🇯🇵 Japan: visas, tax & cost of living

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2006

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever you live, so you keep filing US returns abroad. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the foreign tax credit are what stop you being taxed twice.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2003

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

You need an e-visa. Apply online before you travel and carry the approval. It is usually quick, but leave a few days of buffer.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

India taxes residents on worldwide income; your status depends on the days you spend in India (broadly 182 or more in the year). As a non-resident (NRI) you are taxed only on Indian-source income, and the relevant double-tax treaty allocates the rest.

Double-tax treaty: yes

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

Germany taxes residents on worldwide income; you become resident through a home available to you (Wohnsitz) or a habitual abode of more than six months. As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on German-source income, and where one exists a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2016

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

France taxes you on your worldwide income if your tax home (domicile fiscal) stays there, broadly when your household, main home, main job or main economic interests are in France, so moving abroad alone may not end it. Once you genuinely settle elsewhere you are usually taxed only on French-source income, and tax treaties typically prevent paying twice through an exemption or a foreign tax credit, but treat any figures as estimates and check your situation.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1996

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

If Spain still counts as your tax home (roughly 183+ days in the country in a year, or your main base of life and income sits there), Spain taxes your worldwide income at IRPF rates, so what you earn abroad usually counts too. The sting is softened by double-tax treaties and a foreign-tax credit, plus the Article 7.p exemption that can shelter work done abroad up to around 60,100 euros a year, but treat every figure as an estimate and check your own case before you file.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2021

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

Italy generally treats you as a tax resident if for most of the year (roughly 183 days or more) your home, family or registration ties are here, and residents are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live. The relief is usually a foreign tax credit for tax already paid abroad, often shaped by Italy's double-taxation treaties, so the same income should not be taxed twice.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1973

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

Canada taxes you on residency, not on holding the passport, so as long as the CRA still treats you as a resident (kept home, family or strong ties) you generally owe Canadian tax on your worldwide income. The relief is usually a foreign tax credit for tax you already paid abroad, often topped up by a tax treaty, though the exact amounts are only estimates until you check your own case.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1987

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

If you stay an Australian resident for tax purposes, Australia generally taxes your worldwide income wherever you live, with residency turned on the moment your real home and ties are here (a continuous stay of roughly 6 months can be enough). To soften double tax, you can usually claim a Foreign Income Tax Offset for tax already paid abroad, capped at the Australian tax on that income, and treaties may help too, so treat these figures as estimates and check your own case.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2008

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Working-holiday visa: yes, ages 18-30

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

If Brazil still counts you as tax-resident, usually triggered by a permanent visa, a temporary visa plus a job, or roughly 183 days in the country within any 12 months, the Receita Federal taxes your worldwide income, so you keep filing the annual return wherever you live. The relief is real but partial: tax paid abroad can normally be credited against what you owe in Brazil under a treaty or recognised reciprocity, so most people are not taxed twice on the same income.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1967

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

Mexico taxes you on your worldwide income once you count as a tax resident, which usually means your main home or your center of life is here (very roughly, spending more than about 183 days a year can tip the balance). The good news is the SAT lets you credit foreign income tax you already paid, and Mexico's double-taxation treaties mean the same money should not normally be taxed twice.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1996

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

You need a visa, arranged at a consulate before you travel. Plan ahead: gather the documents, book the appointment, and allow time for processing.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

If you stay a resident citizen, the Philippines taxes your worldwide income, but once you genuinely live and work abroad you usually count as a non-resident citizen and are taxed only on income from Philippine sources. The exact line depends on how long you are out and your ties back home, so treat these as estimates, and a foreign tax credit can offset tax already paid abroad.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1980

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

You need a visa, arranged at a consulate before you travel. Plan ahead: gather the documents, book the appointment, and allow time for processing.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

If Nigeria still counts you as resident, roughly 183 or more days in the country in a year, or you keep a home, habitual abode or close family and economic ties there, you are generally taxed on your worldwide income, not just what you earn in Nigeria. There is usually a foreign tax credit, and Nigeria's tax treaties, so tax you already paid abroad can typically be set against your Nigerian bill, but treat these figures as estimates and check the current rules before you file.

Double-tax treaty: none

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.

Visiting

You need an e-visa. Apply online before you travel and carry the approval. It is usually quick, but leave a few days of buffer.

Passport validity: Valid for the length of stay, with at least one blank page; for the Indian eVISA the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and have at least two blank facing pages.

Heads-up: Japan has floated a future electronic pre-screening system for visa-exempt arrivals; from 1 September 2025 India was added to Japan's eVISA system for tourist visas.

At the border: Border may ask for proof of onward or return travel, accommodation and sufficient funds, fingerprints and photo are taken on arrival, and cash of 1,000,000 yen or more must be declared at customs.

Working remotely

Digital Nomad (Designated Activities status).

Income needed: ~10M JPY/yr (about USD 67,000) for the Digital Nomad Visa, Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53 (estimate)

Duration: 6 months

Who qualifies: The Digital Nomad route (Designated Activities status, Notification No. 53) is a single six-month stay: no extension, and you must leave Japan for six more months before you can reapply. No residence card is issued, so you cannot register a residence, open a bank account on that basis, sign a long lease, or join National Health Insurance. It requires annual income of about 10 million yen, private health insurance covering at least 10 million yen, remote work for non-Japanese clients, and nationality of a country with both a tax treaty and visa-exempt entry (so GB and US qualify but India does not). A spouse or child can join on the matching companion status, with no income test but no right to work.

Tax and residency

You become a tax resident once Japan is your domicile, or simply by keeping a residence here continuously for one year, whichever comes first, not by counting days. Non-permanent residents (a non-Japanese national resident for five years or less within the last ten) are taxed on Japan-source income plus foreign income actually remitted here; cross five years within ten and you're taxed on worldwide income like any other resident. (estimate)

Vietnam treats you as a tax resident once you spend roughly 183 days there in a calendar year (or any rolling 12 months) or keep a permanent home, and residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates of around 5% to 35%; there is no foreign-earned-income exclusion, but Vietnam's tax treaties and a foreign tax credit usually stop the same income being taxed twice.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1995

Practical

Currency: JPY. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so visitors need private travel medical insurance, while holders of a visa valid over 90 days or residents staying three months or more generally must enrol in Japanese health insurance (National Health Insurance or an employer scheme). The Digital Nomad (Designated Activities) status is the exception: because it carries no residence card, holders cannot join National Health Insurance at all, and must rely on the private cover the visa itself requires.

Driving: You generally need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit carried with your home licence, valid for up to one year from entry, and Japan drives on the left.