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Work visa · 法律・会計業務

Legal / Accounting Services visa for Japan (法律・会計業務)

The work status for attorneys, accountants, tax accountants and other professionals with a Japanese qualification. A foreign license does not count — with two exceptions. Without a Japanese qualification, in-house lawyers and accountants work on a different visa.

Forms and documents

Licensed abroad?

Checked against the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on 28 September 2026 · Engineer/Specialist visa

Qualifications covered11, all Japanese

Period of stay5 y · 3 y · 1 y · 3 months

Certificate of EligibilityFree · 1–3 months

FamilyYes — Dependent visa

Who it fits

11 Japanese qualifications

The status is for legal or accounting work that Japanese law reserves for holders of a qualification. The landing standards (上陸基準省令) list 11 such qualifications and set no other degree, experience or salary conditions.

Law

Legal qualifications

  • Attorney (弁護士)
  • Registered foreign lawyer (外国法事務弁護士)
  • Judicial scrivener (司法書士)
  • Administrative scrivener (行政書士) — documents for government offices, including visa applications
  • Patent attorney (弁理士)
  • Land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士)
  • Maritime procedure agent (海事代理士)

Finance and HR

Accounting, tax, labor

  • Certified public accountant (公認会計士)
  • Foreign certified public accountant (外国公認会計士)
  • Certified public tax accountant (税理士)
  • Labor and social security attorney (社会保険労務士)

Your own office is covered too: the Immigration Act excludes from Business Manager (経営・管理) any business that can only be run with such a qualification.

If your license is not Japanese

Foreign lawyers and accountants in Japan

Japanese qualifications are earned under Japanese rules — as a rule through exams in Japanese. For lawyers and accountants licensed abroad, the law has two special routes.

Registered foreign lawyer (外国法事務弁護士)

  • Approval by Japan’s Minister of Justice: a foreign lawyer’s license and at least 3 years of practice — up to 2 years at a Japanese law firm working on the law of your country count
  • Reciprocity: your country admits Japanese lawyers on similar terms. If not, approval is still possible where refusal would breach Japan’s international agreements (for example WTO commitments) — the Ministry of Justice decides
  • Further conditions: no prison sentence, no disciplinary expulsion in the last 3 years, no undischarged bankruptcy; a work plan, housing, funds and the means to compensate clients
  • Registration with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (日本弁護士連合会) through a local bar association
  • You may advise on the law of the country of your license and represent parties in international arbitration in Japan
  • You may not represent clients before Japanese courts and government offices

Foreign certified public accountant (外国公認会計士)

  • An auditor’s qualification from another country and knowledge of Japanese accounting law
  • Recognition by the Prime Minister (through the Certified Public Accountants and Auditing Oversight Board), by exam or screening, and entry in the register of the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (日本公認会計士協会) — Certified Public Accountants Act, Article 16-2

Compare

Legal / Accounting Services or Engineer/Specialist

Most foreign lawyers and accountants in Japan work on the Engineer/Specialist visa until — or instead of — getting a Japanese qualification.

Legal / Accounting Services Engineer/Specialist (技術・人文知識・国際業務)
Who Holder of one of the 11 Japanese qualifications In-house lawyer or accountant without a Japanese qualification
What you need Copy of the license card or qualification certificate A degree related to the job, or 10 years of experience
Work What the law allows the qualified professional to do Contracts, tax, company accounts — without licensed work
Documents ISA’s short list Depend on the employer category 1–4

An in-house lawyer advising on foreign law without registration as 外国法事務弁護士, or an accountant without a Japanese license, works on the Engineer/Specialist visa. Passed the Japanese exam and registered? Apply for a change of status.

Forms and documents

Official forms and the documents you need

The forms are the same as for other work statuses. The key document is a copy of your Japanese license card or qualification certificate.

Two ways to get the status. With a Japanese qualification and a job, the firm applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) and you get the visa at a Japanese embassy. Living in Japan on another status and newly qualified — you apply for a change of status. ISA’s list is short and the same for all employers, but the bureau may ask for more documents.

What comes next

Family, job changes and permanent residency

Family

Your spouse and children whom you support can join you on the Dependent visa (家族滞在) and work up to 28 hours a week with permission.

Changing firm

Within 14 days of leaving or joining a firm, file the notification of the affiliated organization (活動機関に関する届出) — see notifications. More than 3 months without work under the qualification, without a good reason, is grounds to cancel the status.

Trips abroad

With a valid passport and residence card you can leave for up to 1 year (not beyond the end of your status) without a separate permit. Longer trips need a re-entry permit.

Extensions

The status is granted for 5, 3 or 1 year or 3 months; extensions have no limit.

HSP points

With a good salary you may reach 70 Highly Skilled Professional points — a Japanese qualification for your work earns points.

Permanent residency

The standard path is 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status. From 1 April 2027 a revised PR guideline applies: Japanese at B1 becomes a factor taken into account, not a strict requirement (HSP holders and their family and people with 6+ years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling are exempt), plus income and pension checks.

FAQ

Legal / Accounting Services visa questions

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Can I work as a lawyer in Japan with a foreign law degree?

On the Legal / Accounting Services status — only with a Japanese qualification from ISA’s list. A lawyer licensed abroad can become a registered foreign lawyer (外国法事務弁護士): this needs approval by Japan’s Minister of Justice and registration with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. The main conditions are 3 years of practice (up to 2 years at a Japanese law firm count) and reciprocity; without reciprocity, approval is still possible where refusal would breach Japan’s international agreements. The Ministry of Justice decides — nationality alone does not rule you out. Until registration, a foreign lawyer works in Japan on another status, usually Engineer/Specialist.

Usually Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務), humanities field: a degree related to the job or 10 years of experience. Legal / Accounting Services is needed only for work that Japanese law reserves for holders of a qualification.

A company accountant without a Japanese qualification works on the Engineer/Specialist visa. Legal / Accounting Services is for Japanese qualifications: certified public accountant (公認会計士), certified public tax accountant (税理士), and the foreign certified public accountant (外国公認会計士) — an auditor qualified abroad who is recognized by the Prime Minister (by exam or screening, Certified Public Accountants Act, Article 16-2) and entered in the register of the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (日本公認会計士協会).

Yes. The Immigration Act expressly excludes from Business Manager (経営・管理) the running of a business that by law needs such a qualification. So a qualified professional with their own office also works on Legal / Accounting Services.

The status itself requires no Japanese test. But Japanese qualifications are obtained through Japanese exams held in Japanese.

Yes. Your spouse and children whom you support get the Dependent status (家族滞在). They can work up to 28 hours a week with part-time work permission.

The status is granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months; the law does not limit the number of extensions. Years on Legal / Accounting Services count toward permanent residency: usually 10 years in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work status.

On the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). The buttons on this page open the ISA files directly: the form, a filled-in example and the document checklist.

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