Working holiday visa in Japan: eligible countries, rules and switching later

Japan’s working holiday visa is open only to young citizens and residents of 32 partner countries and regions, as of October 2026. You apply from your home country, usually aged 18 to 30, and stay for up to 1 year. You can work to top up your travel money, but jobs in bars, clubs and the sex industry are banned. The US, Brazil and all South and Southeast Asian countries are not partners, so this route doesn’t exist for them.

Which countries have a working holiday agreement with Japan?

MOFA lists these 32 partners as of 1 April 2026. The quota is the number of visas Japan issues to that country’s young people each year.

The US, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh are not on MOFA’s list. If you are from one of them, you need a different status, such as a work visa or Specified Skilled Worker.

What are the requirements?

MOFA’s main conditions, which each country adapts:

• You are a citizen or resident of the partner country and live there when you apply.
• Your main aim is a holiday, not work or study.
• You are 18 to 30 when you apply. For Australia, Canada, South Korea and Ireland the base range is 18 to 25, but it can go up to 30 where that government allows. Japan’s consulates in Toronto and Calgary state 18 to 30 for Canadians.
• You don’t bring children or other dependants.
• You have a valid passport and a return ticket, or money to buy one.
• You have enough money to live on at the start of your stay.
• You are in good health.
• You haven’t had a Japanese working holiday visa before, with some exceptions (below).

The age limit counts only on the day you apply. The Hong Kong consulate says you are still eligible if you turn 31 during your year in Japan.

Each embassy sets its own documents. As an example, Japan’s consulates in Canada ask for a CV, a month-by-month itinerary, a letter of reasons, a doctor’s note and bank statements with at least CAD 3,500 (CAD 4,500 for a married couple). Calgary asks for CAD 1,000 more per traveler if you haven’t bought a ticket yet. The visa is free for Canadians.

You must apply from your home country. The Hong Kong consulate says someone already in Japan on another status, such as Student, has to go home first and apply from there.

Can you do a working holiday in Japan twice?

For some nationalities, yes. Since changes between December 2024 and February 2026, MOFA says:

• Canada and the UK: twice in a lifetime, or two years in a row.
• New Zealand, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Slovakia, South Korea and Taiwan: twice in a lifetime.

Everyone else gets one working holiday in Japan.

How long can you stay?

On arrival, you get the status Designated Activities (特定活動). ISA lists working holiday as one of its examples. The Hong Kong and Toronto consulates both say you can stay up to 1 year from the day you enter. Hong Kong participants must enter within 3 months of the visa being issued; Canadians within 1 year.

Extensions depend on your country:

• Canada: the Toronto consulate says immigration in Japan may extend the first year by up to 1 more year, if you haven’t already stayed over 1 year in total on the program.
• Hong Kong: the consulate says you cannot extend. You must leave by the end of your period of stay.

For other countries, ask the Japanese embassy that issues your visa.

How many hours can you work, and which jobs are banned?

You don’t need a separate work permit. The Embassy of Japan in Canada says working holiday makers need no further permission to do paid work. The Hong Kong consulate says there is no particular restriction on how long you may work in a job, as long as the work supplements your travel funds. Neither source gives a weekly hour cap.

The ban is clear: no work at businesses covered by Japan’s adult entertainment law (風俗営業等). The consulates name bars, pubs, cabarets, nightclubs and the sex industry. MOFA warns that this work is a ground for deportation (退去強制事由), unless you were a victim of human trafficking. Anyone who makes you do this work may face charges such as facilitating illegal work (不法就労助長罪).

Your passport carries a designation document (指定書) that lists what you may do. Check it before you take a job.

MOFA works with no private agencies on the scheme, and the Hong Kong consulate says no government agency finds jobs or housing for you. You can use Hello Work (ハローワーク) and the Foreigner Employment Service Centers (外国人雇用サービスセンター) in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka.

What do you need to do after you arrive?

Health insurance. Meguro City’s rules are typical: foreign residents with a period of stay over 3 months must join National Health Insurance (国民健康保険). The only Designated Activities holders left out are those in Japan for medical treatment or sightseeing stays. If you join late, the premiums are charged back to when you should have joined. Our National Health Insurance guide explains the costs. The Hong Kong consulate also asks applicants to have adequate insurance before they travel.

Pension. The Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構) says every resident aged 20 to 59 must join the National Pension (国民年金), regardless of nationality. If you pay and then leave, read our guide to the pension refund (脱退一時金).

My Number. For the My Number (マイナンバー) card, see our My Number card guide.

Leaving and coming back. The Toronto consulate says working holiday visas are single-entry, so Canadian participants must get a re-entry permit from immigration before leaving Japan if they want to come back. Our re-entry permit guide explains the regular permit and the special re-entry permit (みなし再入国許可) most residence-card holders use for shorter trips. Ask immigration which one covers you before you fly.

Do you pay tax on a working holiday?

Your tax position starts with your residency status. The National Tax Agency (国税庁) says you are a resident (居住者) if Japan is your address (住所), meaning the center of your life, judged by objective facts. You are also a resident after 1 continuous year living here. Otherwise you are a non-resident (非居住者), and the two are treated differently.

Which side a one-year working holiday falls on depends on your situation. Our tax residency guide explains the categories, and the resident tax guide covers the local tax. For your own case, ask the tax office (税務署) or a licensed tax accountant (税理士). The Toronto consulate tells Canadians to get an English statement of earnings in Japan and contact the Canada Revenue Agency when they return.

Can you switch from a working holiday to a work visa in Japan?

There is no single published answer. ISA doesn’t publish a list of nationalities that can change status from a working holiday inside Japan. The Hong Kong consulate says Hong Kong participants cannot change status and must leave when their stay ends. Rules for other nationalities depend on each country’s arrangement.

If you get a job offer, check before you plan around it:

1. Ask your regional immigration office, or a 行政書士, whether your nationality can apply for a change of status of residence.
2. Make sure the job fits a work status, such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, and that you meet its education or experience rules.
3. If you can’t change in Japan, our Certificate of Eligibility guide explains the route from abroad.

Don’t let your period of stay run out while you wait for an answer.

Related guides

Moving on from Japan? Use our leaving Japan checklist. Lost your card on the road? See lost residence card.