Costs up to obtaining a Business Manager visa
When a foreign national living in Japan decides they want to run a company, then unless they hold a status-based residence status (such as spouse or child of a Japanese national, spouse or child of a permanent resident, or long-term resident) or permanent residence, they cannot run a company without obtaining a Business Manager visa or the higher-ranking Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) visa (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Business Manager visa”).
To obtain a Business Manager visa, you need to establish a company and then file a residence status application with the Immigration Bureau to obtain permission. Various costs arise over the course of this whole process.
So how much does it cost to obtain a Business Manager visa? This page explains the costs up to obtaining a Business Manager visa.
Company incorporation costs
To obtain a Business Manager visa, most people will first establish a company. Establishing this company involves costs. How much it costs differs depending on whether you establish a kabushiki kaisha (stock company) or a godo kaisha (LLC).
Incorporation costs of a stock company vs. an LLC
The incorporation costs differ between a stock company and an LLC. To state the conclusion first, a stock company costs at least 260,000 yen, and an LLC at least 210,000 yen. In other words, an LLC can keep the initial costs a little lower than a stock company.
Looking only at incorporation costs, an LLC appears more economical, but there are also advantages to establishing a stock company, so decide which to establish after considering those.
Breakdown of the incorporation costs of a stock company vs. an LLC
We stated the incorporation costs of a stock company and an LLC above, but what is the breakdown? We have summarized the breakdown in the table below, so please check it.
| Stock company (KK) | LLC (GK) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Cost | Item | Cost |
| Articles of incorporation certification fee (paid to the notary office) |
50,000 yen | Articles of incorporation certification fee (paid to the notary office) |
0 yen |
| Stamp duty (paid to the notary office) |
40,000 yen free if electronic |
Stamp duty (paid to the notary office) |
40,000 yen free if electronic |
| Registration and license tax (paid to the Legal Affairs Bureau) |
From 210,000 yen (0.7% of capital) | Registration and license tax (paid to the Legal Affairs Bureau) |
From 210,000 yen (0.7% of capital) |
| Total | From 260,000 yen | Total | From 210,000 yen |
As the table shows, a stock company costs more than an LLC. Remember that to obtain a Business Manager visa, these company incorporation costs will always be required first.
Note that these amounts are the statutory fees for when you register at the Legal Affairs Bureau yourself. If you engage a judicial scrivener (shiho shoshi) — a registration specialist — a separate judicial scrivener’s fee will arise.
About the Business Manager visa application cost
After establishing the company, you file the Business Manager visa application at the Immigration Bureau. If permission is granted here, you can run a company in Japan. When applying for the Business Manager visa, if you do the online application yourself, all you pay is the fee for issuing the new residence card (5,500 yen).
However, the difficulty of a Business Manager visa application is quite high, so many people consider engaging a professional such as an administrative scrivener.
From here, we explain the market rate for engaging a professional such as an administrative scrivener for a Business Manager visa.
Market rate for Business Manager visa application support fees
The market rate for engaging a professional to support a Business Manager visa application is about 250,000 to 1,000,000 yen. This amount is a Business Manager visa application support fee, and is charged separately from the company incorporation costs.
A Business Manager visa application is more difficult than applications for other residence statuses. In particular, explaining the business outlook is key, so preparing a business plan is necessary. Preparing documents like these is quite difficult, so it can be said that things often go more smoothly with professional support.
Our office’s support fee
For foreign nationals living abroad, our office sets a Business Manager visa support fee of 506,000 yen (tax included) under the standard plan. This is an amount close to the rough market rate. For details of the support we specifically provide for a Business Manager visa application, please see below.
Note that this fee is only a reference amount; it may change depending on the client’s situation, industry, and the plan requested. The amount stated in the quotation when you consult our office is the official amount.
Our office’s support content
Above, we explained that our office’s support fee is 506,000 yen (tax included). The support content is as follows.
- Comprehensive consulting on the entire Business Manager visa application procedure, with unlimited consultation
- Listing up the required documents tailored to the individual
- Preparation of the certificate of eligibility application documents
- Preparation of the business plan and the statement of annual investment amount
- Preparation of the minutes of the general shareholders’ meeting and the shareholder register
- Preparation of the statement of reasons for the application
- Checking and preparation of various contracts
- Japanese translation of home-country documents (Chinese, Korean and English supported) *A separate fee applies
- Preparation of a document in which a certified public accountant / registered SME management consultant confirms the new business plan
- Acting as agent for the application to the Immigration Bureau
- Handling, on your behalf, questionnaires, requests for explanation of circumstances, and additional documents requested by immigration examiners
- Receipt of the result notification
We support the obtaining of a Business Manager visa through the process above. As you can see, there are various steps up to obtaining a Business Manager visa, and the documents to be prepared are voluminous.
That is why our office supports every step from application through to obtaining the Business Manager visa.
In closing
This page has explained the costs up to obtaining a Business Manager visa. Company incorporation involves not only the statutory fees paid to the Legal Affairs Bureau and others, but also capital and, if you rent an office, rent, so be sure to prepare a budget with some room to spare.
