- What is a Working Holiday Visa?
- This visa allows you to both legally travel and work in Japan and stay in Japan for as long as one year. Unlike the tourist visa, because it allows a long-term stay while working, it enables the visitor to experience things that cannot be experienced with a tourist visa. Unlike other categories of working visa, a Working Holiday Visa doesn’t require a company to sponsor you.
- Which countries can a working holiday visa allow you to stay in Japan?
- There are 29 countries that have Working Holiday Visa agreements with Japan. Notably, the U.S.A does not have a Working Holiday Agreement with Japan.
Australia
New Zealand
Canada
The Republic of Korea
France
Germany
The United Kingdom
Ireland
Denmark
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Norway
Portugal
Poland
Slovakia
Austria
Hungary
Spain
Argentina
Chile
Iceland
Czech
Lithuania
Sweden
Estonia
Netherlands
Uruguay
Finland
Latvia
Italia
- Who can apply for a Japanese Working Holiday Visa?
- Citizens of the countries from the list above, who are between the ages of 18 and 30 years old are eligible to apply for Working Holiday Visas.
- Will more countries have working holiday visa agreements in the future?
- As of 2023, Belgium, Malta and Israel are in negotiations.
- How long can a working holiday visa permit a person to stay in Japan?
- Citizens of the countries from the list above can stay in Japan for 12 months.
Citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have to extend their visas after 6 months.
※ You will be required to visit an immigration office with your passport and your resident card to extend your Working Holiday Visa. Extension fee is 4,000 yen.
For more detail information click here.
- Is there an age limit for applying for a working holiday visa?
- You can apply for a Working Holiday Visa up until the day before your 31st birthday.
- How do working holiday visa applicants apply for a working holiday visa?
- You can only apply for a working holiday programme in Japan at your country’s embassy/consulate.
If you are currently abroad, it is unfortunately more likely that you will have to return home to apply for a working holiday visa, but check with the Japanese embassy in your country to be sure.
- Can any nationality apply for a working holiday visa?
- The Working Holiday scheme is a bilateral agreement between two country. If you wish to apply for a Working Holiday Visa to visit a certain country, your own country have to obtain a Working Holiday Agreement with the country in question.
- Is it possible to change to another visa from a Working Holiday Visa?
- It is possible, but depends on the decision of the Japanese immigration authorities. In addition, some visas can be changed and others cannot. Normally, if you are applying for a work visa to work as an English teacher, you must be a university graduate. More detail is here
Be sure to check with the Immigration Office for the correct information on visas.
- Is it possible to leave Japan and come back during a working holiday?
- Yes, a working holiday visa allows you to stay in Japan for 12 months.
If you wish to travel outside Japan during the validity period of your visa, you must complete a re-entry permit at the airport before departure.
- Do I have to renew my Working Holiday Visa after 6 months?
- It depends on your country of residence. Visas for most countries in the Working Holiday Scheme are valid for 12 months. The exceptions are Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians, who need to renew their visas after six months.
Australians can stay for a total of 18 months, but need to renew their visa after six months.
- What jobs can you do on a working holiday in Japan?
- The working holiday visa has surprisingly few restrictions on the types of work you can do and the hours you can work. You cannot work in ‘establishments that affect public morals’, such as bars, nightclubs and gambling establishments. However, almost any other job is possible.
Common jobs for working holiday visa holders include teaching English, working in hotels/hostels and ski resorts. In addition to teaching, sales and translation, you may also find remote working jobs in the high-tech and gaming industries.
- Can I easily find work in Japan?
- The English language skills of the Japanese are fairly low and the number of immigrants is also low, so the culture of accepting foreigners as workers is not as well developed as it could be. To find a job in Japan, please refer to this page.
- Do I have to take out social insurance?
- About the health insurance
About the pension system
About the employment insurance
- What’s Zairyu card (resident card)?
- Read this post
