Aichi Startup Visa for foreign entrepreneurs in IT and innovation

The current program was updated on April 1, 2026, after the October 16, 2025 requirement revision. The former 外国人創業活動促進事業 stopped accepting applications on September 30, 2025, so use the current 外国人起業活動促進事業 route. Aichi Prefecture confirms the plan, but Nagoya immigration independently applies the current residence-status criteria. Submit the plan-confirmation certificate to Nagoya immigration within three months after issuance. After Designated Activities has been granted, file Form 4 with Aichi Prefecture within five days counted from either the landing date or the date of the change of residence status, whichever route applies. This report is separate from six-month renewal examinations and the monthly progress meetings that begin only after residence status is acquired.

Who it is for

• The applicant is a foreign entrepreneur starting either an IT business in Aichi Prefecture OR a business that aims for high growth through innovative technology or services. The business office must be in Aichi Prefecture, while the applicant resides in Japan during preparation. Residence is not restricted specifically to Aichi.
• For plan confirmation, the plan must show that, ordinarily within one year, all three expected conditions will be in place: at least one qualifying full-time employee under the public notice, total business-use property of JPY 30,000,000 or more, and an office in Aichi Prefecture. This one-year horizon concerns the expected plan state; it is not a residence period granted by immigration.
• At application, the applicant needs at least one year of business management or administration experience OR a relevant doctoral, master's, or professional degree. Both branches are not required together. This is a prefectural plan-confirmation condition, not the complete final criteria for Business Manager residence status; immigration examines those criteria separately.
• The application also uses evidence concerning the applicant's residence during preparation, living expenses, and method of securing funds. These are confirmed examples of supporting evidence areas, not a complete fixed document list. Confirm the current required materials and submission method with Aichi Prefecture.

Points to note

• The ordinary one-year plan horizon is not a granted residence period. It concerns the expected employee, business property, and Aichi office. Residence-status renewal is examined every six months, and the combined maximum of two years, including time under the former special-zone scheme, is a cap rather than a guaranteed period.
• JPY 30,000,000 or more is the total business-use property required for plan confirmation. It is not money paid or lent to foreign entrepreneurs by Aichi Prefecture, and this program is not a cash grant.
• The September 30, 2025 intake closure applies to the former 外国人創業活動促進事業, not the current 外国人起業活動促進事業. Aichi's plan confirmation and Nagoya immigration's residence-status decision are also separate.

Before applying, confirm with Aichi Prefecture the eligible business branch, the Aichi office and Japan-residence scopes, the expectation that the employee, JPY 30,000,000 in business-use property, and office will all be in place ordinarily within one year, the experience-or-degree condition, and the residence, living-expense, and funding evidence areas. The current route was updated on April 1, 2026 and is separate from the former route that closed on September 30, 2025. Submit the prefectural certificate to Nagoya immigration within three months after issuance. Once Designated Activities has been granted, Form 4 goes to Aichi within five days counted from the applicable landing or residence-status-change date. Renewal is examined every six months; the combined two-year maximum including former-special-zone use is not guaranteed; and monthly progress meetings begin only after residence status is acquired. Confirm the current materials and intake rather than relying on a universal deadline or a fixed complete checklist.

How it works

1. Contact Aichi Prefecture's Overseas Cooperation Promotion Office. Confirm whether the business is in the IT branch or the innovative-technology-or-service high-growth branch, the conditions expected ordinarily within one year, and the current application method and materials. Residence, living-expense, and funding-method evidence are examples, not the full document list.
2. Prepare the current materials and apply to Aichi Prefecture for startup-preparation plan confirmation. If the Prefecture issues the certificate, submit it to the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau within three months after issuance for a separate Designated Activities examination. Prefectural confirmation does not grant residence status.
3. After Designated Activities has been granted, report to Aichi Prefecture on Form 4 within five days of either landing in Japan or changing residence status, using the trigger that applies. Monthly prefectural progress meetings begin only after residence status is acquired. For continuation, check each six-month renewal examination; the two-year combined maximum including former-special-zone use is neither an automatic renewal nor a single guaranteed grant.