What’s STARTUP VISA?

As Japan’s working-age population has been declining rapidly, several startup cities in Japan are making effort to attract labor force from overseas.
Startup Visa Program attempts to ease the visa regulation for entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs from overseas can receive status of residence for half a year by applying Startup Visa. After getting Startup Visa, the applicants can prepare for the office space (for company registration), find business partners, brush up a solid business plan.

The below is what you need to prepare for applying for Startup Visa.

1. Confirmation of account statement (should deposit over USD$50,000)
2. Copy of your passport
3. Plan for Confirmation of Business Startup Activities
   i. applicant’s resume
   ii. business overview
   iii. scheduled entrepreneur activities (during 6-month visa period)
   iv. expected profits (3 FY from the founding date)
   v. cash flow plan (3 FY from the founding date)
   vi. cash flow table (for 6 months from the founding date)
4. Application (and Consent) for Confirmation of Business Startup Activities
5. Fixed-Term Building Lease Contract (residential)
6. Resume (in Japanese)

6-month is too short to prepare for everything, so all cities are trying to extend the visa period for a year. Let’s see which is the upcoming cities !