The short answer: Owning a home in Japan doesn't give you a visa, residency or a path to permanent residency. Most foreign owners use their home on visa-free visits, usually up to 90 days at a time. To live in Japan longer, you need a separate status of residence based on work, family, business, study, or the long-stay visa. Once you're a resident, you register your address, join national health insurance and the pension system, and become a Japanese taxpayer.
Key facts (2026)
No property visa: Japan has no "golden visa" or residency by investment for homebuyers.
Visa-free visits: visitors from 74 countries and regions can enter without a visa, usually for up to 90 days.
Up to 6 months for some: nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the UK can extend to 6 months by applying in Japan.
Long stays: the long-stay visa for sightseeing allows up to 1 year with at least ¥30 million in savings.
Digital nomads: 6 months, not renewable, with an income of at least ¥10 million a year.
Coming soon: an online travel authorization (JESTA) for visa-free visitors, planned for fiscal 2028.
Permanent residency: usually 10 years of living in Japan; owning property doesn't count towards it.
Using your home on visa-free visits
For most owners, the home is a place to visit, and that works within normal tourist rules.
How long: visitors from Japan's 74 visa-exempt countries and regions usually get up to 90 days per visit. Indonesia and Thailand get 15 days, and Brunei and Qatar, 30.
Six months for some: nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland and the UK can stay up to six months by applying to the regional immigration bureau before their first 90 days run out.
How often: there's no fixed annual limit in the rules, but each entry is at the immigration officer's discretion. If you spend most of the year in Japan on back-to-back tourist visits, expect questions and possibly refusal. Short-stay entry is for visiting, not living.
No working: visa-free stays don't allow paid work in Japan. Managing your own home and booking guests through a management company is fine; taking a job is not.
What's changing: Japan plans to introduce JESTA, an online travel authorization for visa-free visitors, similar to the US ESTA, in fiscal 2028. You'll register online before flying.
Many owners split the year into two or three long visits, such as winter for skiing and spring or autumn for the garden and the seasons, which fits comfortably within these rules.
Visa routes for living in Japan
If you want to stay longer than a visit, you need a status of residence. Your home doesn't help you qualify, but it does give you somewhere to live once you do.
There's no general retirement visa. Retirees usually combine long visa-free visits with the long-stay visa, or qualify through a Japanese spouse. We'll cover this in detail in our guide to retiring in Japan.
Permanent residency usually requires 10 continuous years living in Japan, including 5 years on a work or residence status. Spouses of Japanese nationals can apply after 3 years of marriage and 1 year living in Japan, and highly skilled professionals after 1 or 3 years. Owning property isn't part of the criteria; what counts is your residence history and your ability to support yourself.
Visa rules change often and every case is different. Before you plan a move, speak to an immigration lawyer or administrative scrivener.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying property in Japan give you a visa? No. Japan has no residency or visa by property investment. Owning a home doesn't help you qualify for a visa or permanent residency.
How long can I stay in my Japanese home without a visa? Usually up to 90 days per visit if you're from one of Japan's 74 visa-exempt countries and regions. Nationals of some European countries and Mexico can extend to six months.
Can I live in Japan permanently if I own a house? Only with a status of residence based on work, family, business or study, and eventually permanent residency, which usually takes 10 years of living in Japan.
Is there a retirement visa in Japan? Not as such. The closest is the long-stay visa for sightseeing: up to a year for visitors 18 and over with at least ¥30 million in savings.
Can I work remotely from my home in Japan? On a tourist stay, no. The digital nomad visa allows six months of remote work for overseas employers if you earn at least ¥10 million a year.
Do I pay tax in Japan if I own a home but live abroad? You pay property tax on the home wherever you live, and Japanese tax on any rental income. You only become a Japanese tax resident if you live in Japan for a year or more, or make it your home.
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Keep reading: Can Foreigners Buy Property in Japan? · Why Buy a House in Japan? · Renting Out Your Japanese Home
Links
Visiting and travel
Visas and residency
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, long-stay visa for sightseeing and recreation (¥30 million savings, up to 1 year): see Link
Immigration Services Agency, digital nomad status: see Link
Immigration Services Agency, revised Business Manager requirements from 16 October 2025: see Link
Immigration Services Agency, permanent residence guidelines (revised February 2026): see Link
Living in Japan
Fujioka City, living guide for foreign residents: 14-day moving-in notice, health insurance and national pension: see Link
Morioka City, National Health Insurance guide for foreign residents (April 2026): see Link
Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau, definitions of residents and non-permanent residents: see Link
Shogun Homes is not an immigration lawyer, administrative scrivener or tax adviser, and this guide is general information, not immigration, legal or tax advice. Visa rules change often; confirm your situation with an immigration specialist before you plan a move. Last updated 10 October 2026.