経営管理ビザとスタートアップビザ関連のお仕事

What is a Startup Visa?

A Startup Visa is a visa for foreigners to start a new business in cities like Osaka or Kobe. It is a special measure established in collaboration with local governments to revitalize the regional economy. You can think of it as a preparatory visa for obtaining the “Business/Management” residency status (Business Management Visa). It is a limited residency status for one year, specifically for obtaining a Business Management Visa.

If you search for something like “Hyogo Prefecture Startup Visa,” an email address for the administration office will come up. You can write something like, “I would like to inquire about obtaining a Startup Visa. My nationality is ‘ ’, and my name is ‘ ’.” After that, you’ll receive the necessary format to apply for the Startup Visa. Once you’ve completed the application, you will need to schedule an appointment and visit a designated location (like city hall).

In Hyogo Prefecture, JETRO seems to be handling the administrative work.

What is a Business Management Visa?

On the other hand, the Business Management Visa is aimed at foreigners who want to establish, manage, or invest in a business. If you want to engage in business activities in Japan, this visa is required. To obtain a Business Management Visa, there are various requirements, such as preparing and submitting documents, securing an office, and deciding on a place to live (which must be separate from the office). Since staying with a tourist visa would be difficult for these purposes, many people first obtain a Startup Visa and then proceed with the process.

How SME Consultants Are Involved
For the Business Management Visa, there is little direct involvement as it mainly involves document submission under administrative guidance. Administrative scriveners who speak English seem to actively handle the procedure, often with interpreters. Therefore, SME consultants have limited engagement in this process.

However, in the case of the Startup Visa, occasional consultations do occur. Since a business plan is required for the Startup Visa, I sometimes receive requests to support the creation or proofreading of these plans. The plans are submitted after being translated using translation software, often in English or Chinese.

Writing a Business Plan for a Startup Visa Is Quite Similar to a Business Plan

The business plan volume is not very large, usually around eight A4 pages. It’s roughly the same length as the Small Business Sustainability Subsidy, but with fewer things to write. There are no word limits on the description of business content, but I’ve rarely seen plans that are well-written from the start. The content differs by prefecture, but typically includes the following items:

・The reason for doing business in Japan
・Business content
・Products or services
・Reasons for continuous growth
・Sales methods and pricing
・Procurement and cost rate
・Cash flow statement
・Action plan

Although it’s just these points, the descriptions are often vague or abstract, making it hard to understand whether the applicant is truly at the startup stage. As a result, I get work where I review the drafts and suggest revisions via email exchanges, such as “Wouldn’t this approach work better? If so, please rewrite it this way.”

For example, someone might write “a business to promote Japanese animation culture via cross-border e-commerce” when it seems more like a simple export wholesaler. Other cases might be unclear whether they are “Tiktokers for content distribution” or “selling goods.” Some propose marketing support using influencers on social media but fail to clearly define their target audience or sales methods.

They often have a lot of energy, so when I send a request for revisions, the replies come back very quickly. However, exchanging emails can be quite time-consuming, taking up to an hour to write, review, and comment.

What Does the Government Look For?

The Startup Visa evaluates whether the applicant is serious about starting a business. The criteria for judgment are financial capacity and the business plan. Financial requirements are clear — if the applicant has more than 5 million yen, it is assumed they can stay in Japan for one year without issues. However, the business plan must show that the applicant can actually start the business within one year. This means explaining how the applicant will secure distribution channels, procurement methods, and business locations. When asked in interviews, applicants often give temporary, unsatisfactory answers, so it is necessary to clearly demonstrate this in the business plan.