Japan introduces ‘restrictive’ six-month digital nomad visa

Japan is the latest destination in Asia to offer a visa for digital nomads, but some are calling it “restrictive”.

Digital nomads are individuals who work remotely while moving between locations for short- or medium-term stays.

Japan’s scheme is set to launch in late March with a visa valid for six months.

Individuals from 49 countries and territories, including Singapore, the United States and Australia, can apply, according to The Japan Times newspaper.

Applicants must earn a minimum annual income of ¥10 million (S$90,000) and have private insurance. Self-employed individuals are eligible, as well as people with spouses and children.

Visa holders will be allowed to live and work remotely from anywhere in the country. But they do not qualify for a residence card by virtue of having the digital nomad visa.

There will be no immediate extensions of this visa upon expiration; a reapplication may be submitted six months after a person leaves Japan, according to travel and hospitality website Travel Daily Media.

Japan joins a growing list of countries and territories that offer such a scheme, which includes Estonia, Mexico, Portugal and Taiwan.

The Japanese initiative is part of the broader strategy to attract more remote workers and boost its tourism economy. The government hopes digital nomads will drive innovation and energise the country’s rapidly ageing workforce.

However, digital nomad communities say the terms of Japan’s visa are restrictive, according to a report by Australia’s ABC News.

They say the visa’s six-month validity is too short for long-term travellers and the minimum annual salary requirement is too stringent for those working in start-ups.