whose funds sit in a foreign currency near the threshold should recheck the yen figure against the current exchange rate well before the capital has to move.
Frequently Asked Questions#
Can I apply for Japan's Startup Visa from any city, or only certain ones?
Since January 1, 2025, the program runs nationwide, so any certified host organization can review a founder's plan regardless of where the business will be based. Before that date, eligibility was limited to a short list of designated municipalities, including Fukuoka, Tokyo's Shibuya ward, Osaka, and Kyoto, so older guidance describing a location restriction is now outdated.
What is the maximum total time I can hold Startup Visa status?
The maximum is two years of business-preparation activity, raised from an 18-month cap that applied before January 1, 2025. The status is renewed periodically within that two-year window based on progress against the founder's certified business-preparation plan, rather than granted as one uninterrupted period.
Does completing the two years guarantee I will qualify for a Management Visa afterward?
No. The Startup Visa gives a founder time in Japan to build toward the Management Visa's requirements; it does not reduce or waive them. Since October 16, 2025, that conversion still requires JPY 30,000,000 in deployed capital, a qualifying full-time employee, language proficiency, and a certified business plan, so a founder needs a credible plan to meet all of those by the end of the two-year window, not just a plan to incorporate.
Conclusion#
Japan's Startup Visa buys a founder up to two years to build toward a status their business can actually sustain, most often the Management Visa. The nationwide rollout removed the old location constraint, but it did not change the arithmetic at the end of the window: capital, a qualifying hire, and language proficiency still have to be in place on schedule.
This article is informational only and does not constitute legal, tax, or regulatory advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney (弁護士) or licensed administrative scrivener (行政書士) before acting on the content. Last updated: October 2026.