The residency status in Japan is a permit issued by the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, granting permission for entry. Every foreign national, whether for a short-term stay or long-term residence in Japan, is required to apply for a residency status.
Residency status is categorized based on the ability to work, restrictions on employment, specified work scope, and special permissions for specific occupations or activities. Each type of residency status has applicable activities, target groups, and duration. Here is an introduction to all the categories of residency status in Japan along with their explanations:
1. Diplomatic
Activity Qualification: Individuals serving as members of foreign diplomatic missions or consulates in Japan, those entitled to privileges and immunities similar to diplomatic missions under treaties or international conventions, or family members engaged in diplomatic activities.
Applicable Examples: Ambassadors, envoys, consuls general, delegation members, etc., and their family members.
Residency Period: Duration of diplomatic activities
2. Official
Activity Qualification: Individuals engaged in official duties recognized by the Japanese government on behalf of a foreign government or international organization, or family members of such individuals.
Applicable Examples: Staff working at foreign embassies and consulates, personnel dispatched by international organizations, etc., and their family members. Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 3 months, 30 days, or 15 days
3. Professor
Activity Qualification: Engaging in research, research guidance, or education at Japanese universities, equivalent institutions, or technical colleges.
Applicable Examples: University professors, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
4. Artist
Activity Qualification: Engaging in income-generating music, art, literature, and other artistic activities.
Applicable Examples: Composers, painters, writers, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
5. Religious
Activity Qualification: Engaging in missionary and other religious activities in Japan as sent by foreign religious groups.
Applicable Examples: Missionaries sent by foreign religious groups.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
6. Journalist
Activity Qualification: Engaging in reporting and other news activities based on contracts with foreign news organizations.
Applicable Examples: Reporters and photographers from foreign news organizations.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
7. Highly Skilled Professional Type 1
Activity Qualification: Individuals with a score of 70 points or more on the highly skilled professional points table, engaged in academic research, specialized technical, or business management activities.
Applicable Examples: Foreign individuals with a score of 70 points or more on the highly skilled professional points table.
Residency Period: 5 years
8. Highly Skilled Professional Type 2
Activity Qualification: Highly skilled professionals based on a points system engaged in academic research, specialized technical, or business management activities.
Applicable Examples: Foreign individuals with a score of 70 points or more on the highly skilled professional points table and have worked in Japan under the status of Highly Skilled Professional Type 1 for three years or more.
Residency Period: Unlimited
9. Business Management
Activity Qualification: Engaging in trade and other business activities in Japan or managerial activities related to such business.
Applicable Examples: Company managers and administrative staff.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 4 months, or 3 months
10. Legal/Accounting Services
Activity Qualification: Engaging in legal or accounting work that registered foreign lawyers, foreign registered accountants, or other qualified individuals are authorized to perform.
Applicable Examples: Lawyers, registered accountants, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
11. Medical
Activity Qualification: Engaging in medical services performed by doctors, dentists, and other qualified personnel.
Applicable Examples: Doctors, dentists, nurses.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
12. Research
Activity Qualification: Engaging in research work based on contracts with Japanese public or private institutions.
Applicable Examples: Researchers from government-affiliated organizations and private companies.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
13. Education
Activity Qualification: Organizing language education and other education at elementary schools, junior high schools, compulsory education schools, high schools, secondary education schools, special support schools, specialized schools, miscellaneous schools, or educational institutions with equivalent facilities and equipment in Japan. Applicable Examples: Chinese language teachers in junior and high schools, etc. Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
14. Technology/Humanities Knowledge/International Business
Activity Qualification: Engaging in work requiring technical or knowledge skills in the fields of natural sciences such as science and engineering or humanities such as law, economics, sociology, or other cultural fields, based on contracts with Japanese public or private organizations or based on foreign cultures, requiring thoughtful or sensitive work.
Applicable Examples: Engineers like mechanical engineers, interpreters, designers, language teachers in private companies, marketers, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
15. Intra-company Transferee
Activity Qualification: Overseas office personnel of public or private organizations with headquarters, branches, and other offices in Japan, transferred to Japan within a certain period and working at the office.
Applicable Examples: Personnel dispatched to overseas offices.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months
16. Nursing
Activity Qualification: Individuals with nursing qualifications engaged in nursing or nursing guidance activities based on contracts with Japanese public or private organizations.
Applicable Examples: Nurses.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months.
17. Entertainment
Activity Qualification: Activities related to entertainment such as literary performances, performances, musical performances, sports, or other performing arts activities.
Applicable Examples: Actors, singers, dancers, professional athletes, etc.
Residency Period: 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or 15 days.
18. Nursing
Activity Qualification: Individuals with nursing qualifications engaged in nursing or nursing guidance activities based on contracts with Japanese public or private organizations.
Applicable Examples: Nurses.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months.
19. Skilled Labor
Activity Qualification: Engaging in skilled work in special industrial fields based on contracts with Japanese public or private organizations.
Applicable Examples: Foreign chefs, sports coaches, aircraft pilots, precious metal craftsmen, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months.
20. Specific Skill Type 1
Activity Qualification: Engaging in skilled work that requires a considerable level of knowledge or experience as specified by the Minister of Justice, based on employment contracts signed with domestic public or private organizations designated by the Minister of Justice.
Applicable Examples: Foreigners working in specific industrial fields that require skills.
Residency Period: 1 year 6 months or 4 months.
21. Specific Skill Type 2
Activity Qualification: Engaging in skilled work that requires a considerable level of knowledge or experience as specified by the Minister of Justice, based on employment contracts signed with domestic public or private organizations designated by the Minister of Justice.
Applicable Examples: Foreigners working in specific industrial fields that require skills.
Residency Period: 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months.
22. Skill Training Type 1
Activity Qualification: Engaging in learning and work activities related to skills based on the skill training plan specified by the Skill Training Act (limited to the first individual enterprise type skill training).
Applicable Examples: Skill trainees.
Residency Period: Period specified by the Minister of Justice (within 1 year).
23. Specific Skill Type 2
Activity Qualification: Engaging in work that requires skills based on the skill internship plan recognized under the Skill Internship Act (limited to individual enterprise type skill internship No. 2).
Applicable Examples: Skill interns.
Residency Period: Period specified by the Minister of Justice (within 2 years).
24. Specific Skill Type 3
Activity Qualification: Engaging in work that requires skills based on the skill internship plan specified under the Skill Internship Act (limited to Type 3 individual enterprise type skill internship).
Applicable Examples: Skill interns.
Residency Period: Period specified by the Minister of Justice (within 2 years).
25. Cultural Activities
Activity Qualification: Engaging in academic or artistic activities without income, or conducting specialized research on Japan's unique culture or art, or activities acquiring such knowledge under the guidance of experts.
Applicable Examples: Researchers of Japanese culture, etc.
Residency Period: 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, or 3 months.
26. Short-Term Stay
Activity Qualification: Engaging in activities such as sightseeing, entertainment, sports, visiting relatives, on-site inspections, attending lectures or conferences, and business contacts during a short stay in Japan.
Applicable Examples: Tourists, conference participants, etc.
Residency Period: Within 90 days, 30 days, or 15 days.
27. Student
Activity Qualification: Engaging in education at Japanese educational institutions such as universities, technical colleges, high schools (including high school courses at secondary education schools), special support school high schools, junior high schools (including junior high school courses at compulsory education schools and secondary education school junior high school courses), or special education schools, or equivalent institutions in facilities and organization, in junior high, elementary (including the first half of compulsory education schools), or special needs schools, vocational schools, or miscellaneous schools.
Applicable Examples: University, junior college, technical college, high school, junior high school, elementary school students.
Residency Period: Period specified by the Minister of Justice (within 4 years and 3 months).
28. Training
Activity Qualification: Engaging in activities recognized by Japanese public or private organizations to acquire skills, excluding activities listed in the skill internship 1 and study abroad sections.
Applicable Examples: Trainees.
Residency Period: 1 year, 6 months, or 3 months.
29. Family Stay
Activity Qualification: Daily activities in Japan for spouses or children being raised by individuals residing in Japan under the following residency statuses: Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Educator, Technical/ Humanities/ International Services, Intra-company Transferee, Nurse, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, Specified Skilled Worker, Cultural Activities, or those with the residency status "Student."
Applicable Examples: Spouses and children raised by foreign residents.
Residency Period: Period specified by the Minister of Justice (within 5 years).
30. Special Activities
Activity Qualification: Activities specially designated by the Minister of Justice for individual foreigners.
Applicable Examples: Diplomats, working holiday participants, foreigners based on economic cooperation agreements, nurses, nursing candidates, domestic workers, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or the period individually specified by the Minister of Justice (within 5 years).
31. Permanent Resident
Activity Qualification: Individuals approved as permanent residents by the Minister of Justice.
Applicable Examples: Those granted permanent residency by the Minister of Justice (excluding "Special Permanent Residents" as defined by special immigration laws).
Residency Period: Unlimited.
32. Spouse of a Japanese National
Activity Qualification: Spouse or specially adopted child of a Japanese national, or an individual born as the child of a Japanese national.
Applicable Examples: Spouse/Child/Adopted Child of a Japanese national.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months.
33. Spouse of a Permanent Resident
Activity Qualification: Spouse or child born in Japan to a permanent resident, etc., who continues to reside in Japan.
Applicable Examples: Spouse and children born in Japan and continuing to reside there, of a permanent resident/special permanent resident.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months.
34. Designated Activities
Activity Qualification: Individuals approved by the Minister of Justice to reside in Japan for a specific period due to special reasons.
Applicable Examples: Third-country refugees, third-generation Japanese descendants, Japanese war orphans in China, etc.
Residency Period: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, or the period individually specified by the Minister of Justice (up to 5 years).
