Japan

Japan

Eastern Asia

Asia
73
Overall score
Strong overall
Language
Japanese
Currency
JPY
Citizenship
5 years
Personal tax
Progressive national tax up to 45% plus local tax
Cost of living
$1,700 / mo (single)

An Asian country with a top-tier passport, world-class universities and a 5-year citizenship path, but no dual citizenship.

Pros

  • A top-tier passport
  • World-class universities
  • A 5-year citizenship path

Cons

  • No dual citizenship

Best for

Remote workersFoundersStudents

Score profile

Status & mobility
Passport
97
Citizenship
23
Residence
36
Money & business
Taxes
46
Corporate tax
14
Business
56
Investment
89
Economy
73
Wealth building
68
Living, study & work
Education
76
Salary & work
73
Cost of living
61
Buying power
78
Quality of life
Safety
85
Healthcare
91
Infrastructure
85
HDI
93

Status & mobility

Passport

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any travel or visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Passport power
Excellent
97

Passport-index style mobility for the Japan passport. The score above is its world reach: the share of 198 destinations reachable without a prior visa.

193 / 198
Mobility
#2
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
  • Visa-free146
  • On arrival38
  • eTA9
  • Visa required5

Passport Index style mobility data (2024–2025 estimate). Placeholder figures; verify current entry rules with each destination’s authority before travelling.

Citizenship

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any citizenship decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Citizenship accessibility
Low
23
Years required5 years
Dual allowedfalse
LanguageCheck the current naturalisation rules for the selected route
ResidenceTypical headline route: 5 years; qualifying residence and absence rules apply
NotesRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.
Residence

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any residence / visa decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Openness to residents
Limited
36
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines how international the population already is (migrant stock at 45%), governance quality (regulatory quality at 25%), and the curated residence-pathway signal (30%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Migrant stock2.8% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.33 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways
EmploymentStudyFamily reunificationBusiness or investment where eligible
StudentRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.
WorkRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.
Self-employedRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.
PermanentRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.

Money & business

Taxes

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Tax friendliness
Moderate
46
PersonalProgressive national tax up to 45% plus local tax
CorporateEffective rate is generally about 30%
Capital gainsTreatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position
DividendsRates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility
Exit taxCheck current domestic rules before changing tax residence
Foreign cosManagement, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply
Personal tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Personal tax
Low
18
PersonalProgressive national tax up to 45% plus local tax
FreelanceRegistration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply
Capital gainsTreatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position
DividendsRates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility
Exit taxCheck current domestic rules before changing tax residence
Corporate tax

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Corporate tax
Low
14
CorporateEffective rate is generally about 30%
Capital gainsTreatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position
DividendsRates and withholding depend on residence and treaty eligibility
Foreign cosManagement, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply
Business
Business friendliness
Moderate
56
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score leans on the two things founders ask about most: the tax burden (headline corporate rate at 20%, broader tax friendliness at 15%, and freedom from exit-tax / CFC rules at 10%) plus the regulatory and bureaucratic environment (regulatory quality 15%, government effectiveness 15%), on top of the curated company-rules signal (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the values are shown below.

Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.33 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness2.09 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rules & taxes
Foreign co.Generally possible, subject to sector, registration, tax, and substance rules
Local co.Available company forms and capital requirements vary
FreelanceRegistration, immigration permission, tax, and social contributions may apply
Corporate taxEffective rate is generally about 30%
Capital gainsTreatment varies by asset, holding structure, residence, and treaty position
Exit taxCheck current domestic rules before changing tax residence
Foreign cosManagement, permanent-establishment, CFC, and reporting rules may apply
Investment

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any investment / tax decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Investing environment
Excellent
89
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score is mostly the investor-tax signal (capital-gains treatment, broker access, wealth tax, and ETF or other taxes on investment, 70%), lightly contextualised by equity-market depth (market cap / GDP at 18%) and credit depth (domestic credit to the private sector / GDP at 12%). Available indicators are reweighted.

Market cap157% of GDP (2024)
Private credit195% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gainsTreatment varies by asset, residence, holding period, and treaty position
DividendsData not available yet
ETFs & fundsData not available yet
Wealth taxCheck current national and subnational rules
BrokersLocal and international availability varies by residency and compliance checks
Foreign accessData not available yet
Tax-advantagedData not available yet
Economy
Economic strength
Good
73
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines income level (GDP and GNI per capita, output per worker), growth momentum (real GDP growth), price stability (inflation) and labour utilisation (unemployment). Available indicators are reweighted; the sector split and industry profile below are descriptive, not scored.

Output & income
GDP$4T (2024)
GDP / person$32,487 (2024)
GNI / person$55,490 PPP (2024)
GDP growth0.1% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour
Inflation2.7% / yr (2024)
Unemployment2.5% (2025)
Output per worker$84,354 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition
Agriculture0.9% of GDP (2023)
Industry28.6% of GDP (2023)
Services69.8% of GDP (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries
AutomotiveElectronics & roboticsMachineryPrecision instrumentsChemicals
Top exports
Vehicles & partsMachineryElectronics & semiconductors equipmentPrecision instruments
TypeHigh-income, advanced-manufacturing-led
Key sectorsAutomotive (Toyota, Honda), Robotics & electronics, Precision machinery
SummaryA high-income technological powerhouse led by autos, robotics and precision manufacturing, facing an ageing workforce.
CurrencyJapanese yen (a major reserve currency)
Wealth building

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any tax / investment decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Wealth accumulation
Good
68
How this score is calculated

How favourable Japan is for building wealth: earnings and business/investment upside, tax drag, and how much a typical income keeps after living costs. Estimated from the factors below.

Salary & work
Excellent
82
Business
Moderate
62
Investment
Excellent
84
Tax friendliness
Moderate
46
Cost of living
Moderate
61

Living, study & work

Education
Education score
Good
76
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines attainment (expected schooling at 30% and mean schooling at 25%) with participation (tertiary enrolment at 25%) and public investment (government education spending at 20%). Available indicators are reweighted; tuition and study rules remain separate profile fields below.

Attainment
Expected schooling15.5 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.7 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment64% gross (2023)
Education spending3.3% of GDP (2021)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition$5,000-12,000 / yr
Public uniVaries by institution, programme, and student nationality
LanguagesJapanese
Student workRules depend on status and circumstances; verify the current requirements with the competent authority before acting.
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
Good
73
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines output per worker (a proxy for wage potential at 40%), unemployment (35%) and labour-force participation (25%). Available indicators are reweighted; the curated profile fields remain below.

Output per worker$84,354 PPP (2024)
Unemployment2.5% (2025)
Participation63.4% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tech salary (estimate)Varies substantially by city, seniority, and employer
FreelanceMarket access depends on language, sector, and work authorisation
Job marketUse current local vacancy and salary data for role-specific decisions.
Cost of living
Affordability
Moderate
61

Our 0–100 affordability score is derived from the local consumer price level (World Bank, US = 100): the cheaper everyday prices are, the higher it scores. Lower price level means your money goes further here.

Price level66 (US = 100) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

RentVaries substantially by city and neighbourhood
Monthly$1,700 / mo (single)
CitiesTokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka
Buying power
Purchasing power score
Good
78
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score estimates how far money goes for the typical person here. It combines GNI per capita at PPP (30%) and actual household consumption per person at PPP (15%) with a price-advantage term from the local price level (25%) that rewards lower prices, then adjusts for income equality via the Gini index (20%), so unequal economies don't ride a high average, plus price stability via consumer inflation (10%). Available indicators are reweighted; it is a comparison, not a personal budget estimate.

GNI / person$55,490 PPP (2024)
Consumption / person$24,200 PPP (2022)
Price level66 (US = 100) (2024)
Income inequality32.3 Gini (2020)
Inflation2.7% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Quality of life

Safety
Safety & stability
Excellent
85
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines personal safety (intentional homicide rate at 35%), institutional quality (rule of law at 25% and control of corruption at 20%), and political stability and absence of violence (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below. Always check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Personal safety
Homicide rate0.2 per 100,000 (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability
Rule of law1.51 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Control of corruption1.36 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability1.13 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Healthcare
Healthcare score
Excellent
91
How this score is calculated

Our 0–100 score combines health outcomes (life expectancy at 25% and under-5 mortality at 20%) with system capacity (physicians at 20% and hospital beds at 15% per 1,000 people) and health spending per capita (20%). Available indicators are reweighted; the published values are shown below.

Outcomes
Life expectancy84.0 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality2.4 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing
Physicians2.65 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds12.59 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$5,365 PPP / person (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs
SystemPublic/private mix varies by eligibility and residence status
InsuranceCheck residence-permit and local coverage requirements
Avg costDepends on eligibility, income, insurer, and chosen coverage
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
Excellent
85
How this score is calculated

The score combines digital access, resilience and download performance (30%), electricity access and network losses (30%), and transport infrastructure covering rail, logistics and aviation (40%). Available inputs are reweighted, but a country needs both digital and transport data to receive a score.

Digital infrastructure
Internet use85.5% (2024)
Internet resilience64 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed91 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed65 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses4.9% of output (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport
Transport quality4.20 / 5 (2022)
Rail density55.1 km / 1,000 km² (2011)
Air connectivity7,869 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

HDI
Human development score
Excellent
93
How this score is calculated

The UN Human Development Index is the geometric mean of three dimension indices (a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living), shown on a 0–100 map scale (HDI × 100). The 2023 UNDP inputs behind each dimension are listed below.

HDI0.925 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life
Life expectancy84.7 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge
Expected schooling15.5 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.7 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Standard of living
GNI / person$47,775 PPP (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Resources

Official references and quick links for Japan. Always confirm against the primary source before acting.

Official references
Quick links

Rules change often and depend on your situation. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional, or do your own research, before acting.

Mock data for demonstration only. Not legal or tax advice.