 "Japan has a new 6-month digital nomad visa but Indians don't stand to gain")
Japan plans to launch a digital nomad visa by the end of March 2024, which would enable a person to legally live and work remotely from anywhere in the country for six months. The visa caters to those with an annual income of ¥10 million ($68,300) or more. The visa will allow citizens of 49 countries to stay in the nation for up to six months and India is not on this list of countries.
These eligible nations have signed a tax treaty with the country or are visa-exempt when visiting Japan. The list of eligible nations includes all EU countries, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, reported Euronews. However, as of now, India is not on the list.
A digital nomad is a person who works remotely but only stays in one place for a short or mid-term period. For example, if you are a freelance graphic designer with clients based in the United States, then you can apply for Croatia’s digital nomad visa. However, you cannot then be hired by a Croatian company or take on a Croatian client during your visa term. This visa allows you to legally reside in a foreign country without changing your job.
Applicants must hold a private health policy and this visa extends to spouses and children of the applicant too. One must work for an employer or corporation outside of the host nation or own a business that can be managed from anywhere in the world to be eligible for this visa. The visa mainly targets IT professionals as well as highly skilled professionals.
This visa extends to self-employed and freelancing individuals, meaning applicants need not be employed by a separate company. It is also expected to apply to YouTubers as well as those who make revenue from overseas advertisers.
"The authorities do not permit the visa holder to apply for a residence certificate in Japan. Though India is not on the list of the 49 countries like US , Europe and others, but sooner or later India will make it to the list," said Alay Razvi, Partner ( Accord Juris LLP, Hyderabad).
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The visa cannot be renewed and must be reapplied for, with this only possible six months after leaving the country.
More than 50 countries currently issue digital nomad visas but the length of the period of stay differs: For example, South Korea allows stays of up to two years, while Taiwan allows three years, after which those eligible can even apply for permanent residency.
" Even countries with relatively strict immigration policies are seeing the advantages of attracting individuals who work remotely and have disposable income, to stimulate their economies. The digital nomad visa is not restricted to individuals and can be enjoyed by the visa holders family as well. However, after the expiry of six months, there would be no renewal for a cooling off period of 6 months from the expiry of the initial visa. The visa holders would have to purchase individual health insurance policy," said Vipul Jai, Partner, PSL Advocates & Solicitors
Nomadlist.com — a website that tracks tens of thousands of digital nomads — estimates there are around 35 million digital nomads around the world, with the majority of them coming from North America and Europe.
"This kind of Visa would be advantageous to the visitors as well as the host in the sense that the visitor would be able to legally live and work from anywhere in the country, which would in turn help the economy of host country," said Shashank Agarwal, Advocate, Delhi High Court.