Startup Visa Programs

The Startup Visa Program enables foreign startup entrepreneurs to move to Japan for 6-12 months, without having to make large investments beforehand. It gives the opportunity to explore the market and to lay a foundation before actually registering the company and starting the business activity. Please be aware that the terms and conditions for startup visa programs might differ depending on the region. You register for the startup visa, by applying to one of the 17 municipalities that offer a startup visa program, which can be found below. If your application is accepted by the municipality, a New Business Implementation Confirmation Certificate is issued, which enables you to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for 'Designated Activities for 6 months' status of residence and once approved, one can apply for the 6-month visa for 'Designated Activities' residency status. Once you are in Japan, there will be periodic progress review interviews that, after a positive result, will allow startup entrepreneurs to renew there visa for another 6 months. After the 12 months are over, the startup visa cannot be renewed, but one could apply for the longer-term 'business manager' visa.

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Support programs per region

There are 14 municipalities that offer support programs once you have obtained the Startup Visa. Three additional municipalities – Niigata, Hiroshima, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government – offer a similar program under the name of a six-month “Business Manager” visa. Some municipalities have additional requirements (besides the national requirements to obtain the startup visa) to get into their startup visa program and only look for startups in certain industries. Out of these zones, Shibuya and Fukuoka municipal governments are the most active in promoting themselves to foreigners for their startup initiatives. Be aware that some local Startup Visa websites are only available in Japanese.

The Startup Visa Programs have various names depending on the municipality and offer different services.

Below, the list of municipalities that offer startup programs are categorised for North, East and West -Japan. If municipalities offer programs only for startups in specific industries and if there is no English website available, this is mentioned between the brackets.

North Japan

  1. Hokkaido Prefecture (Agriculture, forestry, fishery, food, space, tourism, manufacturing, various other sectors)
  2. Sendai City (Disaster prevention, environment, energy, tourism/trade, health, medical care, welfare, education, semicon, software development, content creation, robotics)
  3. Niigata Prefecture (Various sectors)
  4. Ibaraki Prefecture (Life sciences, IT, telecom, robotics and various other sectors; no English website)
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East Japan

5. Shibuya City Office, Tokyo (Health, medical, welfare, environment/energy, food/agriculture/forestry/fisheries, information technologies, culture/art/fashion)*
6. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Various sectors)
7. Hamamatsu City (Next gen transport equipment, health/medical care, agriculture innovations, environment/energy, (opto)electronics, digital, robotics, various other sectors; no English website)
8. Aichi Prefecture  (Information and communication various sectors; no English website)
9. Yokohama City (IoT, innovation, various other sectors)

* The Shibuya Startup Support provides foreign entrepreneurs with obtaining the startup visa and provide administrative services to set up a business, find an office/ residential space and set-up bank accounts. They have a co-working space where startup visa holders can work and meet likeminded entrepreneurs.

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West Japan

10. Gifu Prefecture (IT, IoT, tourism)
11. Fukuoka City (Fintech, semicon, software, robotics, content production, health, medical, welfare, environment/energy, logistics, various other trade sectors)*
12. Osaka City  (Energy & environment, healthcare & life-sciences, hardware, information tech, IoT, robotics, Edtech; no English website)*
13. Kobe City (New tech in IT, health, medical/welfare, environment and logistics, various other sectors)*
14. Kyoto Prefecture (various sectors)*
15. Hiroshima (Various sectors)
16. Mie Prefecture (IoT/Ai, food, tourism, next gen energy, next gen healthcare, various other sectors; no English website)
17. Oita Prefecture (Automobile, electronics/mechanical, materials/shipbuilding, aviation, logistics, service, health/medical/welfare, food/agriculture/forestry/fisheries, environment & energy, information technology; no English website)

* Startup Fukuoka also allows startup visa holders into their startup community and provides networking opportunities.
* Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH) offers an English website and provides support to obtain a startup visa and also administrative help through incubation and accelerator programs.
* Kobe Startup Visa and Support System offers temporary offices, supports in finding/leasing an office or housing and provides subsidies, accelerator programs and legal, tax and accounting advice.
* Kyoto Startup Ecosystem provides help with immigration, offers a free co-working space, subsidy for the company registration fee and other services.

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