Japan’s Working Holiday Visa for Australians

Interested in experiencing life in Japan? You can, with a working holiday visa!

Since 1980, Australia and Japan have had a reciprocal working holiday visa agreement. If you’re an Australian aged between 18 and 30 years old, you could apply for a Japanese working holiday visa which allows you to live and work in Japan for up to 18 months!

This visa is primarily intended for Australians who would like to have an extended holiday in Japan. Working holiday makers are encouraged to visit different parts of Japan, and not to stay more than 3 months in one place. But you are also allowed to work during your holiday, with some restrictions on types of employment.

The visa is initially valid for six months. But Australians have the possibility to request two further six-month extensions, bringing the total maximum stay to 18 months.

Many Australians in Japan work in Japanese ski resorts during the winter or get jobs teaching English. But you’ll have many more options (and find living in Japan much easier and more enjoyable) if you are able to speak some Japanese. For this reason, it would be a great idea to take some Japanese language classes before moving to Japan.

Note that the Japanese government does not allow working holiday makers to work in “bars, cabarets, nightclubs, gambling establishments, and other premises affecting public morals in Japan”.

This page contains information about Japan’s Working Holiday Visa for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 31 December 2022.

Key facts about Japan

Japan Working Holiday Visa requirements for Australians

To apply for a Japanese working holiday visa as an Australian citizen, you must meet the following requirements:

You cannot apply for this visa if you:

Documents needed to apply for this visa

When applying for a working holiday visa for Japan as an Australian citizen, you will need to provide the following documents (do not staple them together):

There is no cost to apply for this visa.

For more information, see the Embassy of Japan in Australia website.

How to apply for a working holiday visa for Japan

You can apply for this visa in Australia up to 12 months before your intended arrival date in Japan, although we’d suggest applying closer to your intended arrival date.

Lodge your visa application in person at any of the following Japanese missions in Australia, depending on where you live:

It takes a minimum of 5 working days to process the working holiday visa, or longer if additional documents are requested. Once issued, you can travel to Japan.

Arrival in Japan

If you arrive at Narita, Haneda (Tokyo), Kansai (Osaka) or Nagoya (Chubu) international airports, you can collect your residence card on arrival at the airport.

Otherwise, you can apply for your residence card at an Immigration Office after entering Japan and must do so within 90 days. The residence card allows you to leave and re-enter Japan without requiring a re-entry permit.

After finding a place to live, you’ll need to visit the municipal office in your place of residence within 14 days and notify the Ministry of Justice.

The working holiday visa will initially be valid for six months, but you can extend for a further six months. This should be done within three months prior to the visa’s expiry at any Japanese Immigration Office.

Additional resources

If you’d like more information about moving to Japan, the following online resources may be useful:

While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!