Japan
How long you can stay in Japan without a visa, by passport.
Checked November 7, 2026 against the sources listed below.
Short stays
| Passport | Entry | How long | Before you go | Longer stays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | No visa | 90 days per visit Visa exemption as a Temporary Visitor for up to 90 days per entry; non-paid activities only (sightseeing, business meetings, visiting relatives). Valid ordinary passport required. | None required as of 2026-11-07. Japan has enacted a law creating JESTA (pre-arrival electronic travel authorization with a fee) for visa-exempt travellers; it starts on a date set by cabinet order no later than 31 March 2029 (government target: fiscal 2028). Fee not yet set. | The official sources fetched describe extensions only for nationals of countries with 6-month arrangements. They do not confirm that US Temporary Visitors can extend. |
| Canada | No visa | 90 days per visit Visa exemption as a Temporary Visitor for up to 90 days per entry (the Consulate in Los Angeles writes this as '3 months or less'). Non-paid activities only. | None required as of 2026-11-07. JESTA is planned (start no later than 31 March 2029; fee not yet set). | The official sources fetched do not confirm that Canadian visitors can extend beyond 90 days. |
| United Kingdom | No visa | 90 days per visit Up to 90 days is granted on landing. The bilateral arrangement allows a total stay of up to 6 months if extended in Japan. | None required as of 2026-11-07. JESTA is planned (start no later than 31 March 2029; fee not yet set). | UK nationals who want to stay longer than 90 days, up to 6 months in total, must apply to an Immigration Services Bureau (Ministry of Justice) for an extension of their period of stay before the permitted stay ends. |
| EU country | No visa | 90 days per visit All 27 EU member states are listed by MOFA as visa-exempt for up to 90 days per entry as Temporary Visitors. | None required as of 2026-11-07. JESTA is planned (start no later than 31 March 2029; fee not yet set). | Austrian, German and Irish nationals can extend to up to 6 months in total by applying at an Immigration Services Bureau before 90 days expire. Extensions for other EU nationals are not confirmed by the sources fetched. |
| Australia | No visa | 90 days per visit Visa exemption as a Temporary Visitor for up to 90 days per entry. This is a unilateral Japanese measure, not a bilateral arrangement. | None required as of 2026-11-07. JESTA is planned (start no later than 31 March 2029; fee not yet set). | The official sources fetched do not confirm that Australian visitors can extend beyond 90 days. |
Digital nomad visa
Digital nomad status
Official name: Designated Activities (for Digital Nomad) [在留資格「特定活動」]; dependants: Designated Activities (for spouse or child of Digital Nomad)
| Length | 6 months (up to 6 months within a 1-year period) |
|---|---|
| Renewal | Not renewable. No extension is granted. After the 6-month stay, the holder must wait 6 months before applying for this status again. No residence card is issued. |
| Income | ¥10,000,000 a year Applicant's annual income at the time of application, proven with a tax or income certificate from the country where they work |
| Where to apply | Certificate of Eligibility application to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, then a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate |
| Who can apply | Nationals of countries/regions that are both visa-exempt for Temporary Visitors and covered by a tax convention with Japan (the official chart was not retrieved; the US, Canada, UK, Australia and most EU states are visa-exempt and generally have tax treaties with Japan, but check the chart) |
| Taxes | The official page uses tax conventions only as a nationality condition. It gives no tax-residency guidance. |
Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Ministry of Justice), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Ministry of Justice)
What we couldn't confirm
- JESTA: the law was passed by the Diet (reported 29 May 2026, non-official source s8). The official MOJ briefing (s6) says it takes effect on a date set by cabinet order no later than 31 March 2029; the fiscal-2028 target comes from news reporting (s7). The fee has not been set.
- Extensions of the 90-day stay for nationals without a 6-month arrangement (US, CA, AU, most EU) could not be confirmed from an official source.
- The official chart of nationalities eligible for the digital nomad status (moj.go.jp/isa/content/001416932.pdf) could not be retrieved, so eligible nationalities are described by rule rather than listed.
- The MOFA visa page and the Los Angeles consulate page express some durations differently (90 days vs '3 months'); 90 days from MOFA is used.
Sources
- Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- Visa Exemption Arrangements, Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles
- Visiting Japan, Embassy of Japan in Ireland
- Designated Activities (Digital Nomad), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Ministry of Justice)
- Outline of Digital Nomad status (PDF), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Ministry of Justice)
- Briefing on the amendment of the Immigration Control Act (JESTA electronic travel authorization and fees) (PDF, Japanese), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Ministry of Justice)
- Japan approves JESTA e-travel authorization, visa-free pre-screening from 2028, The Standard (Hong Kong) (unofficial, used only to corroborate)
- Japan Diet OKs Hiking Residency Fee Caps by Up to 30-Fold, Adnkronos (Jiji Press) (unofficial, used only to corroborate)
Thinking of staying in Japan longer?
FlagSeek's free Big Picture looks at your budget, work, health needs and priorities, and shows where longer stays might fit. It also helps Advisor tailor its answers to you.