Gifu Startup Visa (Japan) — Complete 2025-2026 Guide for Foreign Entrepreneurs

If you want to start a business in Japan but are not yet ready to meet the full Business Manager visa requirements, Gifu Prefecture offers a Startup Visa program under Japan’s Foreign Entrepreneurship Activity Promotion Program.

Gifu Prefecture received official approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and operates this program based on a formally recognized Foreign Entrepreneur Activity Management and Support Plan.
Eligible foreign entrepreneurs can stay in Japan under Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status for up to two years while preparing to transition to the Business Manager visa.

This article explains the system in detail—overview, eligibility, target business fields, required documents, application steps, timelines, compliance rules, and practical points you should understand before applying.

What is the “Startup Visa” in Gifu Prefecture?

Gifu Prefecture’s Startup Visa is a two-step system:

Step 1: Gifu Prefecture review (startup plan confirmation)

Applicants submit a Startup Preparation Activity Plan and related documents to Gifu Prefecture.
After review—conducted with input from experts in business and entrepreneurship—the prefecture decides whether the plan meets the national notice requirements and whether the business is suitable for strengthening regional industrial competitiveness.

If approved, Gifu Prefecture issues a Startup Preparation Activity Confirmation Certificate.

Step 2: Immigration review (residence status decision)

Using the Gifu-issued confirmation certificate, the applicant applies to Immigration for Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status.
Immigration makes the final decision on residence status.

Important:
The prefecture’s confirmation certificate supports the immigration application but does not guarantee approval.

Who can use this program?

According to Gifu Prefecture, the program is for:

• Foreign nationals who intend to start a new business within Gifu Prefecture

• Applicants who are expected to transition to Business Manager status after completing startup preparation

• Applicants who meet the national notice requirements under METI’s Foreign Entrepreneurship Activity Promotion Program

The program can be used by applicants outside Japan or by those already residing in Japan under another eligible status.

Target business fields in Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture clearly defines eligible business fields as those that contribute to strengthening international industrial competitiveness and forming an international economic activity base within the prefecture.

The official target fields are:

1) IT / IoT–related fields

Businesses that introduce or utilize IT, IoT, or related technologies to:

• Improve productivity

• Develop new products or technologies

• Create added value in business operations

2) Tourism-related fields

Businesses that contribute to:

• Increasing tourism consumption in Gifu Prefecture

• Attracting visitors to the region

Key point:
Applicants should first define their actual business plan—products or services, customers, operations, and timeline—then confirm whether the activity fits one of the above fields.
The review focuses on substance and feasibility, not category selection alone.

Why Gifu? (What founders often value)

Gifu Prefecture positions this program as a tool to attract entrepreneurs whose businesses can realistically contribute to regional competitiveness and international economic activity.

In practice, founders often value Gifu for:

• Access to Japan’s central regions while avoiding excessive metropolitan competition

• Strong alignment between IT-enabled productivity improvement and regional tourism development

• A prefecture-level program with clearly defined procedures, timelines, and ongoing monitoring

For founders with a concrete plan and a realistic timeline toward Business Manager status, Gifu offers a structured and closely supervised preparation pathway.

Step-by-step process in Gifu Prefecture

Step 1: Prepare the startup preparation plan

Applicants must prepare the required application forms and supporting documents in Japanese, following official templates.

Step 2: Submit application to Gifu Prefecture

Applications are submitted to:

Gifu Prefecture, Department of Commerce and Labor
Industrial Human Resources Division (Human Resources Planning Section)
Gifu Prefectural Office (10F)

Applications may be submitted by:

• The applicant

• A lawyer or administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) with proper immigration intermediary notification

• Certain authorized representatives related to the applicant’s business

Step 3: Review and expert evaluation

Gifu Prefecture reviews whether:

• The startup preparation activity aligns with national notice requirements

• The business plan is appropriate and feasible

• The activity contributes to Gifu’s industrial competitiveness objectives

Step 4: Issuance of confirmation certificate (if approved)

If approved, Gifu Prefecture issues a Startup Preparation Activity Confirmation Certificate by mail.
If not approved, the prefecture issues a written notice explaining that the certificate was not granted.

The certificate is valid for three months for immigration submission.

Step 5: Apply to Immigration

Within the certificate’s validity period, the applicant applies to:

Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau – Gifu Branch

Required documents

Gifu Prefecture requires all of the following documents (in Japanese):

A) Official application forms

• Startup Preparation Activity Confirmation Application Form

• Startup Preparation Activity Plan

• Startup Activity Schedule / Roadmap

• Applicant’s resume (CV)

• Pledge document

B) Housing proof

• Documents showing the applicant’s residence for one year after landing or status change
  (e.g., lease contract copy)

C) Living expense proof

• Documents showing living expenses for one year
  (e.g., bankbook copies, savings statements)

D) Proof of eligibility under national notice

• Documents such as degree certificates, employment certificates, or other evidence specified under the METI notice

E) Passport copy and additional materials

• Passport copy

• Any other documents deemed necessary by the prefectural governor

Renewal (up to two years total)

• Initial Designated Activities period: 6 months

• If preparation continues, applicants must apply for confirmation renewal before expiration

• Renewals are possible up to a maximum total of two years

Renewal requires submission of updated plans, housing proof, and living expense proof for the next 6 months.

Obligations after receiving Designated Activities status

After immigration approval, applicants must:

• Submit a report to Gifu Prefecture within 7 days

• Attend monthly progress interviews (in principle)

• Provide documents showing actual preparation activity when requested
  (e.g., office lease contracts, employment contracts, bank statements)

Failure to cooperate may result in cancellation of the confirmation certificate.

Key compliance points (frequent misunderstandings)

• The prefectural confirmation does not guarantee immigration approval

• Preparation activity must be continuous and verifiable

• Applicants must maintain sufficient funds separate from business capital

• If Business Manager status is not granted within two years, the applicant must leave Japan

How our office can help

Gifu Prefecture’s Startup Visa is a review-based system, not a simple formality.

Trust Administrative Scrivener Office supports foreign entrepreneurs with:

• Business plan structuring aligned with Gifu Prefecture review standards

• Document preparation and consistency checks

• Immigration applications (Designated Activities → Business Manager)

• Strategic advice on whether the Startup Visa or direct Business Manager application is more appropriate

References (official sources)

• Gifu Prefecture: Foreign Entrepreneurship Activity Promotion Program 

• Gifu Prefecture: Implementation Guidelines and Procedures (PDF)

• METI Notice No. 256 

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