The working holiday visa for Japan is tied to clear conditions for Germans: a German passport, an application lodged before your 31st birthday, and a stay that is mainly a holiday. The Japanese Embassy in Germany and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo state the key facts, which this guide brings together with their status. The pages we retrieved do not list a fee.
Short answer: For a working holiday in Japan you must be German, at least 18 years old, and lodge your application before your 31st birthday. The stay lasts one year from entry, and an extension is not possible. Since January 2025, a second working holiday visa has been possible. The embassy requires funds of 2,000 euros with a return flight (3,200 euros without one). Last updated: October 2026.
The Most Important Points at a Glance
- Applicants must hold German citizenship and be at least 18 years old. The application must be lodged before the 31st birthday. There are no exceptions.
- The stay lasts one year from entry, and the visa itself cannot be extended. You must enter within one year after the visa is issued.
- Since January 2025, a second working holiday visa has been possible. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this means two non-consecutive stays of one year each.
- The stay must be mainly a holiday. Part-time work is permitted as a supplement.
- As proof of funds, the embassy requires at least 2,000 euros with a return flight (3,200 euros without one), plus proof of insurance or a written declaration to join Japanese health insurance.
Who Can Apply for a Working Holiday Visa for Japan?
The Embassy of Japan lists four conditions on its page dated 19 August 2026: German citizenship, an age of at least 18 years, an application before the 31st birthday, and a stay that is mainly a holiday with optional part-time work. If you intend to work mainly, you are not eligible, and family members cannot receive a family visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives the range for Germany as 18 to 30 years at the time of application and describes the number of visas per year as unlimited. Both sources agree: your age on the day of application is decisive. You may be older than 30 when you enter.
How Long Can You Stay, and How Often Can You Take Part?
The one-year stay begins automatically with entry. You must enter within one year after the visa is issued. The embassy makes clear that the working holiday visa itself cannot be extended. Instead, you can apply to the Japanese immigration authority for a change of status, for example to a tourist or long-stay visa. This usually requires a guarantor, such as an employer or a language school.
Since January 2025, there has been a second working holiday visa. According to the embassy, the conditions are: you lodge the application at a Japanese mission in Germany, the first stay has demonstrably ended or is no longer valid, and you are not older than 30 on the day of application. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes it as two non-consecutive stays of one year each. There is no entitlement, and each application is reviewed anew.
Which Proofs Does the Embassy Require?
| Point | Information from the embassy | Status and source |
|---|---|---|
| Age | At least 18 years, application before the 31st birthday | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Funds with return flight | At least 2,000 euros according to bank statement, not older than one month | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Funds without return flight | At least 3,200 euros | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Funds without flight ticket | 3,200 euros plus the cost of a one-way flight | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Return ticket | Optional, proof of funds can replace it | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Health insurance | Travel health insurance for the entire stay, or written declaration to join Japanese health insurance | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
| Other documents | Passport, application form, biometric photo 45 x 35 mm, travel plan, CV, one-page letter of motivation | Embassy of Japan, 19 August 2026 |
You must apply at the Japanese mission or consulate general responsible for your place of residence. Applications outside its area are rejected. You can apply no earlier than one year and no later than three weeks before departure. Processing takes at least five working days. You can apply in person without an appointment or by post with a copy of your passport. The embassy does not accept applications by email.
What Does a Working Holiday in Japan Cost?
The embassy pages we retrieved do not name a visa fee. The responsible mission will provide that information. Only the proof of funds of 2,000 to 3,200 euros is confirmed. It is a proof, not a budget. The costs for flights, accommodation and insurance depend on your travel period. For guide values on insurance, see travel health insurance per month.
Which Health Insurance Applies in Japan?
The embassy accepts travel health insurance for the entire stay or a written declaration to join the Japanese health insurance. It also recommends travel insurance in any case, because Japanese health insurance does not cover all costs. Your statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) in Germany reimburses treatment outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland only in the cases the law provides for. Under section 13 (4) of the Social Code Book V (SGB V), cost reimbursement abroad is limited to those countries. Travel health insurance with repatriation and rules on pre-existing conditions is therefore the usual route. More is explained in health insurance abroad: what you need to know as a student (in German).
Frequently Asked Questions
Up to what age can I apply?
The embassy requires that you lodge the application before your 31st birthday. After the visa has been granted, you may enter the country even if you are older than 30. There are no exceptions to the age limit.
Can I extend the visa?
No, the working holiday visa itself cannot be extended. You can apply to the Japanese immigration authority for a change of status. This usually requires a guarantor.
May I take part twice?
Yes, since January 2025. The application is made through a Japanese mission in Germany, the first stay must have ended, and you must not be older than 30 on the day of application.
How much work is allowed?
The embassy requires that the stay is mainly a holiday and that work remains a supplement. The page we retrieved does not give a number of hours.
Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Japanese embassy or consulate general responsible for your place of residence. An application outside its area is rejected.
What to Do Now
- Make sure you can lodge the application before your 31st birthday, and plan no earlier than one year before departure.
- Prepare your bank statement, insurance proof or declaration to join, CV and letter of motivation.
- Clarify with your university and health insurer what one year abroad means for your enrollment and insurance.
- Ask the responsible mission about the visa fee, and only book your flight after the visa has been granted.
Related Articles
- Study Abroad in Japan: Insurance, Visa, Costs 2026
- Internship abroad in Japan: visa, insurance and funding
- Health insurance abroad: what you need to know as a student (in German)
- Student Health Insurance Abroad: Erasmus, USA and Work and Travel
- Study abroad: health insurance, visa and costs for all countries (in German)
Sources: Embassy of Japan in Germany, Working Holiday Visa (page dated 19 August 2026); Embassy of Japan in Germany, FAQ Working Holiday Visa (undated, rules from January 2025); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, The Working Holiday Programmes in Japan (page dated 1 April 2026); SGB V, section 13 cost reimbursement (status October 2026)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information and not individual advice.
