I will tell you about the procedure of cases which foreigners want to start a business in Japan by investing by themselves instead of setting a subsidiary or a branch office of an overseas corporation.
This flow is said to be a general flow.
| 1 | Visit Japan with short-term stay |
| 2 | Office contract |
| 3 | Application for company establishment, |
| 4 | Application for Business management visa |
| 5 | You return home country |
| 6 | Enter Japan after approval” |
But can you start a business as per this flow? Speaking of fact, there are two major problems on start-up business in this flow.
The two big problems are office rent contracts and opening a corporate accounts.
Actually, the possibility that a foreigner without an address in Japan can contract an office or establish a corporate account is quite low.
Recently, in urban areas, there seems to be some places where real estate companies managed by Chinese and Taiwanese may arrange for property to be contracted even for foreigners without address in Japan. In fact, however, it is possible to start a business smoothly only when there are partners living in Japan.
Now even if all the investors and the directors live abroad, they can now establish a company in Japan.
Even so, practically, as long as all the directors live abroad, they can not rent an office to register the company. . . , Corporate account can not be opened. . . There is still a big wall like this.
As it turns out, it is unchanged that foreigners still need a partner living in Japan to establish a company in Japan and start a business.
Those who wish to start in Japan are encouraged to first find a partner who lives in Japan who can cooperate.
(Except when starting business in Tokyo through “the Project of acceptance of Foreign Human Resources who start a business in Tokyo”.)
For details, please visit the site of “thorough explanation”.
Regarding the contract of the office, it is a point that a Japanese partner first signs a contract as an individual and switching the name from an individual to the company name after the company establishment.
When making a contract as an individual, please be sure to clearly inform this the owner. Otherwise, depending on the owner, when you change the name from an individual to the company name, you may be asked to pay a fee equivalent to one month’s rent. On the other hand, if you inform the owner about the name change beforehand, it does not incur any fee or even if it costs, it seems to be around several thousand yen.
About setting-up company ~ management visa application, please refer to the following flow.
| 1 | After confirming the identity of yourself, if we receive an official offer from you, please sign or seal the “Agreement on Request”. |
| 2 | Please obtain the sign certificate (or seal stamp certificate) and send it by e-mail.
※ Please mail the original certificate with the sealed documents. |
| 3 | Please fill in the interview sheet. We will send you a draft on “the purpose of the business”
by e-mail. |
| 4 | After the document preparation, the sealed documents will be sent out. |
| 5 | Please make the same signature as the signature certificate (or after stamping the same seal as seal imprint certificate), please send it to our office.
※ Please do not forget to enclose the original of the sign certificate (or seal stamp certificate) |
| 6 | Please make capital transfer by the establishment date. When transferring capital, you will need proof (booking in passbook) that you have deposited over 5 million yen into your Japanese bank account or Japanese partner’s account.
Please transfer designated fees to our office bank account 2 business days prior to the establishment date. |
| 7 | Confirm your payment and apply for company establishment registration. |
| 8 | It takes about 10 days to undertake company registration review. |
| 9 | After completing the examination, we will send you a certified copy of the company’s register, a seal stamp card, a stamp certificate and a refund document. |
| 10 | Notify the tax office, please open the corporate account according to opening procedure. |
| 11 | Please change the name of the office contract from individual to company name. |
| 12 | As soon as the start-up procedure is done, we will apply for a management visa. |
| 13 | After approval, you will enter Japan and start business. |
In addition to the company establishment procedure, we accept consultation for start-up, such as opening a corporate account, visa procedure, subsidy application, etc, and we are happy to take care of these matters.
If you are planning to start a business in Japan, please contact us.
