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How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

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Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#51

Post by notpushkin »

Ekaros wrote: post #47
notpushkin wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is then why we often see "remote" coming with all kinds of conditions like US remote or EU remote etc because the reality of legal compliance for HR is a huge headache. Could they just hire those individuals as contractors instead? It should be up to the contractor to ensure compliance then. (IANAL)

Well whole contractor status is very murky in many places. Either very strict like in UK. Or then you need all sorts of agreements in between, meaning that you might need to give cut to some third company. And then those companies have same problems. Even inside EU with freedom of movement spending more than 180 days in single country can lead to tax implications. Doing this globally is even bigger mess as ways of co…

> Or then you need all sorts of agreements in between, meaning that you might need to give cut to some third company. And then those companies have same problems.

It could be a viable solution actually. There’s a bunch of companies that can both employ or subcontract a person on behalf of another company.

I think if the company is not against it in principle, it becomes just another negotiation point, e.g. you can agree to a lower net salary so that the gross amount the company has to pay is the same (including the middleman fee).

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#53

Post by michaelt »

notpushkin wrote: post #26
djtango wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are being too individualistic here - Japan or any other country is never going to go after individuals who happen to work for remote companies or freelance while they globe trot working on tourist visas. But when companies like Shopify go fully remote, if they suddenly have a lot of employees who are frequenting Japan, they are painting a giant target on their back and exposing themselves to legal risk. A comp…

> This is then why we often see "remote" coming with all kinds of conditions like US remote or EU remote etc because the reality of legal compliance for HR is a huge headache. Could they just hire those individuals as contractors instead? It should be up to the contractor to ensure compliance then. (IANAL)

First of all, that's complicated and employees can easily fuck it up.

I once worked at a tiny company, and their first 'contractor' employee didn't realise he had to set aside money for certain taxes, and didn't realise he'd have to record certain details to be able to fill out certain forms, and things like that.

This ended up being a bunch of hassle for the company as he... thought? hoped? expected? that they were paying those taxes, as they would have done if he was a regular employee. Now the guy's resentful, feels you've ripped him off, and is constantly distracted.

Secondly, there can still be local laws you have to comply with. Some countries have problems with sham contractor arrangements, where they insist their normal, regular employees are 'self-employed contractors' to avoid giving them sick pay, holiday, pension, maternity leave, minimum wage, redundancy pay, complying with safety rules, and so on. So they have laws saying that under certain circumstances, contractors effectively turn into regular employees.

As I can't read Kazakh, how am I supposed to know if the Kazakhstani tax code has similar rules?

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#54

Post by gwervc »

shiroiushi wrote: post #15
tjpnz wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You won't be getting a phone number or bank account without one. You might also have problems getting prescriptions filled.

In my experience, you need more than a residence card to get a bank account here: you also need a certificate of employment from your employer.

No you just need your residence card, fill a form, sign (no hanko required) and you can open a bank account at the Post Bank. At least that's how it went 10 years ago as a student. It's easier to open an account as a foreigner there than opening an account as a citizen in France... (no appointment bullshit, no proof of residency asked)

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#55

Post by gwervc »

Klonoar wrote: post #42
hardwaresofton wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And a world of difference in stability and perception. If you have $35k+ to dedicate to this (and note that it does not cost $35k, these are more like initial capital requirements), you should 100% go the investor route. People underweight how amazing it is to be able to pay less than $50k for the equivalent of a golden visa to a top 5 GDP nation that is well regarded, safe, has some opportunity and is generally easy…

Eh, I ran a business in Japan and have had that visa. I still tell most people who just want to dip their feet in that the digital nomad visa is totally fine and a good way to go. That stability and perception only matters if you _truly_ want to live here, and quite a number of people spend ~3 months here [1] and realize that it's got issues past the honeymoon period (like anywhere else). There's also no reason you c…

Yes, you run the company. IIRC the visa is about management not investment and the company is expected to be profitable for the visa to be renewed. That's quite a different bunch of requirements than just buying a visa and sleeping on it.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#56

Post by Ylpertnodi »

cedws wrote: post #45
DeathArrow wrote: post #18

Isn't Japan an expensive country?

I visited Tokyo from London recently and found it to be much cheaper. A decent meal is half, or less than half of what you would pay here, not to mention healthier. Another comment mentioned taxis are expensive, but I found the opposite, my journey was cheaper than it would have been in London, and the drivers are much more professional. As for apartments, you can live much cheaper and more centrally (~£1500 is the m…

Serious question, and not being flippant: crine in .jp vs .uk? Noticeable?

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#58

Post by flemhans »

Klonoar wrote: post #28
shiroiushi wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's for foreign tourists who have a visa stamp in their passport. So I guess for these digital nomads, that would work too, as long as they don't overstay whatever date is on that visa. It's not going to help them find a place to live though: they'll be stuck in hotels the entire time they're here.

> they'll be stuck in hotels the entire time they're here. Eh, Tokyo has plenty of monthly apartment rentals that are effectively corporate rentals that you can do without a residence card. (I used to do this before having an actual visa there) It's functionally better than a hotel, insofar as it doesn't read or act as one.

Rented a flat in Tokyo for a month too as a tourist. But it wasn't cheap. Around $1500/month, in 2011. But it was 3 rooms, and very nice. So maybe not so bad, actually? But then again, it was many years ago.

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#59

Post by grecy »

> My first thought was to work remotely and use the 90 days permitted by the tourist visa. Yet working in Japan on this visa is a gray zone at best and a practice I would stay away from. In fact, the US Embassy in Japan strictly advises against this

I’ve always wondered why countries care about this. If I’m employed in my home country, earning money there and paying taxes, what difference does it make if I happen to sit in another country?

Or if I save up 6 months of PTO, then go to another country for those six months. I’m very much earning money and paying tax in my home country. Why is it ok for me to open my laptop and spend 10 hours a day on random stuff, but not “work stuff”?

Re: How I Got a Digital Nomad Visa for Japan

#60

Post by jonasdegendt »

djtango wrote: post #44
naniwaduni wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, while they're unlikely to spend resources toward going after individuals who happen to work remotely on a tourist visa, it's comparatively trivial to pull people out at entry (and that's going to be a regular and well-documented occurrence because the alternative of overstaying your visa is absolutely something countries with governments tend to care about).

What circumstance are you referring to with "at entry"?

Leaving and coming back on a new tourist visa within a short time frame, as opposed to just overstaying your initial tourist visa in the first place.
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