Eligibility for mainland Chinese applicants: Mainland PRC ordinary-passport holders are not eligible as the principal digital-nomad applicant. Qualifying nationality is a separate requirement; high income or residence in another country does not replace it. Accompanying-family eligibility must be checked separately.
A six-month designated-activities route for eligible passport holders doing international remote work. Mainland PRC ordinary-passport holders do not meet the principal nationality requirement.
Route overview
Typical timeline / duration: Six months, with no extension; the scheme's stay is limited to six months within one year. It is not a rolling six-month residence entitlement.
Important notes
Hold a passport/nationality accepted for the principal digital-nomad category. The principal and accompanying-family lists are separate; ordinary visa-free travel alone does not prove the full digital-nomad test.
Carry out qualifying international remote work for an overseas organisation or overseas customers, not ordinary employment for a Japanese business. Explain the planned activities and period of stay.
Prove your own annual income of at least JPY 10 million with tax/income certificates and relevant employment or business contracts; an investment balance alone is not annual income.
Hold insurance for the Japan stay covering death, injury and illness, with injury/illness medical-treatment cover of at least JPY 10 million. Supply coverage and policy details.
Apply with passport, form/photo and the required activity/income/insurance evidence, or the accepted COE-based document option. An accompanying spouse/child needs their own qualifying category, insurance and relationship evidence.
As checked 14 October 2026, mainland PRC ordinary passports do not satisfy the principal nationality gate. A foreign residence permit is not a substitute for the required nationality/passport.
MOFA states six months with no extension. Japan's Finland mission also explains the six-month total within one year; repeated applications should not be treated as a guaranteed year-round arrangement.
A COE can replace specified supporting documents in the visa checklist, but it does not guarantee visa issuance or landing permission. Check the mission responsible for your lawful residence.
This reference page is retained for comparison, not a recommendation that a mainland applicant can pay an agent to bypass nationality or income conditions.
Preparation checklist
Check the principal passport/nationality gate before paying for insurance or an application service.
If eligible, document overseas work, your own annual income and planned Japan activities.
Obtain policy documents proving all required insurance risks and the medical coverage amount.
Prepare the mission's current direct-evidence or COE checklist; assess any accompanying family separately.
Record the six-month/no-extension and annual-total limits before planning travel.