country page japan

Scheduling

Transfer times to Japan

Entry requirements

Visa compulsory from 90 days stay

You need a valid passport to enter Japan. If your stay does not exceed 90 days, you do not need a visa if you are a German citizen. It is important that you are not gainfully employed. For long- term stays, however, a visa is required.

Applying for the Certificate of Eligibility 

To apply for a visa in Japan, in most cases you will need a “Certificate of Eligibility” (CoE). This is a certificate of eligibility that is issued, for example, by your employer in Japan upon application to the Japanese immigration authorities. With the CoE and other necessary documents, you will receive your visa from the relevant Japanese diplomatic mission abroad. The processing time for the visa is approx. 3 days. It is also important that you apply for the CoE in good time, as it can take 2-3 months to be issued.

Overview of the most important long-stay visas

Due to the complex visa regulations in Japan, we are unable to provide more detailed information here. For further information, please contact the Embassy of Japan in Germany.

Import regulations

Customs in Japan

Entry with animals

To Japan with the pet

It is possible to enter Japan with animals. However, there are some regulations that must be observed:

• Microchip according to valid standards

• Vaccination against rabies twice

• The minimum age of the animal at the first vaccination is 91 days. There must be at least 30 days between vaccination dates. An antibody test must also be carried out.

• After the 2nd vaccination dose you have to wait 180 days. Only then may your animal enter the country. Otherwise, there is a risk of quarantine on arrival in Japan.

• In order to be able to react more quickly to possible complications, we recommend that you contact the quarantine service at the airport. The deadline is 40 days before arrival.

• Shortly before departure (within 10 days) a final veterinary examination must be carried out and a health certificate issued, which must be confirmed.

We have some tips for taking your car to Japan:

• Importation is duty and tax free, provided it is re-exported from Japan when you move again.

• The car must not be new. A purchase invoice or registration certificate must be available, proving that the car is not new.

Working in Japan

Facts & Figures

Economy

A strong economic power

Japan's economy is a highly industrialised, free market economy. Japan has now emerged as the world's third largest economic power, thanks to close cooperation between government and industry, a disciplined work culture and state-of-the-art technology. Japan's most important trading partners are the USA and China.

The export of state-of-the-art technology and industrial goods are the main focus of Japan's economy. This includes machinery, electronics and means of transport. The semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries are also an important part of Japan's economy.

World-famous Japanese brands that we all know: Toyota, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

We have summarized some of the most frequently asked questions about formalities for you below. Your UTS relocation manager will be happy to provide you with further information at any time.

Culture

Major cultural differences

Japanese culture is very different from the essential culture. Anyone planning a move to Japan should therefore also familiarise themselves with the culture and its peculiarities.

Japanese society places a particularly high value on the family, work and their general social position. Furthermore, Japanese culture is characterised by polite, hardworking and reserved people. The Japanese tend to avoid expressing bad feelings or complaints directly. Instead, they act quietly and calmly, which maintains harmony among themselves.

The key to finding your way around in Japan is mastering the language on a verbal level, but also understanding the characters. These can be found again and again in the most everyday situations. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that many people in Japan speak good English, which makes it easier to communicate with each other even without knowledge of Japanese.

Invited to a Japanese restaurant? Our tips: Avoid shaking hands as a greeting. This is unusual in Japan. The Japanese also pay attention to cleanliness. Therefore, shoes are taken off directly in the entrance area.

Health system

The most important information about Japan's health system

The health care system in Japan is among the best in the world. However, there are some differences to Germany.

There are two health insurance systems in Japan. One is an employee health insurance scheme and the other is a national health insurance scheme. All people living in Japan are obliged to take out insurance. This also applies to those who have a visa with a duration of more than 3 months.

There is no such thing as private health insurance in Japan, as there is in Germany. The exception is possible supplementary insurance. It should also be noted that you have to pay part of the doctor's and pharmacy costs yourself. People aged 6-69, for example, pay 30%.

Good to know: General practitioners are rather rare in Japan. As a rule, each doctor specialises in a particular field. For normal health examinations, people usually turn to doctors for internal medicine.

Average rental prices

High rents in Japan's capital

If you want to rent a flat in Tokyo, you should expect high rental prices. It is cheaper a little further out. Prices in other cities are also lower in comparison. Below we have summarised the average rental prices for 6 cities in Japan (as of 2024):

Average food prices

From cheap to expensive

In Japan, you often have a wide choice of food, which can also vary greatly in price. Regional products in particular are usually cheaper. It also depends on the choice of supermarket. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that fruit is generally expensive and often costs twice as much as what one is used to.