Workforce Mobility & Immigration in Japan
Business Manager and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa coordination, including the post-October 2025 capital and staffing requirements.
JapanCurrency
JPY (Japanese yen)
Free movement
Not applicable — work permit generally required for all nationalities
Main non-EU route
Business Manager visa (paid-in capital ≥¥30 million since October 2025
Registration deadline
Typically within 1–2 weeks of arrival
Housing — single employee
~¥96,000/month (studio/1-bed under a standard 2-year lease, citywide average); ¥140,000–260,000/month for a 1LDK in central wards
Housing — family of four
¥150,000–320,000/month (3LDK, ward-dependent; ~¥298,400 average for a foreigner-friendly listing, 2026)
Moving workforce into Japan
Japan's national corporate tax rate is 23.2% (reduced to 15% on the first JPY 8 million of taxable income for SMEs with paid-in capital of JPY 100 million or less), but the figure that matters for budgeting is the effective combined rate once local taxes are layered on: national local corporate tax, enterprise tax and inhabitants tax bring the effective rate to approximately 31.5% for large corporations and up to 35.4% for SMEs. Two further changes apply to fiscal years beginning on or after 1 April 2026 — a revised 10.3% national local corporate tax rate and a new 4% "defence capabilities" surcharge on base corporate tax above a JPY 5 million deduction — both of which shift the effective rate mid-transition for companies whose fiscal year does not align with 1 April.
Discuss your Japan relocation planJapan is not an EU/EEA member
Business Manager visa (paid-in capital ≥¥30 million since October 2025, plus management experience or a relevant master's degree, a full-time employee, and Japanese-language proficiency) for owner-operators; Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa for skilled hires; Highly Skilled Professional points-based status (70+ points) offers accelerated permanent residency (as early as 1 year at 80+ points)
Confirm the right route for a hireWhat sits with the company
Once the right to work is confirmed, payroll registration follows — see our Payroll & Workforce Management in Japan guide for the employer registration steps that come next.
Set up a relocation processWhat it costs to house a relocating employee
Figures below are indicative for Tokyo, Japan's primary market for relocating employees — a company relocating multiple staff should budget by destination city, not a single national number.
| Item | Single employee | Family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Typical apartment | 1-bedroom | 3-bedroom |
| Rent (Tokyo) | ~¥96,000/month (studio/1-bed under a standard 2-year lease, citywide average); ¥140,000–260,000/month for a 1LDK in central wards | ¥150,000–320,000/month (3LDK, ward-dependent; ~¥298,400 average for a foreigner-friendly listing, 2026) |
| Security deposit | Security deposit (shikikin) typically ¥96,000–192,000 (1–2 months' rent); key money (reikin), traditionally 0–2 months' rent, is increasingly waived ("reikin zero") in Tokyo; total move-in costs typically run 4–6 months' rent | Security deposit (shikikin) typically ¥96,000–192,000 (1–2 months' rent); key money (reikin), traditionally 0–2 months' rent, is increasingly waived ("reikin zero") in Tokyo; total move-in costs typically run 4–6 months' rent |
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a Japan mobility expert
The October 2025 Business Manager visa reform means capital planning for a Japanese entity can no longer be decided on Companies Act minimums alone — if a foreign principal intends to reside in Japan as the entity's manager, JPY 30 million in paid-in capital, together with the accompanying experience, staffing and language conditions, is now the effective floor, not JPY 1.