Japan issued just 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, including accompanying spouses — up from only 257 in the programme's first year — making it one of the country's most exclusive, low-turnout visa categories. The visa, introduced on April 1, 2024, allows eligible remote professionals employed by foreign companies to stay in Japan for up to six months.

The eligibility rules are strict. Applicants must:

• earn at least ¥10 million annually (about $62,000);
• come from a qualifying tax-treaty country;
• hold comprehensive private health insurance covering illness, injury and repatriation.

The design favors a narrow pool. Of the 2025 cohort, the United States led with 240 approved applicants, followed by 114 from Australia, 46 from Canada, 39 from Germany, 29 from France and 28 from the U.K. The concentration reflects how the tax-treaty and income requirements inherently favor remote professionals from a few wealthy, Western economies.

Who is living on the visa?

Christian Mack, a 33-year-old web developer from Costa Rica based in Berlin, was among the first wave. "Should I live here?" he asked himself after landing at Haneda Airport in early 2024. By December of that year he had set up shop in Tokyo.

Mack settled into a furnished monthly apartment in the Higashi-Nakano district, working office hours from home or nearby coworking spaces. A weak yen stretched his budget considerably: he spent about $1,200 (¥195,000) a month on rent and $600 on food.

"It may not be as cheap as typical digital nomad hubs, but it's not incredibly expensive — it really depends on your lifestyle, how much you travel, where you're staying, and what activities you choose to do," Mack said.

What are the visa's limits?

Holders occupy an in-between status. "You're not fully a local because you don't have a zairyū card (residence card), a work permit or a bank account," Mack said. "You're like a long-term tourist."

The bureaucratic reality can bite. Mack caught the flu shortly after arriving and, with a 40-degree fever, had to scramble to find an English-speaking practitioner before getting treatment at a local clinic. Embassy staff and airport immigration officers were also frequently unfamiliar with the new visa's rules.

Repeat stays are a logistical feat. Extensions are banned, and holders must spend six months outside Japan before applying anew — from scratch. Mack returned for a second six-month stay from January to June and is planning a third. "Rumor has it that I'm the first person to have been issued the Japanese digital nomad visa twice," he said. The Foreign Ministry does not track repeat holders, so the claim cannot be verified.

What does Japan want from the programme?

Officials see nomads as a tool for longer, higher-spending, more geographically spread tourism. Under its national tourism strategy, Japan targets 60 million foreign visitors and ¥15 trillion in annual tourist spending by 2030.

"The visa is starting to gain recognition and be utilized by those who wish to stay in Japan for longer periods," said Shuhei Yabuki, director of the Tourism Resources Division at the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA). "While some regions are already eagerly embracing the initiative, our efforts to attract digital nomads have only just begun."

The JTA has launched a promotional video campaign featuring interviews with nomads and is funding model demonstration projects across prefectures including Hokkaido, Ishikawa, Nagano, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa to encourage longer stays and spread tourism beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Who comes next?

Christopher Flinn, a 29-year-old engineer from Manchester, arrived weeks ago for a six-month stay. The application process alone took four separate visits to the Japanese Embassy in London, as staff were still adapting to the visa's documentation requirements.

Flinn adjusted his working hours to 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. to match Europe, and he carries his laptop everywhere, effectively on call around the clock. "It's definitely made me comfortable with the idea that I could do my job with my team anywhere in the world," he said. "It's made me realize I might not want to be based in the U.K. forever."

For his part, Mack intends to keep returning annually under the programme, whatever the paperwork demands. "I'd continue coming back to Japan every year as long as it's economically feasible," he said.