Update 2024-01-06

2024-04-23

 

If you want to stay in Japan for longer than a tourist visa allows, but are having trouble finding an eligible visa, you may be interested in the “Long Stay Visa” for the purposes of sightseeing and recreation. This visa is also sometimes known as a visa for the wealthy.

 

The Long Stay Visa is recommended for those who want to visit Japan after retirement or spend time with relatives in Japan, and who have a large savings account. It is available to foreign nationals who have more than 30 million Japanese yen in savings and allows them to stay in Japan for a period not exceeding one year for sightseeing and other activities.

 

The Japanese version of this article   観光・保養を目的とするロングステイビザ　(特定活動告示40号)

 

 

Outline of the Long-Stay Visa

 

The Long-Stay Visa is sometimes referred to as a “visa for the wealthy” and is available for foreign nationals who have more than 30 million Japanese yen in savings. It allows them to stay in Japan for a period not exceeding one year for sightseeing and other recreational activities.

 

Long-Stay Visa Requirements

 

To be eligible for the Long-Stay Visa, applicants must meet the following requirements:

 

1. From a visa waiver country/region
2. Over 18 years old and have savings equivalent to more than 30 million Japanese yen owned by you and/or your spouse.
3. “Accompanying spouse” who will be staying at the same residence in Japan and engaging in the same tourist activities, etc. together with the person in requirements 2.
4. Have medical insurance such as overseas travel accident insurance.

 

Explanation of each condition:

1.Visa Waiver Countries/Regions
The Long-Stay Visa is available only to citizens of countries that have a visa waiver agreement with Japan. Currently, there are 71 countries on this list. You can find the list of eligible countries on the official website of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Visa exemption countries

 

2. 18 Years of Age or Older with Savings of 30 Million Japanese Yen or More & 3. “Spouse Accompanying” the Above 2
To be eligible for the Long-Stay Visa, the applicant must be 18 years of age or older and have a savings account with a minimum balance of 30 million Japanese yen at the time of application. The savings and deposits of both the applicant and their spouse can be combined to meet this requirement. However, a common-law relationship or a same-sex marriage, even if valid in the applicant’s home country, does not qualify as a “spouse” or “married couple” under this visa category. The applicant’s own savings must exceed 30 million yen, and the account history for the past 6 months must be submitted as part of the application. Note that borrowing money and depositing it into the account to make the amount of savings appear to be over 30 million yen will not satisfy the requirement. Additionally, assets such as real estate and stocks cannot be combined to meet the savings requirement.

 

4. Medical Insurance
To obtain the Long-Stay Visa, the applicant must purchase medical insurance that covers them for the entire duration of their stay in Japan. The insurance must cover expenses related to death, injury, or illness during their stay.

 

 

Required Documents

Documents required for applying for a Certificate of Eligibility in Japan

1. Passport
2. Application form
3. Schedule of stay
4. Documents showing that the applicant has savings of 30 million yen or more in Japanese currency, and that the details of deposits and withdrawals for the past six months.
5. Documents showing that the applicant has overseas travel accident insurance, including medical insurance, for death, injury, and illness.

 

How long you can stay

 

The period of stay in Japan is usually six months. However, it can be extended once, allowing a maximum stay of one year. At the time of extension, it is not necessary to have savings of 30 million yen or more remaining.

 

 

Accompanying your spouse

If a spouse accompanies a person staying in Japan with the above-mentioned visa (Designated Activities No. 40), they can apply for a “Long-Stay Accompanying Spouse” visa (Designated Activities No. 41).

In this case, the conditions for visa exemption (Condition 1) and having overseas travel injury and sickness insurance (Condition 4) mentioned earlier must be met. However, if the couple has savings of 30 million yen or more, there is no problem with the required savings amount.
“Accompanying” means that they will be together, so while some independent activities such as shopping are allowed during their stay in Japan, it is not considered accompanying if the couple stays in different prefectures for tourism purposes.
In such a case, both spouses need to obtain a Long-Stay Visa, and in that case, they will need to have savings of 60 million yen or more.

 

 

Accompanying Children

Unfortunately, it is not possible to bring children to Japan with you on this visa.

 

 

Activities permitted and not permitted on this visa

Permitted activities:

• Visiting acquaintances/relatives
• Sightseeing
• Participation in competitions and contests as an amateur
• Leisure activities
• Participation in courses offered by educational institutions, etc.

Activities not allowed:

• Activities that involve income
• Activities for which remuneration is received

 

 

Summary

 

With this visa, activities that generate income or compensation are not allowed during the stay in Japan, so all living expenses must be covered by savings. It can be said that this visa is for people who have economic stability and want to enjoy their stay in Japan.

Our office has many experiences for assistance with Long-Stay Visa applications. If you are considering applying, please feel free to contact us.

 

 

Profile

Ami Ito　　Immigration lawyer in Tokyo, Japan

– Spent high school years in the U.K. and graduated from a local school.
– Studied mainly intercultural communication at Sophia University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages, English Department.
– Worked in the overseas department of SEIKO for 11 years after graduation.
– Over 10 years of experience teaching English to high school students, with a TOEIC score of 970 and a Class A level in the United Nations Associations Test of English.
– Serves as a board member in charge of international affairs at the Chiba Administrative Scrivener Association.
– Officially registered on the Financial Services Agency’s “List of Professionals (Administrative Scriveners) in Chiba Prefecture capable of providing services in foreign languages.”