When people talk about visas for Japan, we quickly remember the tourist, study, work, and spouse visas. What few know is that there are numerous types of visas that are unknown to Brazilians. In this article, we will look at the many types of Japanese visas that you probably do not know.
We will not go into detail on how to obtain the tourist visa in this article because we have already written a dedicated article on it. It is worth noting that the issuance of the Japanese visa is similar; what can change are the requested documents and the time it takes for visa approval.
I also find it unnecessary to delve deeply into the visas for spouse, student, and work. We will at least try to briefly mention some information about these specific visas. I hope you enjoy the article, and we look forward to seeing your comments and shares.
Table of Contents
The most popular types of Japanese visas
To travel as a tourist to Japan, we need to issue a visa that has a maximum duration of 3 months. Each time we travel, we must issue a visa that is processed within 2 days. There is also the tourist visa that allows multiple entries and has a longer validity, but it also allows a maximum stay of 3 months in Japan.
The work visa is one of the visas that most descendants can obtain by finding jobs through contractors easily. It does not matter if you have ancestry or not; it is possible to obtain a work visa if you can contact a company that hires you and takes care of the visa.
The student visa can be issued for young people who receive scholarships at universities or pay for a course or college in Japan. Depending on the student visa, the person may not be allowed to perform certain paid activities in the country, just like with the tourist visa.
Another quite popular visa is the spouse or child visa of a Japanese person or someone with permanent resident status in Japan. In the case of a spouse, they can apply for a long-term residence or permanent residence visa in Japan after three years of marriage. The visas are different for children or spouses of someone with nationality and someone with permanent visa status.
Another popular visa is the long-term or permanent visa, which is granted to those who have lived many years in Japan and meet certain requirements. It is even possible to obtain Japanese citizenship even without any ancestry.
HSFP – The famous points accumulation visa
There is a visa called Highly Skilled Foreign Professional (HSFP or HSP) for people who possess certain skills in specific areas. Unlike the standard work visa, which tends to be specific, with this special visa you can participate in various different activities for a duration of up to 5 years.
The advantages of this visa are that you can bring your parents, obtain permanent residency more quickly and easily, as well as the possibility of hiring a domestic helper. There are 3 different visa categories within the HSFP according to the applicant’s objective and career.
To obtain this visa, you need to accumulate a specific number of points to reach a total of 70 points. Your education, language proficiency, position, salary, and even your age count towards the total point accumulation.
The visa for cultural activities in Japan
The cultural activities visa is for candidates who wish to study Japanese culture, art, or skills. This is a very broad category that can include the study of things like Taiko (Japanese drums), Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangements), tea ceremony, judo, aikido, etc. Some receive scholarships to carry out these activities.
To obtain this visa, the applicant needs documents that prove their cultural activities, documents that prove their career and profession, and other documents that show that they have the ability to support themselves in Japan. The cultural activities visa in Japan does not allow them to work.
The visa for religious activities in Japan
The Religious Activities Visa is for members of foreign religious organizations who wish to perform religious work in Japan. This can include monks, bishops, and missionaries. It should be emphasized that the Religious Activities Visa is a work category and not for those whose goal is merely to study religion.
The applicant needs to confirm their proposed activities in Japan through documents from the religious organization that show their position and remuneration. Normally, the opportunities for compensation structuring for the holder of a religious activities visa will be quite limited.
The investor and Business Manager visa
The Investor Visa is for candidates who will invest or hold a high-level position managing a company in Japan. The advantages of an investor visa are significant and even allow self-sponsoring visas for other people. It is also one of the few visas that allow domestic employees.
To obtain an investor visa, the person must have an office located in Japan, and the company must be able to employ at least 2 full-time employees (who live in Japan). The visa is also granted to those who wish to manage existing companies in the country.
Self-Sponsorship Visa Service
There are companies and specialized services that self-sponsor visas for Japan with the aim of helping entrepreneurs and others who want to live and work in Japan independently. They help you meet your requirements for a work visa in Japan and have your own company.
This can be done in partnership with companies that are already established in the country and also with a registered address. These companies also provide tax and accounting support and can fill the gap of an employer in your company. Perhaps this is one of the opportunities to get support to take your business to Japan.
Other types of visas for Japan
Researcher Visa – The Researcher Visa is intended for candidates who have been hired to conduct research in a public or private organization in Japan. The work may include examinations and research.
Working Holiday – A visa that allows a person to work and vacation in Japan; unfortunately, it is only available in some countries. In Brazil, it is only available for yonsei. We have no idea why this fuss…
Dependent Spouse Visa – Not everyone living in Japan has permanent visas and is of Japanese descent. Still, these people can live with their family in the country if they obtain a dependent visa. This visa does not allow the dependent person to work, but it may allow part-time work.
There are also several other visas that were not mentioned in this article; due to being quite specific visas, we prefer to list them below:
- Japanese diplomatic visa;
- Japanese visa for teachers;
- Japanese visa for artists in Japan;
- Japanese visa for journalists in Japan;
- Japanese visa for instructors in Japan;
- Japanese visa for interns in Japan;
- Japanese Entertainment visa (shows, performances);
- Japanese visa for different generations of Japanese;
- Japanese visa for specific activities;
- Japanese Legal and Accounting visa;
- Japanese visa for engineers;
It seems that there are plenty of visa opportunities for those who wish to go to Japan. Unfortunately, not all are available for residents in Brazil, and they are also not as easy to obtain as it seems. Did you miss any visa on this list? Perhaps you want to leave a comment to complement the article.
It is curious to mention that 66 countries can make tourist trips to Japan without the need for a visa. The United Kingdom, for instance, can stay in the country for up to 6 months without a visa. When will Brazil have such a privilege? Considering that Brazil has the largest Japanese community in the world. Credits to the JapanVisa website for providing some information for this article.
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