# Designated Activities (特定活動) visa: the types and who gets them

URL: https://japanhow.com/visa/visas/designated-activities-visa-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 27, 2026

## Summary

As of October 2026, Designated Activities (特定活動) is not one visa but a status for activities the Minister of Justice designates person by person. The Immigration Services Agency lists 27 categories, including job hunting after graduation, working holiday, EPA nurse candidates, ski instructors, digital nomads and working spouses of highly skilled professionals. Periods run from 3 months to 5 years, and what you may do depends on your own designation, so check your passport or card.

## Key facts

- Categories listed by ISA: 27
- Period of stay: 3 months to 5 years
- Digital nomad stay: 6 months, no renewal
- What you may do: Set per person

The Designated Activities visa in Japan (特定活動) is **not one visa but a catch-all status** for activities the Minister of Justice designates for each person. As of October 2026, the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA) lists **27 categories**, from job hunting and working holiday to EPA nurse candidates and digital nomads. The period of stay is **3 months to 5 years**, and what you may do depends on your own designation.

**Informational only:** This guide summarizes ISA's published pages. It is not advice on your case. Ask the ISA information center (0570-013904) or a licensed immigration and administrative specialist (行政書士).

## What does Designated Activities (特定活動) mean?

Other statuses, like Engineer/Specialist in Humanities, name a fixed field of work. Designated Activities does not. ISA says it covers activities specially designated for individual foreign nationals, with working holiday and EPA candidates as examples.

ISA's main page gives no general work-permission rule. Your permitted activity is whatever your designation says. If you are unsure, read it before you take a job or a side income.

**Period of stay:** 3 months to 5 years (5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or an individual period up to 5 years (ISA, as of October 2026))

## Which types of Designated Activities visa exist in Japan?

ISA's list is long. These are the groups most foreign residents meet.

| Group | Examples from ISA's list |
|---|---|
| After studying in Japan | Job hunting after graduation, staying until a job offer starts, starting a business, staying to enter graduate school, Notice 46 work for graduates |
| Studying abroad, short stays | Internship, summer job, local-government cultural exchange |
| Young travelers | Working holiday, long stay for sightseeing or recreation (up to 1 year) |
| Health care | EPA nurse and care worker candidates and their families, medical stay |
| Work and skills | Ski instructors, specified research, specified information processing, foreign entrepreneurs |
| Family of skilled workers | Working spouses, parents and domestic workers of highly skilled professionals |
| Other | Fourth-generation Nikkei, digital nomads, moving to Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1), technical intern trainees changing employers |

## Is the job hunting visa a Designated Activities visa?

Yes. Graduates of Japanese schools can change from Student status to Designated Activities to keep job hunting. Details such as the period, the renewal and the school recommendation are in our [job-hunting visa guide](/visa/visas/job-hunting-visa-japan/).

Two related types sit in the same list. Staying to enter graduate school needs a diploma, an admission document showing the entry date, a pledge to keep regular contact with the graduate school, and proof of living funds. Notice 46 work for graduates of Japanese universities asks for JLPT N1 or BJT 480 or higher, or a Japanese-major diploma from a foreign university. For Notice 46, applications from 15 April 2026 also need an employer representative declaration, except family-activity applications.

## Is the working holiday visa a Designated Activities visa?

ISA names working holiday as an example of Designated Activities. Age, partner countries and quotas are not on ISA's page, so read our [working holiday visa guide](/visa/visas/working-holiday-visa-japan/).

A separate type covers a stay of up to 1 year for sightseeing or recreation, plus accompanying spouses. Eligibility is set by a Ministry of Justice notice.

## What about internships, ski instructors and EPA candidates?

**Student internships.** For foreign university students, ISA covers three activities. An internship must be part of the credit-bearing curriculum. A summer job during holidays and a local-government cultural exchange are each limited to 3 months. Only internships can be extended.

**Ski instructors.** You work for an organization in Japan, and the contract must state the activities, the period and the pay. You must prove a Japan Professional Ski Instructors Association (SIA) Alpine Ski Level I to IV qualification or an equal one.

**EPA nurses and care workers.** ISA has separate pages for candidates on the worker track, candidates on the study track, and those who continue as nurses or care workers. Holders must file address notifications. The nationalities and periods are not on the index page we checked.

## Can I work remotely on a Designated Activities visa as a digital nomad?

ISA's digital nomad status has these rules as of October 2026:

- Annual income of **¥10 million or more** at application.
- Overseas travel or medical insurance covering at least **¥10 million** of treatment costs.
- Nationality of a country or region on ISA's list.
- **6 months**, not renewable. You can return after 6 months outside Japan. No residence card is issued.

You may work remotely for a foreign employer, or sell services or goods to people outside Japan online. Work under a contract with a Japanese organization is not allowed, and permission for other activities is generally not granted. A spouse and children can come for up to 6 months with the same insurance cover.

## Can my spouse work if I am a highly skilled professional?

ISA has a Designated Activities type for a working spouse of a highly skilled professional. Allowed work includes research, teaching at Japanese schools, work needing natural-science or humanities knowledge or foreign-culture sensitivity, and some advertising, broadcast, film and commercial photography work. No education or work-history requirement applies.

You must live with the highly skilled professional and be paid at least what a Japanese person would get. If the couple separates, the work is no longer allowed. ISA's page sets no hour limit. For the main status, see the [highly skilled professional guide](/visa/visas/highly-skilled-professional-visa-japan/).

## What should I do if my case is not on the list?

Designated Activities also covers special cases, such as moving to Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1) or continuing work when that is unavoidable. Our [Specified Skilled Worker guide](/visa/visas/specified-skilled-worker-japan/) covers that status. When you change status, see [change of status](/visa/visas/change-of-status-of-residence-japan/).

Bring your passport, residence card and the documents ISA lists for your category. Rules can change, and ISA's main page mentions no 2027 change for this status. Check ISA before you apply.

More guides: [job-hunting visa](/visa/visas/job-hunting-visa-japan/), [working holiday visa](/visa/visas/working-holiday-visa-japan/), [change of status](/visa/visas/change-of-status-of-residence-japan/), [Specified Skilled Worker](/visa/visas/specified-skilled-worker-japan/).

## Questions people ask

### What does Designated Activities (特定活動) mean on a residence card?

It means the Minister of Justice designated specific activities for you personally. The allowed activity depends on your designation, not on a fixed job list.

### How long can I stay on a Designated Activities visa?

ISA says the period is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or an individually set period of up to 5 years. Digital nomads get 6 months with no renewal.

### Can I work on a Designated Activities visa?

It depends on the type. Some allow only the designated job, such as ski instruction. Digital nomads may work remotely for foreign clients but not for a Japanese employer. ISA's main page gives no general rule, so read your own designation.

### Is the job hunting visa a Designated Activities visa?

Yes. Graduates of Japanese schools can change to Designated Activities for job hunting. Our job-hunting guide covers the 6-month period, the renewal and the recommendation letter.

### Where do I check which Designated Activities type I have?

Check the activity written on your residence card and any designation document you were given, then ask the ISA information center (0570-013904) or a licensed immigration specialist (行政書士).

## Sources

- [在留資格「特定活動」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Digital nomad Designated Activities (Notices 53 and 54)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities10_00001.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Working spouse of a highly skilled professional](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities02_00003.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Internship, summer job, international cultural exchange](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities03.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Ski instructor](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities12.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Graduates of Japanese universities (Notice 46)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities11.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [Staying to enter graduate school](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities52.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)
- [EPA nurses and care workers and candidates](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities04.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 27, 2026)