The short answer
The company comes first. You incorporate a KK or GK with ¥30 million paid-in capital, register a real office, appoint the representative, and put the employment arrangement in place. Then the Business Manager visa application is built on those facts. Applying for the visa with a company that is not yet capitalised, or an office that is not yet leased, produces a request for evidence or a refusal — not a faster approval.
The shared number: ¥30 million
Since 16 October 2025 the Business Manager visa requires ¥30 million in paid-in capital for a corporation (or ¥30 million invested for a sole proprietor). The same figure must appear in the company’s articles and the commercial register. The Immigration Services Agency checks the registered capital, not a bank statement alone, and it does not count capital reserve, retained earnings or shareholder loans.
This is why the incorporation documents and the visa file must be drafted together. If the articles say ¥5 million and the visa file says ¥30 million, the inconsistency is the problem. If the capital is paid in and then immediately lent back to the founder, the filing is exposed at renewal.
The sequence
The order below is the one that survives scrutiny. Steps 1–3 can overlap; steps 5–7 cannot be pulled forward.
| Step | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eligibility check | Confirm the ¥30m capital, 3+ years management experience or a relevant master’s, Japanese ability (applicant or employee), and the employee plan. | 1 week |
| 2. Structure and documents | KK or GK, articles, representative, registered address, signature certificate / seal certificate, translations. | 1–2 weeks |
| 3. Incorporate | File the registration; register the company seal; obtain the certificate of incorporation and seal certificate. | 1–2 weeks |
| 4. Office and employee | Lease a real office (not a home office), and put the qualifying full-time employee in place. | 2–4 weeks |
| 5. Business plan sign-off | A 中小企業診断士, 公認会計士 or 税理士 confirms the plan is specific, rational and feasible. | 1–2 weeks |
| 6. Certificate of Eligibility | Apply for the CoE with the company and personal documents; the company is the applicant’s sponsor. | 4–8 weeks |
| 7. Visa and entry | Submit the CoE at the embassy/consulate, then enter Japan and register the residence card. | 1–2 weeks |
The employee trap
The employee requirement is limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and holders of Table II statuses — Permanent Resident, Spouse of a Japanese National, Spouse of a Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident. A foreign national on a standard work visa (Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services) does not count for the headcount, even if they work full-time. A foreign employee can, however, supply the Japanese-language requirement, which is defined more broadly.
For a founder hiring a first employee purely to satisfy the visa, the practical implication is that the person must be a Japanese national or a Table II resident. A part-time or contract arrangement does not satisfy the “full-time employee” definition, which looks at days worked, hours, leave and employment insurance.
Office and business plan
A home office is, in principle, not accepted. The Agency expects an office commensurate with the scale of the business, with a lease in the company’s name and a layout that supports the stated activity. A virtual office may be accepted for company registration but is a weak basis for a visa.
The business plan must now be reviewed by a qualified professional. It should state the product, the customer, the revenue model, the hiring plan and the capital deployment, and it should match the articles, the office lease and the payroll. A plan that says “consulting” while the office is a co-working desk and the only employee is the founder will not satisfy the “specific, rational, feasible” test.
If you cannot meet the capital requirement
Do not incorporate with ¥30 million of borrowed money that is returned after the application. The route map is different, not cheaper: a startup visa buys preparation time but conversion is assessed under the new criteria; an employment status fits a specialist role, not the person running the company. The honest answer is that a new management visa needs the capital, and the planning should start from that constraint. See [Business Manager visa without ¥30 million](/guides/business-manager-visa-without-30-million-yen).
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the visa before the company is incorporated?
No. The application is built on the registered company, its capital and its office. A pre-incorporation application does not have the facts the Agency assesses.
Does the ¥30 million have to be in the company bank account?
It must be paid-in capital recorded in the commercial register. The Agency verifies the registered capital and the company’s financial position; a temporary deposit that is withdrawn is not sufficient.
Can my foreign co-founder be the required employee?
Not for the headcount requirement if they hold a Table I work visa. They may count for the Japanese-language requirement. The headcount needs a Japanese national, special permanent resident, or Table II status holder.
How long does the whole process take?
A clean case is roughly 6–10 weeks from document preparation to visa issuance. The company registration is 1–2 weeks; the CoE is the long pole at 4–8 weeks.