Complete Guide to the Business Manager Visa: 2025 New Rules, Eligibility & Required Documents

1. What Is the Business Manager Visa?

The Business Manager Visa — formally the “Business Manager” status of residence — is granted to a foreign national who establishes a company in Japan and serves as a business operator (representative director, executive managing member, etc.) or manager, actually engaging in business operation or management. Once obtained, you may run your own company, serve as the person in charge, and legally operate a business in Japan on a long-term basis.

2. [Latest] The New October 16, 2025 Standards: Six Key Points Explained

In recent years, Japan has seen a number of cases of “nominal management” or “shell companies” abusing the Business Manager Visa. To ensure that only foreign business operators genuinely contributing to Japan’s economy can obtain this status of residence, the Immigration Services Agency officially implemented amendments to the “Ministerial Ordinance on Criteria under Article 7, Paragraph 1, Item 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” and the “Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” on October 16, 2025 (Reiwa 7), substantially tightening the requirements for this visa.

(1) Capital / Total Investment: Raised from ¥5 Million to ¥30 Million

This is the most notable change in this amendment. Under the old system, a company only needed to prepare ¥5 million or more in capital (or substitute this with hiring 2 full-time staff) to apply. The new system raises this threshold sixfold to ¥30 million or more, and no longer allows substituting staff headcount for the capital requirement.

• For corporations: calculated based on the paid-in capital of a Kabushiki Kaisha (joint-stock company), or the total investment of a Gomei Kaisha, Goshi Kaisha, or Godo Kaisha
• For sole proprietors: ¥30 million in cash is not required — instead, calculated as the “total amount required for the business,” including securing business premises, one year’s staff salary, and equipment investment
• Capital reserves, capital surplus, and retained earnings are all excluded from the “total business assets” calculation
• If operating multiple companies simultaneously, only one company needs to meet the ¥30 million threshold — the capital of multiple companies cannot be combined

(2) Must Employ at Least 1 Full-Time Staff Member

Under the new system, a corporation must employ at least 1 full-time staff member, with strict qualifications on who counts as “full-time staff”:

• Counted: Japanese nationals, Special Permanent Residents, Permanent Residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, spouses of Permanent Residents, and Long-Term Residents
• Not counted: foreign nationals holding only a work-related status under Appended Table I (e.g. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, or the Business Manager status itself)
• Full-time staff must meet substantive full-time criteria such as “30+ hours per week and 217+ working days per year”

(3) The Applicant or Full-Time Staff Must Have Japanese Language Ability (B2 / JLPT N2 Equivalent)

A new Japanese language requirement has been added: either the applicant or a full-time staff member must possess Japanese language ability equivalent to B2 or above under the “Japanese Language Education Reference Framework.” This may be demonstrated through:

• Passing JLPT N2 or above
• Scoring 400+ on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test
• Having resided in Japan for 20+ years as a mid- to long-term resident
• Graduating from a Japanese university or other higher education institution (including vocational schools)
• Completing compulsory education and graduating from high school in Japan

(4) The Applicant Must Have Relevant Education or 3+ Years of Management Experience

The applicant must hold a master’s degree or higher (including an equivalent overseas degree) in business management or in a technical/knowledge field relevant to the proposed business, or have 3+ years of business management experience (time spent studying management-related subjects at graduate school, or time spent residing under “Designated Activities” for startup preparation, may both be counted).

(5) The Business Plan Must Be Verified by a Qualified Expert

The business plan submitted with the application must be verified for its specificity, reasonableness, and feasibility by an expert with business evaluation capability. Currently recognized expert qualifications are:

• SME Management Consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindanshi)
• Certified Public Accountant
• Certified Tax Accountant (Zeirishi)

(6) Using a Home Address as an Office Is Generally No Longer Permitted

In line with the requirement for a larger scale of business, the new system generally no longer recognizes a home address doubling as an office — applicants must secure a separate business premises appropriate to the scale of the business.

3. Old vs. New Standards Comparison Table

4. Existing Visa Holders: How Does the 3-Year Transition Period Work?

Those already residing on a Business Manager Visa do not need to immediately meet the new standards. The Immigration Services Agency has established the following transitional measures:

• Within 3 years of the effective date (i.e. until October 16, Reiwa 10 (2028)), a renewal application will not be denied for this reason alone even if it does not fully meet the new standards
• During the transition period, screening will comprehensively consider business status and tax payment status, and may require submission of an “expert management assessment document”
• For renewal applications after the 3-year transition period ends, meeting the new standards is generally required. However, even if not fully met, as long as the business is performing well, corporate tax and other public obligations have been properly fulfilled, and the new standards are expected to be met by the next renewal, the Immigration Services Agency will still comprehensively consider the residence status when making its decision — failing to reach ¥30 million in capital does not automatically mean denial

5. Impact on Permanent Residency Applications

After the new system took effect, applying for Permanent Residency under “Business Manager,” “Highly Skilled Professional Category 1(c),” or “Highly Skilled Professional Category 2” (premised on business management activity), or changing from “Highly Skilled Professional Category 1(c)” to “Highly Skilled Professional Category 2,” requires meeting the new standards — the transitional measures do not apply. In other words, business operators considering a future Permanent Residency application need to plan their capital and staffing structure early.

6. Capital or Experience Not Yet Sufficient? Alternatives During the Startup Preparation Stage

For foreign entrepreneurs whose initial capital has not yet reached ¥30 million, or who are still at the business-planning stage, Japan also offers the following transitional schemes, allowing preparation to begin locally before converting to a formal Business Manager Visa once the standards are met:

(1) Designated Activities No. 44 / Foreign Entrepreneur Business Startup Promotion Program (Startup Visa)

After a designated local government reviews the business plan and issues a “Confirmation of Startup Preparation Activities,” the applicant may obtain “Designated Activities (No. 44)” status, allowing startup preparation activities — such as opening a bank account, signing an office lease, and completing company registration — for a set period (up to a combined total of 2 years, renewed every 6 months). During this preparation period, the full requirements of the Business Manager Visa need not be immediately met. Once preparation is complete, the applicant then applies to change to the Business Manager Visa.

(2) 4-Month Startup Preparation Exception

For foreign entrepreneurs with no local supporter in Japan who need to come to Japan themselves to handle company establishment procedures, the “4-month exception” allows an Application for Certificate of Eligibility to be submitted even while business premises and company registration are still incomplete. Within the 4-month period of stay after arrival, the applicant completes office leasing, company registration, capital deposit, and other procedures, and then renews into a formal Business Manager Visa. Screening under this scheme focuses on the specificity and feasibility of the business plan — it is advisable to consult a professional early for assistance in drafting it.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)