Where can Japanese citizens move to?
Ranked by what the move actually takes on a Japanese passport specifically, not in general. Every rating below comes from the same verified data as the full guide it links to.
Naturalising in any of these 11 means giving up your Japanese passport.
Open to you in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. Usually age-capped, so it closes quietly.
Easiest to keep driving on in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Thailand. Each guide has the exact terms. Elsewhere expect more steps, often a full local test.
An apostille is accepted in 10 of these 11. Thailand still needs the full consular legalisation chain, so start earlier.
Straightforward 9 of 11
- AustraliaJapanese nationals arrive mostly via the 417 working-holiday visa, student visas, and a modest skilled and intra-company-transfer stream.Straightforward
- CanadaJapanese arrivals come mostly through the working holiday and study routes; permanent migration numbers are small.Straightforward
- Costa RicaJapanese relocators are a small niche group, mostly Rentista or Pensionado residents drawn by Costa Rica's cost of living and lifestyle (the two countries also share a long-standing friendship/cooperation history).Straightforward
- IrelandJapanese arrivals come mostly through the Working Holiday Authorisation and study routes, plus a smaller cohort on employment permits in pharma and tech; permanent migration is limited.Straightforward
- ItalyJapanese nationals typically use the new Italy-Japan Working Holiday visa (ratified September 2025, up to 6 months of work within a 1-year stay) or company-sponsored intra-company transfers and self-employment visas for those settling longer-term.Straightforward
- NetherlandsCorporate intra-company transfers from Japanese multinationals long headquartered around Amstelveen and Amsterdam are the dominant route, plus a small Working Holiday Scheme intake.Straightforward
- New ZealandJapanese arrivals mostly come via the uncapped working holiday scheme or the Skilled Migrant Category (engineering, hospitality management, education), with a smaller family-visa stream.Straightforward
- PortugalJapanese nationals arrive mostly on the working-holiday visa and student visas, with a small but historic community reflecting centuries-old Portugal–Japan trade ties.Straightforward
- SpainThe Working Holiday visa, the Non-Lucrative Visa for retirees/remote income, and student visas are the main routes in.Straightforward
Moderate 2 of 11
- ThailandJapanese nationals relocate mainly through employer transfers/work permits (manufacturing, trade, education) or the retirement and LTR visas; Bangkok's large Japanese business community makes intra-company transfers common.Moderate
- United StatesL-1 intracompany transfers and H-1B dominate given large Japanese corporate presence in the US (autos, electronics, finance), with E-1/E-2 treaty status for smaller business operators; family-based sponsorship is comparatively minor.Moderate
Ratings weigh entry class, working-holiday access, licence exchange, dual citizenship and document legalisation. Each is checked against the issuing government. Open any destination for the full guide written for Japanese citizens.