Niigata 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 requirements for the Business Manager visa, Niigata Prefecture’s Startup Visa program provides a structured and officially recognized preparation pathway.

Niigata Prefecture launched this program on February 1, 2026, after receiving approval under Japan’s Foreign Business Startup Activity Promotion Program (外国人起業活動促進事業), administered by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

The program allows eligible foreign entrepreneurs to enter or stay in Japan under the Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) residence status while preparing to meet the Business Manager requirements within a defined period.

This article explains Niigata Prefecture’s system in detail—overview, eligibility, target fields, required documents, application steps, timelines, monitoring rules, and key compliance points—so you can understand exactly what is required before applying.

What is the “Startup Visa” in Niigata Prefecture?

Niigata Prefecture’s Startup Visa operates under the national Foreign Business Startup Activity Promotion Program framework.

It is a two-layer screening system:

1) Niigata Prefecture review (startup preparation plan confirmation)

You submit a Startup Preparation Activity Plan and related documents to Niigata Prefecture.
The prefecture reviews whether your planned startup activities are appropriate, feasible, and likely to meet the Business Manager requirements within the permitted preparation period.

If approved, Niigata issues a Startup Preparation Activity Confirmation Certificate (起業準備活動計画確認証明書).

2) Immigration review (residence status approval)

Using Niigata’s confirmation certificate and other required materials, you apply to Immigration for Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status.

Important:
Niigata Prefecture clearly states that its confirmation certificate supports your immigration application but does not guarantee approval. Immigration makes the final decision.

Who can use this program?

Niigata Prefecture’s program is open to foreign nationals who plan to start a business in Niigata Prefecture and who are expected to satisfy the Business Manager requirements after a defined preparation period.

Unlike some prefectures, Niigata’s published rules do not limit eligibility only to international students. Applicants may be outside Japan or already residing in Japan under another status, provided they meet the national notice requirements and Niigata’s prefectural criteria.

Target business scope in Niigata

Niigata Prefecture clearly defines eligible business fields for its Startup Visa program.
Applicants must plan a business that falls into one or more of the following categories, as officially designated by Niigata Prefecture, or another field recognized by the Governor.

Officially designated target fields in Niigata Prefecture

Niigata Prefecture recognizes the following business fields as eligible:

1. Advanced manufacturing and growth-oriented production
   Businesses that leverage Niigata’s industrial clusters in food products, machinery, metals, chemicals, electrical machinery and electronic components, and transport equipment.

2. Logistics-related industries
   Businesses utilizing Niigata’s transportation infrastructure, including Niigata Port, Naoetsu Port, Niigata Airport, and major expressways such as the Hokuriku and Kan-etsu Expressways.

3. Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and regional trading businesses
   Businesses leveraging Niigata’s diverse local products, such as Koshihikari rice, Echigo Hime strawberries, Niigata Wagyu beef, Echigo cedar, and seafood.

4. Fourth Industrial Revolution fields
   Businesses utilizing technologies such as AI, IoT, and big data analytics.

5. Information and communications industries
   Businesses leveraging ICT talent from institutions such as Niigata University, Nagaoka University of Technology, and other universities and technical schools in the prefecture.

6. Energy-related industries
   Businesses utilizing Niigata’s abundant natural resources, including coastlines, rivers, forests, snow-based cooling energy, and natural gas.

7. Tourism, sports, culture, and community development
   Businesses leveraging Niigata’s seasonal nature, diverse food culture, hot springs, locally rooted history, culture, sports, and community assets.

8. Construction-related industries
   Businesses utilizing the industrial concentration of Niigata’s core construction sector.

9. Education-related service industries
   Businesses leveraging the concentration of universities and specialized training schools across diverse fields in Niigata.

10. Health-related and healthcare industries
    Businesses utilizing health-related knowledge and expertise from Niigata-based companies and universities.

11. Medical and healthcare industries using data resources
    Businesses utilizing medical and health-related data, including big data held by regional medical institutions.

12. Other fields recognized by the Governor
    Any other business fields that the Governor of Niigata Prefecture deems appropriate under the program.

Practical guidance for applicants

Applicants must do more than simply select a category.
They are expected to clearly explain:

• Which of the above fields their business falls under

• How the business leverages Niigata Prefecture’s regional strengths

• Why the planned activity is economically and operationally viable in Niigata

• How the business can realistically progress to meeting Business Manager visa requirements within the permitted preparation period

Niigata Prefecture’s review focuses on substance and feasibility, not on formal labels alone.

Why Niigata is attractive for foreign entrepreneurs

Niigata offers a distinctive balance that appeals to many foreign founders:

• Strong logistics and international connectivity, with a major Sea of Japan port and air access supporting trade-oriented and export-focused businesses

• Advanced agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing, making Niigata especially attractive for agri-tech, food innovation, and production-based startups

• Lower operating and living costs compared with Tokyo and other major metropolitan areas, allowing longer financial runways during the startup phase

• A prefectural policy focus on sustainable regional development, where foreign-founded businesses are evaluated not only on innovation but also on long-term contribution and stability

For entrepreneurs seeking a realistic, cost-efficient environment to build a business that can grow steadily into a Business Manager–compliant operation, Niigata provides a practical alternative to larger cities.

Step-by-step process

Step 1: Prepare your startup preparation plan

You must prepare a Startup Preparation Activity Plan that satisfies the national notice requirements (告示) and Niigata’s prefectural criteria.

Step 2: Submit documents to Niigata Prefecture

Applications must be submitted by the applicant本人.

Submission by a lawyer or administrative scrivener is permitted only if they are properly registered with Immigration as an intermediary, and additional conditions apply if the applicant is outside Japan.

Step 3: Prefectural review and expert consultation

Niigata consults experts with knowledge of entrepreneurship and business management.
If the plan meets the requirements, the prefecture issues a confirmation certificate.
If not, Niigata issues a result notice explaining that confirmation was not granted.

Step 4: Apply to Immigration

With the confirmation certificate, you apply to Immigration for Designated Activities (Startup Preparation) status.

Step 5: Report status acquisition

After obtaining the residence status, you must promptly report the acquisition (or renewal) to Niigata Prefecture using the prescribed form.

Required documents

Niigata Prefecture publishes official templates. Key required documents include:

A) Core application forms (Niigata templates)

• Startup Preparation Activity Plan Confirmation Application

• Startup Preparation Activity Plan

• Resume / CV

• Pledge regarding exclusion of organized crime groups

B) Supporting documents

• Passport copy

• Proof of housing for one year after landing or status change

• Proof of funds covering one year of living expenses

• Documents proving eligibility under the national notice 

• Any additional documents the Governor deems necessary

C) Renewal applications (if applicable)

For renewal, updated plans and 6-month housing and living expense proof are required.

Applicants must always use the latest official templates provided by Niigata Prefecture.

Who can submit the application?

• The applicant, or

• A lawyer or administrative scrivener who has filed the required intermediary notification with Immigration

If the applicant is outside Japan, additional delegation conditions apply.

After obtaining Designated Activities (Startup Preparation)

Niigata Prefecture imposes strict monitoring obligations:

• Monthly progress checks (in principle)

• Interviews with prefectural officials

• Requests for documents related to business preparation and living conditions

Failure to cooperate with progress checks can result in cancellation of the confirmation.

Renewal, monitoring, and cancellation risks

Niigata Prefecture may cancel the confirmation if:

• False statements or fraudulent documents are discovered

• Startup preparation activities are not being carried out

• The plan no longer meets national or prefectural criteria

• The applicant refuses to cooperate with progress checks

Cancellation is reported to both METI and Immigration, and Niigata explicitly disclaims liability for resulting damages.

Key compliance points

• The prefectural certificate does not guarantee immigration approval

• Continuous, verifiable preparation activity is required

• Housing and living funds must be secured in advance

• Monthly monitoring is a core obligation, not a formality

This program is designed for active, structured preparation, not passive residence.

How our office can help

Even under a government program, successful cases depend on whether the plan is verifiable, feasible, and consistent with immigration’s expectations.

Trust Administrative Scrivener Office supports foreign entrepreneurs with:

• Business plan structuring (service definition, customers, pricing, cost model, operations, milestones, and risk controls)

• Evidence design (what to document, how to show feasibility, how to avoid gaps that trigger follow-up requests)

• Immigration application support, including COE preparation and strategy for the transition from the start-up preparation stage to Business Manager

• Practical compliance guidance: office setup logic, recordkeeping posture, and renewal/change planning

If you are considering Niigata City, we can help you decide whether to:

• apply directly for Business Manager, or

• use the Niigata City Special Zone route and build a plan designed to survive both local confirmation and immigration review. 

References

• Niigata Prefecture: Startup Visa official page

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