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公開日: 2023.05.24 行政書士法人第一綜合事務所最終更新日: 2024.11.27

Column for understanding entertainment visas

In order for foreigners to work in Japan, in principle, a work visa is required.
One of the work visas is the entertainer visa, which is the subject of this column.
There are many aspects of this visa that are difficult to understand, such as what kind of occupations and activities are applicable, and what procedures are required to work in Japan.
On this page, we will explain the requirements and procedures for obtaining an entertainer visa.

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Index

1. What is an Entertainer visa?

An Entertainer visa is a visa established to promote international understanding by providing opportunities to encounter foreign cultures and promoting cultural exchange, and to contribute to the promotion and improvement of Japanese culture and sports.

“Entertainment” refers to showing or listening to theatrical performances, musical performances, sports, circus, and other shows for the public at specific facilities, and activities as singers, etc., appearing in bars, cabarets, clubs, etc. is also included in this.

Entertainer visa is one of the working visas and is sometimes called entertainment visa.
Many of the actors, models, singers, and professional athletes we see on TV and other media are active on Entertainer visas.

Entertainer visas are visas required for foreigners in these occupations to perform concert lectures, TV appearances, movie shootings, music recordings, publicity activities, etc. for remuneration.

2. Occupations that fall under the Entertainer visa

What kinds of occupations fall under the entertainment visa?
In this chapter, we will introduce the actual occupations.

Musician
Actor, model
Performer, orchestra
Professional athletes, e-sports players
Choreographer, Director
Essential assistants for performers to perform performances

(Stage play lighting, cameraman, manager, circus zookeeper, athlete trainer, etc.)

In this way, various occupations are recognized as entertainment visas.

3. Entertainer visa has 4 categories

Entertainer visas fall into 4 categories:
Depending on which category you fall into, the requirements and required documents for obtaining a Entertainer visa also differ.

3-1. Entertainer visa No. 1

Entertainment activities such as plays and performances that do not fall under the “Entertainer visa No. 2” are applicable.
An example is a performance held at a small live house or club.
※Entertainment visa No. 1 may apply if you perform entertainment activities at a facility that provides food and drink, or if you perform entertainment activities with facilities that can provide food and drink, even if they do not actually provide food and drink.

3-2. Entertainer visa No. 2

Performances such as concerts and festivals that are large in scale and held in a short period of time fall under this category.
Events held at theme parks also fall under the category of Entertainer visa No. 2.

3-3. Entertainer visa No. 3

This includes professional sports, martial arts competitions, and circuses.
In addition, the activities of those who have an inseparable relationship with the athletes, such as managers, coaches, and trainers, also fall under Entertainer visa No. 3.

3-4. Entertainer visa No. 4

Activities as a fashion model who participates in fashion shows, and activities as an entertainer, actor, singer, etc. who appear in TV programs and movies fall under this category.
Entertainer visa No. 4, unlike Entertainer visas No. 1 to 3, stipulates entertainment activities that are not performed in the form of entertainment.

4. Explanation of the requirements for obtaining an Entertainer visa

Entertainer visas are classified into 4 categories of activities as described above.
Each requirement is explained below.

4-1. Entertainer visa No. 1

Entertainer visa No. 1 is intended for those who intend to engage in entertainment activities such as theater and do not fall under Entertainer visa No. 2.

Entertainment visa No. 1 may apply if you perform entertainment activities at facilities that provide food and drink, or if you perform entertainment activities at facilities that can provide food and drink even if they do not actually provide food and drink.
Entertainer visa No. 1 has very strict requirements from the viewpoint of preventing illegal employment and financial exploitation that may occur due to the nature of the Entertainer visa.

Below is a summary of the main points of the Entertainer Visa No. 1

(1) Applicant’s educational background and career

In principle, the applicant must meet one of the following requirements.

a. At a foreign educational institution, 2 years or more of courses related to activities related to entertainment that you intend to do in Japan.

What I majored in

b. 2 years or more of experience in performing in a foreign country.

(2) Applicant’s remuneration

Based on the performance contract, a monthly payment of 200,000 yen or more is required.

(3) Requirements of the inviting organization

The inviting organization must meet all the following requirements.

a. Having a manager or administrator who has a total of 3 years or more of experience in business related to foreign entertainment.

b. Employing 5 or more full-time employees.

c. The manager or full-time staff of the inviting organization has never committed a certain illegal act and is not a member of an organized crime group, etc.

d. Fulfills the obligation to pay remuneration to foreigners residing in Japan on an Entertainer visa based on the entertainment contract concluded in the past 3 years

(4) Facility requirements

Facilities that conduct entertainment activities must meet all the following requirements.

a. Must be a facility that hosts performances by foreigners for an unspecified large number of guests.

b. In the case of a facility stipulated in Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Amusement Business Act, it shall be exclusively engaged in entertaining guests, there are 5 or more employees engaged in entertaining guests,

also, there is no risk that a foreigner who obtains an entertainer visa and engages in entertainment of guests.

c. Have a stage of 13 square meters or more.

d. There must be a waiting room of 9 square meters or more for the performers.

e. The number of employees of the facility must be 5 or more.

f. The manager or full-time staff of the operating organization of the facility has not committed a certain illegal act and is not a member of an organized crime group, etc.

4-2. Entertainer visa No. 2

Entertainer visa No. 2 is required when engaging in entertainment activities such as theater, and it is necessary to fall under any of the following (1) to (5).

(1) Performances of plays, etc. sponsored by the national government, local governments, special corporations such as NHK, etc., or performances of plays, etc. held at schools, etc.
※Requirements include who the organizer is and where the performance will take place.(2) Performances such as plays sponsored by companies established with financial support from the national government, local governments, independent administrative agencies, etc. for the purpose of contributing to cultural exchange between Japan and foreign countries.
※A requirement is who the organizer is.

(3) Performances of plays, etc., held at facilities with a site area of 100,000 square meters or more, where foreigners regularly perform plays, etc., in order to attract tourists with the theme of foreign scenery or culture.
※This applies to theme parks such as Huis Ten Bosch.

(4) Performances such as plays at facilities that meet the following 3 conditions
a. A facility that does not provide food and drink for a fee in the audience.
b. Being a facility that does not entertain guests.
c. A facility operated by a non-profit organization or a facility with a seating capacity of 100 or more.

(5) The amount of remuneration obtained from the performance (in the case of a performance by a group, the total amount received by the group) is 500,000 yen or more per day, and the performance is performed while staying in Japan for a period not exceeding 15 days.

4-3. Entertainer visa No. 3

Entertainer visa No. 3 applies to entertainment activities other than entertainment activities such as plays.
Specifically, sports games and dance championships held as entertainment are typical examples.

Compensation is required to be equal to or higher than the compensation received by Japanese workers.
In addition, the invitation record of the inviting organization and the past performance record of the foreigner himself are not required.

4-4. Entertainer visa No. 4

Entertainer visa No. 4 corresponds to any of the following activities.
As mentioned above, Entertainer visa No. 4, unlike entertainment visas No. 1 to 3, stipulates entertainment activities that are not performed in the form of entertainment.

(1) Activities related to product or business promotion

(2) Activities related to the production of broadcast programs (including cable broadcast programs) or movies

(3) Activities related to commercial photography

(4) Activities of recording or recording on commercial records, video tapes, or other recording media.

In addition, as with Entertainer visa No. 3, it is required that the amount of remuneration is equal to or higher than that received by Japanese workers.
In addition, like Entertainer Visa No. 3, the fact that the invitation record of the inviting organization and the past performance record of the foreigner himself are not required.

5. Flow until obtaining an Entertainer visa

The process of inviting a foreigner to Japan with an Entertainer visa is as follows.

(1) Advance preparation
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Determination of organizers and inviting organizations
Selection of facilities
Coming to Japan schedule, securing a place to stay, creating a schedule
Conclude a performance contract (period, remuneration, etc.)
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(2) Preparation and creation of application documents
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Collection of required documents by category
Preparation of application documents
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(3) Apply for Certificate of Eligibility at the Immigration Bureau
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Apply at the Regional Immigration Bureau that has jurisdiction over the location of the inviting organization
※Apply by the staff of the inviting organization
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If the Immigration Bureau requests additional materials, prepare and submit them.
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(4) Notification of results from the Immigration Bureau
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1 to 3 months after application
A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) will be sent to the inviting organization.
Sending a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to applicants overseas
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(5) Apply for a visa at an overseas diplomatic mission (Japanese embassy/consulate abroad)
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Applicant applies for visa
※Bring the original Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
▼
The visa will be issued in about 5 business days after the application is submitted.
※Visa will be attached to your passport.
▼
departure from a country with
Passport with visa and Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
▼
(6) Arrival in Japan
A residence card will be issued after the landing examination.

6. Documents required for an Entertainer visa

6-1. Entertainer visa No. 1

(1) Application for Certificate of Eligibility
(2) Photograph (4 cm long x 3 cm wide)
(3) Self-addressed envelope (for simple registered mail)
(4) Documents to be prepared by the applicant
a. Documents certifying the applicant’s resume and activity history
b. Documents that show the details of the applicant’s activities in Japan, the period and remuneration
※Especially for documents certifying remuneration, it is necessary to clearly indicate the timing and payment method of remuneration.
※If expenses to be deducted from the remuneration or expenses to be paid after receiving the remuneration are planned, it is necessary to clearly indicate the amount and the basis for calculation, and to submit materials that clarify that the applicant has accepted it.(5) Documents prepared by the inviting organization
a. Registration certificate
b. A copy of the most recent financial statement (balance sheet, profit and loss statement, statement of changes in shareholders’ equity, etc.)
c. Documents that provide an overview of the inviting organization, such as company brochures and pamphlets
d. List of managers and full-time staff of the inviting organization
※Must have at least 5 full-time employees
e. A document that proves that the manager of the inviting organization has a total of 3 years or more experience in business related to entertainment
f. Petition ※The manager and full-time staff of the inviting organization must not be affiliated with organized crime groups, etc.
g. Any of the following documents certifying that the inviting organization has paid the full amount of remuneration owed to foreigners residing in Japan on an Entertainer visa based on the entertainment contract concluded in the past 3 years.
(a) A copy of the contract pertaining to the performance contract
(b) A receipt certifying that the foreigner received the remuneration, and a record of the transfer to the bank account.
(c) Payroll ledger or other accounting document that proves that remuneration has been paid
(d) Documents related to tax payment such as statements of collected income tax (payment slips) for income of non-residents and foreign corporations
(e) Financial statements and corporate tax returns

(6) Documents that provide an overview of the facility
a. Copy of business license
b. Drawing of facility
c. Photo of the facility
d. Contracts, etc. between the inviting organization and the organization that manages the performance facility
e. Documents listed below for the institution that operates the venue
(a) Certificate of registered matters
(b) A copy of the most recent financial statement (balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in shareholders’ equity, etc.)
(c) Documents clarifying the outline of the organization that operates the performance facility
(d) List of full-time employees (5 or more)
(e) Petition ※The manager and full-time staff of the operating institution are not affiliated with organized crime groups, etc.

6-2. Entertainer visa No. 2

(6) Documents that provide an overview of the facility
a. Copy of business license
b. Drawing of facility
c. Photo of the facility
d. List of employees

6-3. Entertainer visa No. 3

(6) Documents that provide an overview of the facility
a. Copy of business license
b. Drawing of facility
c. Photo of the facility and list of employees
d. Registration certificate
e. A copy of the most recent financial statement (balance sheet, profit and loss statement, statement of changes in shareholders’ equity, etc.)

6-4. Entertainer visa No. 4

(1) Application for Certificate of Eligibility
(2) Photograph (4 cm long x 3 cm wide)
(3) Self-addressed envelope (for simple registered mail)
(4) Documents to be prepared by the applicant
a. Documents showing the applicant’s achievements in performing arts activities
E.g.) Documents proving the applicant’s resume and career related to activities
b. Documents that show the details of the applicant’s activities in Japan, the period and remuneration
E.g.) Employment contract, contract, performance contract, stay schedule, performance schedule, etc.(5) Documents prepared by the inviting organization
a. Registration certificate
b. A copy of the most recent financial statement (balance sheet, profit and loss statement, statement of changes in shareholders’ equity, etc.)
c. Documents that provide an overview of the inviting organization, such as company brochures and pamphlets

7. Summary of Entertainer visa

Entertainer visas have a lot of things to check, and many people may have the impression that it takes time to determine the category and collect the necessary documents.
On the other hand, that is the impression that there are many cases where there is not enough time to spare, counting backwards from the performance schedule.

Considering the future revival of inbound tourism and the holding of international events such as the Osaka Expo, it is expected that many entertainers from overseas will come to Japan with Entertainer visas.

We Daiichi Sogo Office will confirm the customer’s schedule in advance and proceed with the procedure in the best possible way.
If you are considering inviting foreign talent with an Entertainer visa, please contact us.
We are based in Tokyo and Osaka and have about 30 staff to handle speedy applications.

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