MMoving to Japan

Can one still receive payments from EU/NA if they are living in Japan, doing remote work?

  • October 11, 2025

I receive payments as an independent contractor, not employee. Technically I am not an employee of any company. If I am living in Japan, can I receive those payments easily without any hassle?

Also, how expensive or reasonable is Japan's tax considered compared to the rest of the world?

by tomadobi

7 comments

  2. Provided your residency status is in line with Japanese Law, yes you can receive payments (from the EU, right?).
    Tax is (always) a difficult issue but think of the overall burden is like in Germany (if you can make sense of this). Careful: you are not employed by a local or whatever company. So you are responsible for your tax assessment. Don’t mess it up, get a tax consultant. Don’t risk your residency being revoked!
    Finally: check the issue of health insurance, ask a local consultant (start with your tax adviser).

  3. Assuming that A) You’re going to be in Japan on a status that allows work and B) You’ve filled out the appropriate forms with immigration (If it’s something like a student visa) then yes, you can receive those payments.

    If you’re talking about coming on a tourist visa… Then no, because working (even for a remote employer) is not allowed.

  4. It’s not an option to receive it to a bank account in your home country? That would save you from a lot of grey areas

  6. Yes but you have to register your business as a independent contractor at your closest tax office.

  7. I haven’t gone through the entire process as of yet but this was my plan (I’ll be doing a Working Holiday Visa).

    I queried it with the embassy via email (I will be bringing it up again in my application appointment to double check) and they said it’s okay to do on this Visa type as long as I’m within the 28 hour part time work limit as specified on this Visa. I need to become a contractor for my company rather than an employee, which it seems is a possibility after speaking to my companies HR.

    In my case (being from the UK) I believe there’s a double tax agreement between my country and Japan, meaning I only have to pay tax once in the country I’m situated in rather than be double taxed, so I’d pay tax in Japan and do my tax assessments myself as a contractor.

Comments are closed.