Explore investor matching on Round Funded while planning your Japan startup visa application and the milestones that come after it. The program gives eligible foreign founders time to build a business before meeting the criteria for a Business Manager visa.
What does the Japan Startup Visa let founders do?
Japan’s Startup Visa is a temporary option for foreign founders who want to prepare and operate a business in Japan. It provides time to establish a company, hire, seek investment and show progress toward a later visa. It does not grant permanent residence or automatically convert into another status.
The permitted residence period grew from six months to as much as two years in January 2025, when the framework also expanded nationwide. The program is intended to give founders a window to develop their business before they qualify for the Business Manager route.
There is no capital minimum for the Startup Visa itself. The next stage has more demanding criteria: from October 16, 2025, a Business Manager application requires at least 30 million yen in capital, up from 5 million yen. New applications also require a full-time employee and either management experience or a master’s degree. Japanese proficiency at about CEFR B2 or JLPT N2 is required from the founder or the full-time employee.
How do you apply for a Japan Startup Visa?
Start by contacting the startup support office in the municipality where you plan to base your company. Applications go through either an approved municipality or a government-certified private support organization. Local requirements can differ, so check the current instructions before assembling your documents.
A typical application asks you to prepare:
- A business plan: Explain the business’s viability and innovation, with specific targets for the first six to twelve months.
- An endorsement: The reviewing municipality or certified organization assesses your proposal and provides the confirmation required for immigration processing.
- Evidence of living funds: Many municipalities expect to see around 3 to 5 million yen available for living expenses and initial setup. This is a common benchmark, not a fixed nationwide threshold.
- Progress updates: Be ready to report how the company is advancing against the plan and its milestones.
Location can shape the support available. Fukuoka may be a fit if support and cost are priorities, while Tokyo may be relevant if access to markets is central to your plans. The Fukuoka Global Startup Center provides free English consultations, assistance with business plans, and introductions to local banks and offices.
Plan for one to three months for business-plan preparation and municipal review, then one to three months for immigration processing. These figures are for planning, not guaranteed timelines. Other potential expenses include roughly 250,000 to 300,000 yen to incorporate a kabushiki kaisha. If you hire an immigration specialist, the cost is typically 100,000 to 300,000 yen.
How should you prepare your business and fundraising plans?
Your application and your investor pitch answer different questions. Municipal reviewers assess whether the business can work in Japan and whether the proposed steps are practical. Investors consider the company’s opportunity and its ability to execute. Prepare for both assessments, but do not assume that meeting one audience’s needs will satisfy the other.
For the municipal plan, make the first six to twelve months concrete. Describe the product or service you intend to build, the customers you plan to serve, and the evidence you will use to show progress. Explain how the business will operate in Japan and connect each milestone to a realistic timeline.
For fundraising, prepare a concise deck covering the market, traction and amount you are seeking. Explain how funding would support the next business milestones. If investor capital may contribute to the 30 million yen requirement for a Business Manager visa, include fundraising in your schedule rather than leaving it until the end of the Startup Visa period. Start investor outreach in the first six months.
Capital raised from investors counts toward the Business Manager capital requirement. Treat this as a point to confirm with qualified immigration support for your specific circumstances.
What can derail your visa and company plans?
- Expecting approval without review: An endorsement and immigration processing are part of the route. Confirm the rules that apply with the organization reviewing your application.
- Leaving the business plan broad: Set measurable targets for the first six to twelve months and explain why the company is viable in Japan.
- Misjudging the funds needed: The 3 to 5 million yen figure is a common estimate for living funds, not a requirement that applies identically everywhere. Ask the municipality what financial evidence it accepts.
- Putting fundraising off: If investment may help meet the later capital requirement, make time for outreach and fundraising in your operating plan.
- Assuming the visa converts automatically: You need to meet the criteria for a different residence status. If you cannot qualify for the Business Manager visa, you may need to switch to another status, such as a work visa with a Japanese employer, or leave Japan.
How can you make use of the visa period?
Separate the immigration process from the work of running the company. First prepare the plan and complete municipal review and immigration processing. Once approved, use the period, which can be up to 24 months, to establish the business and demonstrate progress.
Set a schedule for company formation, hiring, customer evidence and fundraising. Tie the milestones to your reporting obligations, and check that they move the business toward the next visa’s criteria. Processing times and municipal rules vary, so allow for changes and confirm immigration questions with the relevant support organization.
If you are building an investor pipeline, you can submit your startup on Round Funded to get matched with investors. Round Funded helps founders find investors, send pitches and track replies.
How Round Funded helps founders plan investor outreach
- Submit your startup on Round Funded to get matched with investors.
- Search 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators by stage, industry, geography and check size. Investors are filtered for recent activity, and their emails are verified.
- Draft tailored investor emails and follow-ups with AI. Send outreach through your own Gmail account, so replies arrive in your inbox and stay in your email thread.
- Create and share a Data Room link containing your deck, traction, team and ask. Round+ includes per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics, such as views, deck opens and meeting clicks.
- Keep investors, fundraising stages and next steps organized in the pipeline as you work through your milestones.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can you stay in Japan on the Startup Visa?
The residence period may be as long as two years. The exact period and application requirements depend on your case and the municipality handling it.
Where do you apply for a Japan Startup Visa?
Apply through an approved municipality or a government-certified private support organization. You will generally need a business plan, an endorsement, proof of living funds and a plan for reporting progress. Specific requirements can vary by location.
Is there a capital minimum for the Startup Visa?
The Startup Visa itself has no capital requirement. Many municipalities look for roughly 3 to 5 million yen in accessible funds for living costs and initial setup. From October 16, 2025, the Business Manager visa requires at least 30 million yen in capital.
Can you seek investment while using the visa?
Yes. The period is intended to give founders time to build, hire and raise capital. Investor funding counts toward the 30 million yen Business Manager requirement. Check how the criteria apply to your situation with qualified immigration support.
Does the Startup Visa turn into a Business Manager visa automatically?
No. You must satisfy the applicable Business Manager criteria. If you cannot, you may need to apply for a different status or leave Japan.
Does a Japan Startup Visa provide a route to permanent residency?
The Startup Visa is temporary and does not itself grant permanent residency. The standard permanent-residency route requires ten years of residence. Under the Highly Skilled Professional points system, the wait may be one to three years, depending on points for factors such as salary, education and business criteria.