I've helped people plan moves to Japan and look for homes there. The first thing I ask is how they plan to stay. Then we look at the money: what they can earn, what rent will cost and how much they need before the first payday.
Ways to live in Japan
A job with an employer. With a degree, look at professional roles such as engineering, IT and international services. You need a job offer. The employer provides the paperwork for your visa application. Your qualifications must fit the job, and your permission to stay must allow that kind of work.
Without a degree, look at Specified Skilled Worker, a work route covering 19 industries. You usually take a skills test and a basic Japanese test. You also need an employer to support your visa application.
There are two versions. Type one allows five years in total, without accompanying family. Type two can be renewed without an overall time limit and allows a spouse and children, but needs higher skills and covers fewer industries. Check your chosen industry's rules.
Teaching. JET, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme, pays ¥4,020,000 in the first year. That rises to ¥4,320,000 in years four and five. It covers outward flights and a return flight if you meet the completion conditions. You can stay for up to five years. For US applicants aiming to arrive in summer 2027, the deadline is November 13, 2026.
ECC, Interac and Borderlink recruit overseas with visa support. Most jobs require a bachelor's degree. Published pay runs from about ¥200,000 a month to ECC's ¥280,300. Read the deductions and first payday in the contract. Expect to need ¥300,000-600,000 before that salary arrives.
Language school. You do not need a university degree or an employer. The school files the immigration paperwork. Allow around ¥1M for first-year school costs, plus rent and everyday spending. I'd ask for the full fee schedule before paying a deposit.
Working holiday. Japan has agreements with 32 countries and regions. Applicants are generally aged 18-30, and a typical stay is one year. You can work to help fund the holiday. The UK has 6,000 places a year; Germany and Sweden have no annual cap. Check your country's age limits and rules on repeat stays.
Digital nomad. Eligible applicants can stay for six months with annual income of at least ¥10M. You cannot extend it or get a residence card. It suits a visit to try living here. For a business, approved startup visa programs give you up to two years to prepare, with progress checks before you move to a business status.
Bringing family. Most eligible workers and students can apply for their spouse and children to join them. The family members get permission to stay as dependents of the worker or student. Specified Skilled Worker type one does not allow this; type two does. Check before accepting a job if you are moving together.
Permanent residence. Japan's highly skilled route scores things such as your qualifications and Japanese ability. It can let you apply after three years with 70 points, or one year with 80 points. Depending on your work category, a doctorate can earn 30 points, a master's 20 and N1 Japanese 15. N1 is the highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. You still have to meet the other rules for permanent residence.
One thing I make clear during a house search: buying a property does not give you permission to live in Japan. Foreigners can own a house without Japanese residence. We need a plan for how you can stay too.
The free Start Here check is a useful first step. If you want me to work through your circumstances, there is a Personalized Plan for $49.99 or a Strategy Call for $100.
What to budget
I ask people to get the first payday in writing. You may be paying rent and buying groceries for weeks before any salary arrives. Ask a school how much savings evidence it needs, as well as what it charges.
| Expense | Amount to allow |
|---|---|
| Starting a teaching job | ¥300,000-600,000 before the first salary. Confirm the employer's requirement. |
| Language school | About ¥1M for first-year school costs, plus housing and living expenses. |
| National Pension | ¥17,920 a month in the 2026 financial year if you pay National Pension yourself. |
| UR housing agency deposit | Two months' rent, plus the initial rent and building charges. |
Health insurance. Residents staying more than three months generally join public insurance. Employees enroll through work. Other eligible residents under 75 join National Health Insurance at city hall. It normally covers 70% of insured treatment, leaving you to pay 30%, with exceptions based on age. For expensive treatment, the high-cost medical expense system limits how much you pay in a month, depending on income. You pay insurance premiums separately.
Pension. Residents aged 20-59 must enroll. If you pay National Pension yourself, it costs ¥17,920 a month in the 2026 financial year. Employees usually pay through their workplace pension instead. If your income is low, ask about an exemption when you enroll at city hall. You can apply there, but it needs approval.
Resident tax. This is a local tax based on the previous year's taxable income and where you live on January 1. The rate is roughly 10%, plus fixed charges. If you arrive in February, you generally have no bill based on income that year. The first normally arrives the following June, after your first January 1 as a resident. Leave room for it in the budget.
Grants. The national relocation scheme can pay up to ¥1M per household, plus up to ¥1M per eligible child. The scheme accepts moves from Tokyo's 23 wards and certain areas where people commute into those wards. At least five of your past ten years must qualify, including the latest year. It is not money you can claim just for moving from abroad.
In Aso, eligible vacant-house renovation work can receive half the cost, up to ¥1M. Fukushima has trial homes for up to a year without a deposit or key money, the extra payment to a landlord that you do not get back. Fukuchiyama offers the first three months rent-free at its trial homes. Places are limited. You may still pay utilities and other charges. Ask the town to confirm eligibility before putting a grant in your budget.
For more detail, the DIY Relocation Guide is $9.99. There are also free guides on individual topics.
Your first two weeks
Register your address early. You need it for the bank and phone contract.
- At the airport. Eligible long-term arrivals get a residence card at the major airports. Other airports arrange it later. Have a travel eSIM ready so you can find your accommodation and contact people.
- At city hall. Register your address within 14 days of settling it. Ask about National Health Insurance if work does not cover you, your pension category and the My Number notice. My Number is your individual identification number. Applying for the physical card is a separate step.
- Open a bank account. Do this after registering the address. Japan Post Bank has an English account-opening app. If your residence card expires within three months, that can stop you opening the account.
- Get a phone contract. You will usually need a residence card, registered address and an accepted payment method. Keep the travel connection until the new one works.
- Arrange utilities. Set up electricity, water and gas for your move-in date. Gas normally needs a technician visit, so book it ahead.
The first 90 days checklist covers what comes after these jobs.
Renting or buying a home
Renting. I would look at UR, Japan's national housing agency, before assuming you need a private rental. UR has no key money, agent fee or renewal fee. You do not need someone to guarantee your rent. You normally pay a deposit of two months' rent, plus rent and shared building charges from your start date.
Foreign residents can apply with a residence record, the official record of their registered address, if they meet UR's rules on residence and income. Private rentals usually ask for proof of income and a guarantee company, which you pay to back your rent payments. A furnished monthly apartment can cover the wait for documents.
Buying. Foreigners can own property outright. Getting a mortgage is much harder without Japanese residence and local income. Settle the funding before the search. If you are not a resident of Japan, you must report the purchase through the Bank of Japan within 20 days.
Browse English listings through our property-search partner Maneki Homes. Allow for fees and repairs as well as the asking price. I would want to know about the roof, access and renovation needs before deciding a cheap house was worth pursuing.
Through the Japan Property Path, a one-time $499 program, we research and shortlist against your stated priorities, send area reports and video walkthroughs, and introduce you to a licensed agency in our partner network. The agency negotiates, contracts and closes. Everything reaches you in English.
Vacant house checks, renovation quotes, architect consultations and short-stay licensing support are listed on the services page.
Jobs and schools
Finding work. Hello Work is free. Selected offices and Foreign Employment Service Centers have interpreters. JETRO lists companies interested in international hires. CareerCross and Daijob tend toward jobs that need both Japanese and English. GaijinPot carries teaching and other jobs aimed at foreign applicants. Check the Japanese level and whether the company accepts applicants abroad.
Regional revitalization posts can pay up to ¥291,600 a month, depending on the town and contract. Read what the job involves and where you must live. The JOIN relocation fair runs at Tokyo Big Sight on November 14 and 15, 2026. It is free with online registration.
After two years on JET, your town may be able to hire you directly for regional revitalization work. Ask the town about it. There is no automatic next contract.
Children's schools. Public elementary and junior high schools accept foreign children without tuition, and textbooks are free. You pay for lunches and supplies. Register your address, then ask the municipal board of education to enroll your child. The school year starts in April. Ask about Japanese-language support while you are choosing where to live.
Driving and bringing pets
Changing your driving licence. Since October 1, 2025, foreign residents applying to change their licence normally need the official record of their registered address. You cannot convert on a tourist stay. Show at least three months in the issuing country after getting the licence, and bring an accepted translation, such as JAF's.
Licences on the exemption list skip both tests. It covers 29 countries and regions, including the UK, Australia and Canada, with seven US states included. Other applicants normally take a 50-question knowledge test, need 45 correct answers, then take a road test. Check the rules with the licence center. Tell them the country or US state that issued your licence.
A dog or cat. If your pet comes from outside Japan's list of rabies-free regions, you need a microchip, two valid rabies vaccinations and a blood test for rabies antibodies showing at least 0.5 IU/ml. Wait 180 days after the blood sample is taken before arriving. Notify the Animal Quarantine Service at least 40 days ahead.
Get the quarantine service to check your dates before paying for transport. A missed step can mean detention for up to 180 days. Pets coming from regions on Japan's rabies-free list follow a different process.
Dates worth checking
Some language-school intakes close in late October. Nihongo Center's April 2027 intake closes October 31. The US JET deadline is in November. Town-post deadlines include Fukui on October 30 and Okazaki on December 9. Check the actual notice. Jobs can close early.
Japan Relocation Radar is $7 a month for employer, study and deadline updates. The articles cover the longer questions.
If you want help with your next step, these are the options. Prices are in USD:
- Start Here - free
- DIY Relocation Guide - $9.99
- Personalized Plan - $49.99
- Strategy Call - $100
- Japan Property Path - $499, one time
Sources
Source reference date: October 9, 2026; pension rate rechecked October 11, 2026. Official references: Specified Skilled Worker; JET applications and pay and flights; ECC recruitment; working holidays; digital nomads; startup visas; highly skilled points; health insurance; National Pension; resident tax; relocation grants; Aso housing support; Fukushima trial homes; Fukuchiyama trial homes; UR rentals; non-resident property reporting; school enrollment; licence conversion changes and exempt jurisdictions; pet imports; regional post pay; Fukui deadline and Okazaki deadline; language-school intake. Grants, town posts and employer figures change. Confirm the current terms with the responsible office or employer before committing money.