Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
How Long Does Japan's Startup Visa Last, and How Do You Renew It? (2026)
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...
Japan Management Visa Processing Time in 2026: What to Budget For
The published standard processing period (標準処理期間) for a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書交付申請) is 1 to 3 months, but Japan's Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) reported an actual average...
Japan Management Visa and Shelf Companies (2026): Why Buying Dormant Works Against You
A shelf or dormant KK bought to speed up banking works against a Management Visa (経営・管理) filing, not for it. The Certificate of Eligibility checklist requires the most recent fiscal year's...
What Happens If Your Management Visa's Qualifying Employee Quits? (2026)
A Management Visa (経営・管理) does not lapse the instant a qualifying employee resigns. The risk surfaces at the one-year renewal, when examiners check payroll records and social insurance...
Do You Need a Management Visa to Own a Japan Company You Run From Abroad? (2026)
No. A foreign national can own and hold a director title in a Japan KK or GK entirely from overseas, with no visa or status of residence at all, because Japan abolished the...
What Office Counts for Japan's Management Visa in 2026?
The Management Visa (経営・管理) requires commercial premises actually used for the business: a leased office, a dedicated room, or a co-working desk with sustained, documented use and visible business...
Can You Renew a Japan Management Visa Under Old Rules Until 2028?
Yes, but only if you already held Management Visa (経営・管理) status before October 16, 2025. The Immigration Control Act (入管法) reform tightened the standard that day, and existing holders may renew...
Proving Japanese Ability for Japan's Management Visa (2026)
Acceptable proof is a JLPT N2 certificate or CEFR B2-equivalent documentation, held by either the visa applicant or the company's qualifying full-time employee, not a self-declared claim of...
Japan Management Visa (2026): Who Counts as a Qualifying Employee?
A qualifying employee for Japan's Management Visa (経営・管理) is a Japanese national, a Special Permanent Resident, a Permanent Resident, the spouse or child of a Japanese national, or a Long-Term...
Does Japan's Startup Visa Guarantee You a Management Visa in 2026?
No. The Startup Visa (特定活動告示44号, Designated Activities Public Notice No. 44) buys a founder up to two years to build toward the Management Visa (経営・管理) standard; it does not lower or waive that...