Business Manager Visa Application: Documents and Processing Times

Applicants living overseas obtain the Business Manager visa (経営・管理ビザ) by applying for a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書交付申請); those already living in Japan under another status of residence (在留資格) apply for a change of status (在留資格変更許可申請). The Immigration Services Agency (ISA, 出入国在留管理庁) gives standard processing periods of one to three months for a Certificate of Eligibility and two weeks to one month for a renewal. The documents required depend on the size of the company (its category); for a newly established company, the core materials are the business plan and evidence of the office, the capital and the applicant’s background.

Application types and standard processing periods

Standard processing periods are only a guide, and some cases take longer. The standard processing period for change-of-status applications is also shown on the ISA procedure page, and the ISA publishes the actual average number of processing days for each status of residence every month. Build ample time for the review into the schedule for incorporation and the office lease.

After receiving the Certificate of Eligibility

A Certificate of Eligibility is valid for three months. Within that period, the applicant obtains a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate general in their home country and enters Japan. The certificate can be received on paper or by email.

Approval criteria (after the October 2025 revision)

The approval criteria were substantially revised with effect from 16 October 2025. The main criteria are listed below. The revision is explained in detail in Business Manager visa criteria revision (October 2025).

• Business premises are secured in Japan (their independence and actual use are strictly examined, and premises shared with a home are now less likely to be accepted)
• Capital or equivalent of ¥30 million or more
• At least one full-time employee is hired
• The applicant or a full-time employee has a considerable level of Japanese-language ability
• At least three years of experience in business management or administration, or a master’s degree or equivalent or higher in a related field
• The business plan has been reviewed by a business management expert

There are detailed rules on which experts may review the business plan and how years of experience are counted. Check the treatment applicable at the time of application in the summary of the revision and the guidelines published by the ISA before starting preparations.

Required documents by category

The documents required depend on which category the company managed by the applicant falls into.

A company newly established for the application has not yet filed a Legal Record Summary, so it normally falls into category 4.

Documents required for all categories

• Application form
• Photograph (meeting the specified requirements)
• Return envelope with postage stamps affixed (for Certificate of Eligibility applications)
• Documents proving the category

Main additional documents for categories 3 and 4

• Materials showing the applicant’s activities: a copy of the articles of incorporation (定款) or minutes of the shareholders’ meeting setting the officer’s remuneration, employment contracts, etc.
• Materials showing the business: certificate of registered matters (登記事項証明書), company profile, latest financial statements, etc.
• A business plan reviewed by a business management expert
• Materials showing that the office exists: real estate registry certificate, lease agreement, etc.
• Materials showing the scale of the business: documents evidencing the amount of capital and the employment of full-time staff
• Materials showing Japanese-language ability
• Materials showing the applicant’s education and employment history

If the company’s registration (登記) has not yet been completed, a copy of documents showing that the business is about to begin, such as the articles of incorporation, may be submitted in place of the certificate of registered matters. Attach Japanese translations to documents in foreign languages, and submit certificates issued in Japan within three months of their date of issue. The document list and checklist may be revised, so check the ISA page immediately before applying.

Obtaining and authenticating documents from your home country is covered in Foreign documents for company formation: apostilles and sworn statements.

Key points to cover in the business plan

Since the revision, the business plan has become a central document in the review. Before it goes to a business management expert for review, be ready to set out the following in concrete terms.

• The business: what you will sell or provide, to whom and how
• Market and competition: the target customer segment and how you differ from competitors
• Organization: the applicant’s role, the duties of full-time employees and external partners
• Financial projections: expected sales, purchases, personnel costs, rent and so on, with the basis for each
• Funding plan: how the capital will be used, and cash flow until the business turns profitable

Figures are more persuasive when supported by contracts or quotations from business partners, market data and similar evidence. It also matters that the applicant can explain the plan in person.

From application to approval

1. Basic company design: decide on the capital, business purposes, head office location and officers
2. Securing an office: lease premises appropriate to the scale of the business
3. Paying in the capital and registering the incorporation
4. Hiring full-time employees and completing social insurance and labor insurance procedures
5. Preparing the business plan and having it reviewed by an expert
6. Preparing and translating the application documents and filing them with the regional immigration services bureau
7. Submitting additional materials (if requested)
8. Approval and receipt of the residence card (在留カード)

Besides the applicant, an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or other person registered as an application agent (申請取次) can file on the applicant’s behalf, in which case the applicant does not need to appear in person. Online applications are also possible in some cases. For the incorporation steps, see also How foreign nationals and foreign companies set up a company in Japan.

Period of stay and renewal

The period of stay for Business Manager status is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 4 months or 3 months. A five-year period takes into account factors such as compliance with notification obligations and the state of the business. Where five years is not granted, a period such as three years or one year is decided based on the intended length of stay, the business’s track record and similar factors.

When to apply for renewal

Apply for renewal by the expiry date of the period of stay. If the period of stay is six months or longer, you can generally apply from about three months before expiry. As long as the application is filed by the expiry date, you may remain under your existing status of residence even if the expiry date passes during the review, until the earlier of the date a decision is made or the date two months after the expiry date (the special period).

Main points checked on renewal

If the company has reported a loss, be ready to explain that the business can continue, together with improvement measures and the outlook. Those approved under the pre-revision criteria can avoid a scramble at each renewal by planning, while the transitional measures are still available, to bring their capital, full-time staffing, Japanese-language ability and other factors closer to the revised criteria.

Notifications during your stay

If the name or address of the company you manage changes, the company ceases to exist or you move to another company, you must file a notification concerning your affiliated organization with the ISA within 14 days. Your record of notifications is also taken into account when the period of stay is decided at renewal.

Preparation points to avoid refusal

• Be able to explain the source of the capital through remittance records, deposit history and the like
• Before signing a lease, confirm that the office can be used for business (permitted use, purpose of use and independence)
• Keep the figures in the business plan (sales, personnel costs, cash flow) consistent with the company’s actual situation
• Make sure names, addresses and dates match across all application documents
• Complete employment contracts and social insurance procedures for full-time employees before applying

What to check before applying

• Whether the document list and forms are the latest versions at the time of application
• The fee amount and payment method (paid with revenue stamps upon approval; the amount may be revised)
• For online applications, user registration and the required electronic file formats
• If you appoint an application agent, the scope of the mandate and the point of contact

Even after a refusal, you can reapply once you have confirmed the reasons. However, reapplying with the same content is unlikely to change the outcome, so address the points raised before applying again.

How TIMOA can help

The Business Manager visa review looks at incorporation, the office, the capital, employment and the business plan as a whole. Working with partner administrative scriveners, judicial scriveners, certified tax accountants and labor and social security attorneys, TIMOA supports you from sequencing the incorporation steps and preparing the application documents to putting accounting and social insurance arrangements in place for renewal. For details, see our Visas, Talent & Living page.