Japan's Working Holiday visa: a step-by-step guide

Documents you will usually need

• Passport and a completed visa application form with a photo
• A CV and a short written plan of what you intend to do in Japan (places to visit, how you will support yourself)
• A statement of purpose explaining why you want to go
• Bank statements showing savings, often the equivalent of around 200,000 to 300,000 yen or more depending on the country
• A return ticket or proof of funds to buy one
• Sometimes proof of travel or health insurance

Apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate that covers your place of residence. Processing is usually one to two weeks, and once issued you normally need to enter Japan within a year.

What you can and cannot do

You can work part time or full time in most jobs: cafés, hotels, ski resorts, farms, offices, language schools and translation work are all common. You cannot work in adult entertainment businesses such as hostess bars, nightclubs or pachinko parlours. Your status of residence is Designated Activities, and your passport will carry a designation letter explaining the conditions.

Your first two weeks in Japan

1. 01Collect your residence card at the airport. Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Fukuoka and a few others issue it on arrival.
2. 02Register your address at your local ward or city office within 14 days of moving in. Bring your residence card and passport.
3. 03Join National Health Insurance at the same counter. Premiums depend on income, so they are low in your first year.
4. 04Pension enrolment is handled at the same office. You may be able to claim a lump sum refund when you leave.
5. 05Your My Number notification arrives by post a few weeks later. Keep it safe, as employers and banks ask for it.
6. 06Get a mobile number. Budget carriers such as IIJmio or Rakuten Mobile are cheap once you have a residence card.
7. 07Open a bank account. Japan Post Bank and some online banks are the friendliest to new arrivals, though some require six months of residence.

Finding work

Popular routes are resort jobs in Niseko, Hakuba and Okinawa, hostel and guesthouse work, English teaching conversation schools and short contracts found through foreigner-focused job boards. Basic Japanese makes a large difference. Even N4 level lets you work in many cafés and hotels.

Budget and timing

Arrive with at least three months of living costs if you plan to live in Tokyo or Osaka, where a share house room is around 50,000 to 80,000 yen a month. Winter resort jobs start hiring in August and September, so apply early if that is your plan.

Can you change status later?

Some Working Holiday holders move to a work visa such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services after finding a sponsoring employer. Whether you can switch from inside Japan depends on your nationality and on immigration's discretion, so ask your regional immigration bureau before you plan around it.

This guide is general information for planning. Rules and prices change, so always confirm with the official source before you apply or sign anything.