Student / language school · Study
Status of Residence: Student
The clearest Japan first route for many Chinese applicants: school obtains COE, then visa.
Typical timeline / duration: 2-6 months
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
东京 · 日本 · 中国护照移居指南
Mature services, close to China. 城市服务成熟，距离中国近。
| Overall score | 86/100 (includes editorial components) |
|---|---|
| Long-term visa difficulty (Japan) | Medium — 49/100 Main route: Language school/student visa / Specified Skilled Worker 语言学校/学生签 / 特定技能 |
| Monthly cost | ¥21,500 CNY ≈ $2,985 USD Nomads.com Cost for nomad, checked July 2026 |
| Safety score | 97/100 |
| Chinese community | 85/100 |
| Median internet speed | 145 Mbps |
| Average temperature | 18°C |
| Local salary level | 74/100 |
chufachufa rates long-term visa difficulty for Japan as "Medium" (49/100, lower is easier) for Chinese passport holders. The most practical route is usually: Language school/student visa / Specified Skilled Worker. We track 7 non-tourist routes for Japan, each linked to its official source. See Japan visa routes for requirements and official sources.
Nomads.com estimates its Cost for nomad at $2,985 USD per month. chufachufa displays this as about ¥21,500 CNY after conversion at 7.25 CNY/USD and rounding to the nearest ¥500 (checked July 2026).
Tokyo scores 97/100 on our safety rubric, which combines UNODC homicide rates, petty-crime reporting, and travel advisory levels (rubric v1, July 2026).
Tokyo scores 85/100 for Chinese community size and services, and the common pathway there is study / skilled work. Higher scores mean established Chinese supermarkets, services, and social circles.
7 non-tourist routes tracked for Japan, most recently reviewed . Full requirements, checklists, and official sources: Japan visa routes.
Status of Residence: Student
The clearest Japan first route for many Chinese applicants: school obtains COE, then visa.
Typical timeline / duration: 2-6 months
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
Specified Skilled Worker 1 / 2
For sector roles where the applicant can meet skill and Japanese requirements.
Typical timeline / duration: 3-9 months
Official source: Japan Immigration Services Agency · last reviewed
Japanese employer offer + COE
For white-collar roles such as IT, operations, translation, and sales.
Typical timeline / duration: 3-8 months
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
Eligible nationality/region; intends to work remotely in Japan for a period not exceeding six months; application form/photo, passport, activity/period documents, proof of annual income, and insurance covering death/injury/illness.
Typical timeline / duration: 6 months; no extension granted.
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
A study-based route requiring admission to an eligible education provider.
Typical timeline / duration: Period of stay is granted by immigration/status of residence, commonly according to study programme.
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
An employer-led or qualification-based work route.
Typical timeline / duration: Period of stay varies by status and decision, commonly up to 5 years. Work is restricted to the activities authorised by the status of residence.
Official source: Japan official source · last reviewed
Source status: public_source. Overall and "liked" scores still include editorial estimates and will be replaced by member reviews as they accumulate. Visa rules change often — always confirm against the linked official source before acting.
Safety: rubric v1 2026-07 (homicide 0.23/100k UNODC 2023; petty crime rare per US advisory L1). Community: ~873k Chinese nationals in Japan (ISA 2024), largest foreign group; Ikebukuro/Yokohama hubs. Cost: see accommodation.js survey 2026-07. Visa: routes in visa-options.js, difficulty pending full official re-check. liked/score still editorial estimates. Monthly cost uses the Nomads.com Cost for nomad estimate (checked July 2026), converted at 7.25 CNY/USD and rounded to the nearest CNY 500. Long-term visa difficulty is a prototype country-level score based on the easiest plausible non-tourist route for Chinese passport holders, reviewed May 2026 with July 2026 refreshes; Thailand (DTV: 500k THB savings), Malaysia (DE Rantau: USD24k/60k income), and Portugal (D8: EUR3,680/mo + EUR11,040 savings) re-verified against official/current sources July 2026; Mexico (solvency ~USD4,400/mo or USD74k savings, UMA 2026) and Singapore (EP S$5,600 + COMPASS) also verified July 2026. Additional July 2026 verifications: Japan (student COE funds JPY2-2.5M/yr; JLPT N5 required from Oct 2026 intake - difficulty raised 44->46), South Korea (F-1-D workation needs 2x GNI ~KRW88.1M/yr; student/E-7 remain realistic routes), Uruguay (nomad permit ~USD10-20 fee, no income minimum, 180+180 days - confirmed easiest), Argentina (nomad visa ~USD2,000-2,500/mo expected), Germany (Chancenkarte 6-point system + EUR13,092/yr blocked account), UAE (remote-work income floor raised USD3,500->5,000/mo Apr 2026 + AED500k insurance - difficulty raised 32->38), Brazil (VITEM XIV USD1,500/mo or USD18k balance), Spain (telework 200% SMI = EUR2,849/mo gross 2026), Indonesia (E33G remote KITAS needs USD60k/yr - difficulty raised 38->46), Georgia (CN passports: visa-free only 30d/visit, 90d per 180 since May 2024, NOT the 1-year scheme; long stays need a permit - difficulty raised 24->34). Round 2 (July 2026): Estonia DNV EUR4,500/mo (42->48), Malta NRP EUR42k/yr (40->44), Greece DNV EUR3,500/mo (40->44), Croatia EUR2,539/mo confirmed, Hungary White Card EUR3,000 net/mo confirmed, Romania DNV 3x avg gross ~EUR5,550/mo (46->54), Italy DNV EUR28k/yr lowest in Europe (54->48), Czech zivno CZK156.5k + trade licence confirmed, Colombia DNV ~USD1,400/mo = 3x min wage (56->44), Ecuador USD1,446/mo confirmed, Costa Rica USD3,000/mo confirmed, Peru DNV announced but not yet operational (46 kept), Chile has no DNV and rentista excludes freelance income (46->50), South Africa DNV ZAR650,976/yr confirmed, Kenya DNV USD24k-55k reported (50->48), Turkey DNV USD3,000/mo + age 21-55 + degree confirmed, Philippines DNV USD24k/yr but check nationality reciprocity for CN passports (50 kept), UK GBP1,529/mo London maintenance, Canada GIC CAD22,895, Australia AUD29,710, New Zealand NZD20k/yr, US F-1 full-course funds all confirmed; France EUR615/mo official (consulates expect EUR800-1k), Netherlands IND EUR1,094/mo, Norway NOK151,690/yr, Sweden SEK13k/mo, Finland EUR800/mo confirmed. July 16 2026 spot update: UK HC 259 Immigration Rules published 2026-07-09; Australia Student visa page updated 2026-07-01 and fee/cap environment tightened; New Zealand Short-term Graduate Work Visa opens 2026-11-16 and some Level 7 graduate diplomas gain Post Study Work eligibility; Canada 2026-28 levels continue pressure on temporary study/work routes. Broader July 16 2026 official-source audit covered all 58 country sections; material route or process updates were applied where found, while remaining sections had no material change identified in this pass. Country-level difficulty is not a substitute for live nationality-specific eligibility, fees, quotas, or consular guidance.
Accommodation survey (updated ): web-survey-2026-07: furnished 1K central wards ¥90k-250k/mo (arealty.jp 2026 guides), midpoint ¥150k; budget hotel ~¥9k/night; FX 100JPY=4.8CNY