Working Holiday Visa

1. Background
2. Applicant Prerequisites
3. Requirements
4. Application Procedure
5. Other Information
6. Attention

1. Background

The governments of both Japan and the Kingdom of Sweden, in a spirit of promoting a closer co-operative relationship between the two countries, and desirous of providing wider opportunities for their culture and general way of life of the other country for the purpose of promoting mutual understanding between the two countries, introduced the "Working Holiday scheme" for Swedish citizens in 2020. This scheme makes it possible for nationals of the Kingdom of Sweden to enter Japan primarily for a holiday over an extended period, and also to engage in employment as an incidental aspect of their holiday in order to supplement their travel funds.

2. Applicant Prerequisites

Working Holiday Visas, valid for a period of one year from the date of issue, are issued to persons who satisfy all of the following requirements:

1. Swedish Citizens who are resident in the Kingdom of Sweden when they apply for this visa.
2. Intend primarily to holiday in Japan for a period of up to one year from the date of entry with the possibility of taking a job in order to supplement his/her cost of staying in Japan.
3. Aged between eighteen and thirty years both inclusive at the time of application for a Working Holiday Visa.
4. Are not accompanied by dependents unless those dependents are also in possession of the working holiday visa or other valid visas/residence permits.
5. Possess a valid passport, and an outward and return/onward travel ticket or sufficient funds with which to purchase such a ticket.
6. Possess reasonable funds for their maintenance during the period of initial stay in Japan.
7. Intend to leave Japan at the end of their stay.
8. Have not previously been issued a Working Holiday Visa (except where you were unable to use the Working Holiday visa issued due to unavoidable circumstances, and an application for re-issue is made no more than 3 months from the expiry date of the original Working Holiday visa).
9. Be in good health.
10. Have adequate medical insurance.
11. Intend to obey Japanese law during your staying in Japan.

3. Requirements

1. Valid Swedish Passport (in original with at least two blank visa pages).
2. One completed and signed Visa Application Form .(Filled in digitally, but signed by hand)
3. Photo specifications:
   • Taken less than 6 months before the date of application.
   • Both color and black and white photos are accepted.
   • Approximately 35×45 mm.
   • Facing straight to the camera and with white background.
   • Well centered with room above and below the head.
   • Photo quality, without smears or markings and with no shadow over the face.
4. Necessary documents:
   1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (Form 1) (Japanese or English).
   2. An outline of intended length of stay and activities (Form 2) (Japanese or English).
   3. A written reason for applying for a Working Holiday Visa typed on A4 paper (Japanese or English).
   4. Minimum 41,000 SEK in cleared funds (last 3 months bank statements in the applicant’s name must be shown) or 20,000 SEK in cleared funds (last 3 months bank statements in the applicant’s name must be shown) and a return or onward journey ticket or a receipt for such.
   5. Pledge for National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) (Form 3) or Overseas travel Insurance Policy which is valid during the stay in Japan (in original).
   6. Other documents as requested from the Embassy.
   • You should provide an original of each document.
5. Fee is not required.
6. Questionnaire on the Working Holiday Scheme (Form 4) : We ask all applicants to submit this document when returning from a stay in Japan.

4. Application Procedure

1. Applicant is required to submit all of the above-mentioned documentation in person or by registered mail to the Embassy of Japan in Sweden.
2. An interview with a visa officer may be requested after you submit all of the above-mentioned documentation.

Note:

1. Application must be made at least three weeks before the anticipated departure date. Applications submitted at short notice will not be accepted.
2. Working Holiday visa is single entry. Applicants must enter Japan within 3 months after the date of issue of the visa.

5. Other Information

1. Residency management system

• Besides having a seal of landing verification stamped in their passports, mid- to long-term residents will be issued a residence card.
• Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport and resident card who will be re-entering Japan within 1 year of their departure to continue their activities in Japan will, in principle, not be required to apply for a re-entry permit. (This is called a special re-entry permit.)
• For further information, please see Residency management system (website of Immigration Bureau of Japan) .

2. Notification of place of residence

A working holiday participant is required to visit the municipal office where he/she lives bringing their resident card, and notify his/her place of residence within 14 days of finding a place to settle down. (Hotel is not regarded as place of residence in general).

3. National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken)

• Japan has a public health insurance system, and everyone who lives in Japan must enroll in some form of public health insurance. The National Health Insurance program is one form of public health insurance, and the program is operated at the municipal level.
• When a working holiday participant notifies his/her place of residence, he/she should take necessary procedures for joining in the National Health Insurance at the municipal office.
• The National Health Insurance fee is about 3500 yen per month in general (the insurance fee may vary at each municipality). If an insured person shows his/her health insurance certificate at medical institutions before receiving medical treatment, he/she will then in general only need to bear 30% of the medical expenses.
• The National Health Insurance does not cover decease, residual disability, damage remedy, urgent medical return, etc. In case a working holiday participant requests the above-mentioned compensation which the National Health Insurance does not cover, it is necessary for him/her personally to take another insurance offered by an insurance company (i.e. overseas travel insurance).

4. To find a job

• Applicants will not be able to engage themselves in activities which are considered to go against the policies of the Working Holiday Scheme such as working at businesses which may affect public morals.
• The Job Center (Hello Work) and the Employment Service Center for Foreigners in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya provide assistance to job-seekers in Japan. The above Employment Service Centers for Foreigners and some Job Centers are able to provide assistance in English. For further information, please follow the links below:
  • Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
  • Employment Policy for Foreign Workers

6. Attention

1. Working Holiday participants are allowed to work during their stay in order to supplement their travel funds in Japan.
2. This programme is not designed for persons who mainly intend to work. The applicant's primary purpose of stay should be to have holiday in Japan.
3. Those who intend primarily to work cannot apply for this visa.
4. Furthermore, the Working Holiday participants are strictly prohibited from working at places that are deemed to affect public morals, such as bars, cabarets, nightclubs and so on.