4-Month Business Manager Visa (Japan) — “4month business manager visa” Complete Guide (Effective 2025/10/16)
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The exact term “4month business manager visa” is frequently searched by overseas founders. This page explains the full 4-month route in clear steps, including incorporation, office, banking, 1 full-time employee, ¥30,000,000 capital, Japanese B2, and expert verification — all aligned with the 2025/10/16 amendments.
The “4-month Business Manager visa” is a status of residence that allows people living overseas to reside in Japan for the preparation phase of starting a business. With the 4-month visa you come to Japan → register as a resident → open a bank account → sign an office lease and incorporate → start hiring and obtain permits/licenses, then renew to a mid-/long-term visa by meeting the post-amendment requirements (1 full-time employee, capital of ¥30,000,000, Japanese B2, education/work history, expert verification, and office). This page also uses the key phrase “4month business manager visa” where natural for search users who look for that exact term.
- Full-time staff: Employment of at least one full-time employee is mandatory (eligible persons = Japanese nationals / Special Permanent Residents / foreigners with statuses in Appended Table II: Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident).
- Capital, etc.: ¥30,000,000 or more (corporations = paid-in capital / total contributions; sole proprietors = total investment amount for office securing, one year of personnel costs, equipment, etc.).
- Japanese: The applicant or a full-time employee must have Japanese B2 equivalent (e.g., JLPT N2 or higher).
- Education/Work history: A related Master’s/Doctorate/Professional degree or 3+ years of managerial/administrative work experience.
- Business plan: Verification by a qualified expert (SME Management Consultant / CPA / Licensed Tax Accountant) is required.
- Office: Home-office use is, in principle, not permitted. An office appropriate to the scale of business is required.
- Issues when an overseas resident incorporates a company in Japan
- Mandatory requirements after the legal revision (from 2025/10/16) and the position of the 4-month visa
- Obtaining the Business Manager visa after completing incorporation
- Obtaining the 4-Month Business Manager visa first, then incorporating
- Using the Program for Encouraging Foreign Entrepreneurs (6-month)
- Q&A for 4-Month Business Manager visa applications
- Google Customer Reviews
- Why choose ACROSEED
- Service fees
1. Challenges of Incorporation under the 4month business manager visa Scheme
Until now, for overseas residents to incorporate a company in Japan and apply for the Business Manager visa, it was difficult to start up without a local collaborator.
1. Problems with the conventional Business Manager visa route
In broad terms, the conventional flow was: incorporate and start business operations first, then file the Business Manager visa application with Immigration.
However, without the Business Manager visa, even if a foreign national entered Japan on a 90-day temporary visitor (tourist) visa, they could not register as a resident or open a bank account in Japan. As a result, a Japanese collaborator’s bank account was needed to receive the capital deposit for incorporation.
Therefore, people typically came to Japan once on a 90-day temporary stay, used that time to select an office, incorporate, and prepare contracts, then entrusted the visa application to a representative and returned home. After the Certificate of Eligibility for “Business Manager” was issued by Immigration, they entered Japan again with the granted visa.
2. What changed with the 4-month Business Manager visa
In April 2015, the 4-month “Business Manager” status was created. If you can show that you are preparing for incorporation in Japan and have a solid business plan, you can now obtain a 4-month Business Manager visa as a preparation period before incorporating.
Although the period is temporary—4 months—it differs greatly from the 90-day route.
The biggest difference from the 90-day visa is that you can “register as a resident.” Despite being only about one extra month, this is extremely convenient: you receive a residence card, can obtain a personal seal (inkan) certificate, and of course opening a bank account becomes much easier.
By using the 4-month visa, the previous problem—needing to borrow a collaborator’s account because you couldn’t deposit capital without a Japanese bank account—was resolved at once.
Today, including Tokyo’s “Program for Encouraging Foreign Entrepreneurs” (which can grant a 6-month Business Manager visa), there are three main methods for overseas residents to incorporate in Japan, each with pros and cons.
We propose plans tailored to your needs—please consult us first.
2. Mandatory requirements after the revision (from 2025/10/16) and the position of the 4-month visa
1. Overview of the post-revision mandatory requirements
Full-time employee(s)
Your company must employ at least one full-time employee. Eligible employees are limited to Japanese nationals, Special Permanent Residents, or those with Appended Table II statuses (Permanent Resident / Spouse or Child of Japanese National / Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident / Long-Term Resident).
Capital, etc.
¥30,000,000 or more is required.
For corporations: “KK = paid-in capital,” “Gomei/Goshi/Godo = total contributions.” For sole proprietors: judged by the “total investment” in office securing, one year of salary for full-time staff, equipment, etc.
Japanese proficiency
Either the applicant or a full-time employee must have B2 equivalent (JLPT N2+, BJT 400+ etc.).
Long-term residence of 20+ years, graduation from a Japanese university, or completion of compulsory education + high school in Japan can also serve as proof.
Education / Work history
Either hold a Doctorate/Master’s/Professional degree related to the business field, or have 3+ years of managerial/administrative experience (including preparation activities for the startup).
Business plan
Your plan must have expert verification—by an SME Management Consultant / CPA / Licensed Tax Accountant— evaluating specificity, rationality, and feasibility.
Office
You must secure an independent office appropriate to your business scale. Home-office use is, in principle, not permitted.
2. Practical notes (renewal, compliance, related procedures)
If your actual activities as a manager are minimal (e.g., outsourcing everything), you may be regarded as not engaging in “management/administration.” Unjustified long absences from Japan may be considered lack of activity and lead to renewal refusals.
At renewal, Immigration closely checks your compliance with employment insurance, workers’ compensation, health insurance, and pension contributions, and with withholding income tax, corporate tax, consumption tax, and local taxes. You are expected to submit proof of required permits/licenses (if unavoidable, you may be told to submit them at the next renewal).
3. Position of the 4-month visa and transitional measures
The 4-month visa (period of stay “4 months”) is used as the initial stay to quickly complete resident registration, open bank accounts, secure an office, obtain permits, start hiring, and finalize the expert-verified business plan. However, when renewing/migrating to a mid-/long-term stay (e.g., 1 year), you must satisfy the new criteria above.
For those already staying under “Business Manager,” renewals conducted within 3 years from the effective date (until 2028/10/16) will be judged comprehensively even if not fully compliant, considering business performance and prospects for compliance. From 2028/10/17 onward, compliance with the revised criteria is mandatory.
For changes from “Designated Activities (No. 51 – Future Creation Talent),” if you applied for 51 or are staying on it by the day before the effective date, your change to “Business Manager” will use the pre-revision criteria. If you apply for 51 on/after the effective date, the post-revision criteria will apply at the time of change.
3. Obtaining the Business Manager visa after completing incorporation (conventional method)
1. Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
・While handling incorporation, you cannot open a bank account in your own name; you must temporarily deposit capital into a collaborator’s account.
Although you must return home once, this is a standard route when you have a trusted collaborator in Japan.
If you have a collaborator and wish to obtain a 1-year Business Manager visa after incorporation, see the page below.
Business Manager Visa Requirements Guide [2025 Revision-Ready]
Specialists explain the requirements to obtain a 1-year Business Manager visa after incorporation and start your business in Japan.
2. Procedure flow
| Enter Japan | Enter Japan on a 90-day temporary visitor visa (you cannot register as a resident, so you cannot open a bank account). |
|---|---|
| Company incorporation (investment) | Ask your Japanese collaborator to serve as a promoter/founder and deposit the investment into their account to incorporate. |
| Apply for the Business Manager visa with Immigration | After registration is complete, file the Certificate of Eligibility application for “Business Manager.” |
| Return home | In some cases, if permission is issued within the 90-day window, you may avoid returning home; typically, you will return once. |
| Business Manager visa granted | Once permitted by Immigration, have the Certificate of Eligibility sent to you and obtain the Business Manager visa at the Japanese embassy/consulate abroad. |
| Enter Japan and start business | Enter Japan and start operations. |
4. Obtaining the 4month business manager visa before incorporation
This section outlines the practical 4-Month Business Manager visa path used by many searchers of the exact term “4month business manager visa.”
1. Pros and cons (post-revision)
Pros
・After arrival you can locally advance office leasing, permits/licenses, hiring, and finalizing an expert-verified business plan.
・With a view to renewal (longer stay), you can phase in evidence for “1 full-time employee,” “¥30,000,000 capital,” “Japanese B2,” “education/work history,” and “office”.
Cons
・Home-office is in principle not allowed. You must secure an office appropriate to your scale and obtain expert verification (SME Consultant/CPA/Tax Accountant).
・Because tax, labor, and social insurance compliance is closely checked at renewal, continuous compliance is essential.
2. Procedure flow
| Articles & business plan | Prepare the articles of incorporation and a business plan. |
|---|---|
| Apply to Immigration | Apply for the 4-month Business Manager visa on the basis that you are proceeding toward incorporation in Japan. |
| Enter Japan | After receiving the 4-month Business Manager visa, enter Japan. Register as a resident, then complete procedures such as opening a bank account. *Post-revision, renewal screening checks compliance with 1 full-time hire, ¥30,000,000 capital, etc., office secured (home-office generally NG), Japanese B2 / JLPT N2, education/work history, and an expert-verified business plan. |
| Company registration | Register the company based on the prepared articles. *For corporations, plan establishment/capital increase with capital of ¥30,000,000+ (for LLC/partnerships, total contributions). For sole proprietors, proof is by total investment. |
| Start operations | Begin operations after registration is complete. *Start hiring at least one full-time employee, complete labor/employment insurance & social insurance registrations, and ensure proper payment of withholding/corporate/consumption/local taxes. |
| Visa renewal | Renew your status at Immigration to change to a mid-/long-term Business Manager visa. *At renewal, you will explain recent activities in detail via an Activity Statement for Business Management, and comprehensive checks will be made for expert-verified plan and compliance with hiring, capital, office, Japanese level, education/work history. |
4. Common pitfalls in 4-month applications (with countermeasures)
1. Falling behind on planning for the ¥30,000,000 capital
After the revision, “¥30,000,000+ capital (or total investment)” is the de facto minimum.
If not met at incorporation, you must adapt through capital increases after arrival (paid-in increases) or third-party allotments, but each step—account opening, funds transfer, KYC/AML checks, registration—takes days.
Overseas remittances often require source-of-funds documentation (bank balance certificates, source explanations, contracts, etc.). The full set of evidence—funds arrival → payment → registration—is important at renewal review.
Before arrival, lock in the capital-increase route (at establishment / post-establishment / third-party allotment) and timeline. Prepare remittance paths, names, receiving accounts, shareholder structure changes, shareholders’/board resolution templates, and registration proxies.
Gantt-chart the tasks Funds arrival → Payment → Registration → Evidence preservation to eliminate delays.
2. Delays in starting the full-time hire
At least one full-time employee is a renewal compliance requirement. Starting recruitment only after arrival often misses deadlines.
You must design hiring operations end-to-end, covering job descriptions, employment terms, work location, probation, social/employment insurance coverage, payroll (withholding, payroll ledger, payday), etc.
Begin job postings, interviews, and offer/onboarding before arrival.
Aim for Week 1–2: posting/interviews; Week 3: offer & conditions; Week 4: onboarding and social/employment insurance filings, so that at renewal you can show employment contracts, employment certificates, and actual working status.
3. Assuming a home-office
Post-revision, home-office is generally not allowed. If you plan a home or coworking space to minimize costs, you may face trouble proving independence, exclusivity, and business substance.
Even with coworking, permissibility depends on contract terms—registration, signage, mail receipt, dedicated desk/room, usage purpose. Always confirm before contracting.
Prepare a lease for an independent office (with registration allowed indicated), and have floor plan; exterior/interior photos; signage; mailbox label; layout ready before arrival.
Collect house rules / registration eligibility / usage restrictions for candidate properties in advance to ensure a smooth path from contract → registration → operation.
4. Poor scheduling for expert verification of the business plan
Your plan requires expert verification by an SME Consultant / CPA / Tax Accountant for specificity, rationality, and feasibility.
You need to build to evaluation criteria: market size, competitors, value proposition, KPIs, 3-year P/L, B/S, C/F, hiring/equipment/permits substantiation, and financing assumptions (FX, unit prices, utilization, timing differences).
Fix a cycle of draft → expert review → revisions → final before arrival.
Agree on review angles (hypotheses and evidence, sensitivity analysis, financing & capital-increase plan, HR/social insurance/tax plan, permit roadmap), and define the format, recipients, and timing for the verification letter.
5. Weak initial setup for taxes/social insurance/labor insurance
At renewal, Immigration checks compliance with employment insurance, workers’ accident compensation, health insurance, and pension, and with withholding/corporate/consumption/local taxes.
There are many easily overlooked startup filings after incorporation—notifications to the Tax Office, Prefectural Tax Office, and City Office, withholding payments, year-end adjustments, special monthly tax payment scheme, payroll ledgers, payment records, etc.
Build a 4-month checklist (tax filings / withholding payments / social & employment insurance enrollment / labor law documents / payroll flow / invoicing & receipts / books & records).
Systematically evidence monthly payments and records, so at renewal you can immediately show there are no arrears, missing enrollments, or unfiled notices.
5. Using the Program for Encouraging Foreign Entrepreneurs (6-month visa)
1. What the Program is
This is a special scheme in National Strategic Special Zones to promote acceptance of foreign entrepreneurs.
Using this scheme, before Immigration’s review you can be exceptionally granted a 6-month visa based on your business plan alone. In other words, you can conduct preparations while staying in Japan. In Section 2 above we introduced the 4-month visa; this program gives you two additional months.
However, unlike the 4-month visa, you must report progress on your startup activities to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on a regular basis.
*Even with this program, at renewal/migration to a longer stay after the amendments, compliance with the revised criteria (1 full-time, ¥30,000,000, Japanese B2, education/work history, expert verification, office) is a prerequisite.
2. Who is eligible
*Note: As a rule, those already staying in Japan under another status cannot change their status using this program.
3. Pros and cons
Pros
・Because you can open a bank account in your own name before incorporation, you can deposit capital into your own account without relying on a collaborator.
Cons
・If the business does not launch smoothly, renewal to a longer stay may be difficult after 6 months.
Even without a trusted collaborator in Japan, if you have a solid plan you can incorporate and obtain the Business Manager visa smoothly. If the 4-month period is too short, consider this program.
4. Procedure flow
| Apply to Tokyo | Submit the Application for Confirmation of Startup Activities and a Startup Activity Plan to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. |
|---|---|
| Apply to Immigration | After obtaining the “Certificate of Confirmation of Startup Activities” from Tokyo, apply for the “Business Manager” Certificate of Eligibility with Immigration. |
| Enter Japan | Enter Japan with a 6-month Business Manager visa. After resident registration, complete procedures such as opening a bank account. |
| Company registration | Prepare the articles and register the company. |
| Start operations | Begin operations after company registration is complete. |
| Visa renewal | Renew your status at Immigration and change to a mid-/long-term Business Manager visa. |
6. Q&A for 4-month Business Manager visa applications (post-revision)
Q. What must I complete during the 4-month stay after arrival?
A. At renewal to a mid-/long-term stay, compliance with the new criteria is reviewed. Within the 4 months, proceed in parallel with hiring one full-time employee, securing ¥30,000,000 capital (e.g., via capital increase), securing an independent office, meeting Japanese B2 (by you or your full-time staff), confirming education/work history requirements, and preparing an expert-verified business plan.
Q. Can I use a home-office?
A. In principle, no. You must secure an office appropriate to your business scale.
Q. How deeply are taxes/social insurance/labor insurance checked?
A. At renewal, Immigration checks enrollment/payment of employment insurance, enrollment/payment of health insurance & pension, and withholding/corporate/consumption/inhabitant/business taxes (for sole proprietors: income tax/inhabitant tax/business tax, etc.).
Q. How is a change handled from “Designated Activities (No. 51 – Future Creation Talent)?”
A. If you applied for 51 or are staying on it by the day before the effective date, the change will use the pre-revision criteria. If you apply for 51 on/after the effective date, the post-revision criteria apply.
Q. What about renewals for those already on “Business Manager”?
A. Renewals within 3 years from the effective date (until 2028/10/16) will be judged comprehensively even if not fully compliant, considering business status and prospects.
Meanwhile, from 2028/10/17 onward, compliance with the revised criteria is mandatory.
* Some related articles below may still show old terms in the titles, but the bodies are being updated for the reform.
I am currently living in Japan on a Humanities Visa but want to start my own business. How can I change to the Business Manager Visa?
I want to move to Japan to start a business. What do I need?
Japan Business Manager Visa (2025 Revision): What Changed, Who’s Affected, and How to Qualify
We also offer free consultations for other Business Manager visa cases. To request a consultation, call TEL 03-6905-6371 or contact us by email.
7.Google Customer Reviews
8. Why ACROSEED is chosen
- Why clients choose ACROSEED
- Founded in 1986, with 40,000+ visa applications—among the most in the industry
- 99.9% approval rate—trusted by many clients
- No travel expenses—flat fees nationwide
- Many approvals for difficult and re-application cases
- No add-on fees—transparent pricing
- If refused, free re-application support until approval
- Support available in Japanese, English, and Chinese
Founded in 1986, over 40,000 visa applications
ACROSEED Administrative Scrivener Corporation opened in 1986 and has specialized in immigration procedures since 1990, when legal changes allowed administrative scriveners to handle such work. As of March 2025, our cumulative applications exceed 40,000.
We handle 3,000–4,000 visa applications annually, visiting Immigration twice a week to track examination trends and the latest rule changes.
By choosing ACROSEED, you benefit from services built on the deepest practical experience and the latest insight into Immigration’s reviews.
99.9% approval rate—services trusted by many
From our founding, we have focused on providing reliable services. At the free-consultation stage, we decline cases with no realistic chance of approval after explaining the situation to the client.
As a result, our approval rate has consistently exceeded 99% (including re-applications).
However, if a case is challenging yet still has a chance and the client strongly wishes to proceed, we will make maximum efforts together.
Our careful, client-centered service is widely supported.
Flat fees nationwide—no travel expenses
Our office is in Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, but we handle Immigration work nationwide at flat fees without charging travel expenses.
For remote clients we also provide online consultations via Skype/Zoom, offering the same face-to-face experience as in-person visits.
Many approvals for difficult and re-application cases
We have a strong track record of turning around cases refused multiple times by self-filers or other offices.
ACROSEED’s track record is widely recognized in the industry, and we receive referrals nationwide for tough cases—even from other professionals—acting like a “general hospital” for complex immigration matters.
Please consult us before giving up.
No add-on fees—transparent pricing
Our service fees are only those listed on our website.
We do not add fees based on your situation (e.g., many days abroad, prior refusals).
We provide services you can trust with a clear pricing system.
If refused, free re-application until approval
If a case filed by ACROSEED is unfortunately refused, we will re-apply free of charge as long as there remains a possibility of approval.
While some firms now offer “full refunds if refused,” we believe refunds do not solve the client’s problem.
Leaving a refusal in your history due to a careless filing can make approval harder later.
For clients who choose ACROSEED from among many offices, our stance is “win approval as quickly as possible—and if refused, support you thoroughly until approval.”
9. Agency fees for 4-month Business Manager visa applications (tax excluded)
In connection with the 2025 amendment, the fees for “expert verification of the business plan” (SME Management Consultant, Certified Public Accountant, Tax Accountant) are not included in the prices below.
We can arrange and coordinate schedules, but the expert’s fee will be charged separately at cost based on a prior quotation (we do not charge any referral fees).
Whether verification is necessary, its timing, and scope will be advised after an individual assessment.
Also, please note that as of October 16, 2025, the Registration and License Tax amounts will change.
Joint-stock company (Kabushiki Kaisha): ¥150,000 → ¥210,000
LLC (Gōdō Kaisha): ¥60,000 → ¥210,000
・There are absolutely no add-on fees based on client conditions.
・ACROSEED serves clients nationwide. Distant clients can engage us at the same fees shown below.
・We accept Visa and MasterCard for payment.
4-Month Visa Package (For applicants residing overseas without a local representative in Japan)
| 1. Preparation of Business Plan | 593,500 yen Due to the Registration and License Tax revision from Oct. 16, 2025: 660,000 yen |
|---|---|
| 2. Application for 4-Month Business Manager Visa | |
| 3. Incorporation of a Joint-Stock Company (Including company seal, notarization of articles, and registration tax) |
|
| 4. Change of Status to 1-Year Business Manager Visa |
Business Manager 4-Month Visa Only
| 1. Preparation of Business Plan | 270,000 yen |
|---|---|
| 2. Application for Business Manager Visa |
*After obtaining the 4-Month Visa, separate procedures are required for company incorporation and for changing to a “Business Manager” visa with a duration of one year or longer.
Administrative Scrivener Corporation ACROSEED
Managing Partner: Makoto Sano
Japan Federation of Administrative Scriveners Associations (Reg. No. 01080685)
Tokyo Administrative Scriveners Association (Member No. 4568)
Founded in 1986
Now in our 39th year specializing in foreign nationals’ legal affairs across two generations.
Registered Administrative Scrivener in 2001
23 years as an international administrative scrivener.
Appointed to the Tokyo Association’s International Division in 2023
Contributing to the development and training of administrative scriveners.
[Track record]
ACROSEED’s legal services are chosen by over 1,000 corporations including listed/global companies. We also have many engagements as lecturers/authors on foreign employment.
Since opening our practice in 1986, we have been involved in consulting on visa applications for foreigners for nearly 40 years as an immigration lawyer.
Telephone consultation, email consultation, online consultation, and consultation at our office are available.
