Can a Foreigner Without a Japan Visa Be the Local Chief Representative?

Email: tyo4ww@evershinecpa.com

Can a Foreigner Without a Japan Visa Be the Local Chief Representative?

Legally: Yes, in most cases

Under Japan’s Companies Act, there is no longer a strict legal requirement for the representative director of a Kabushiki Kaisha (KK) or Godo Kaisha (GK) to reside in Japan.
This means a non-resident foreigner (without a Japan visa) can be registered as a representative director, as long as the Legal Affairs Bureau accepts the registration.

Legal reference:
The 2015 amendment to the Companies Act removed the requirement that “at least one representative director must reside in Japan.”
Source (JETRO, updated post-2015):
https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/setting_up/section3/page5.html

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But in Practice: Local residency is often functionally necessary

Even though the law allows a non-resident foreigner to be the chief representative, the following practical issues arise:
1. Bank Account Opening – Major Obstacle
1.1 Japanese banks almost always require a Japan-resident representative to open a corporate account.
1.2 Without a resident director, banks are very reluctant or refuse outright to open accounts.
2. Tax and Social Security Filing
2.1 The National Tax Agency and Pension Office require a domestic representative to handle tax filings and receive official correspondence.
2.2 In some cases, you can appoint a “Tax Agent” (納税管理人) to satisfy this requirement without needing a resident director.
3. Corporate Address Verification
3.1 In the absence of a resident director, proof of lease and office registration can be harder to verify with authorities.

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Summary & Practical Advice

Topic	Legal Requirement	Practical Barrier	Workaround
Registering a company	❌ Not required	✅ Rare issues	Prepare extra documentation
Opening bank account	❌ Not required	✅ Major obstacle	Appoint a local nominee
Tax filings	❌ Not required	✅ Moderate obstacle	Appoint “Tax Agent”
Visa requirement	❌ Not required	❌ Not needed if not residing

So yes — legally, your client can be the Local Chief Representative without a Japan visa.
But in practice, unless they are already residing in Japan or appoint a local agent, they will run into banking and tax compliance barriers.

How Evershine help foreigner without Japan visa, to be local director of Japan Subsidiary?

A foreigner without Japan visa, to be local director of Japan Subsidiary, need to overcome three issues as below:

Regarding with opening bank account issue

In Japan, prior to company registration, it is mandatory to obtain a “Capital Deposit Certificate” issued by a Japanese bank. This certificate confirms that the company’s initial capital has been successfully deposited.
Traditionally, foreign investors wire their capital to a Japanese personal bank account under the name of the designated local representative. The receiving bank then issues the required certificate.
To streamline this process, Evershine Tokyo has partnered with Tokyo Star Bank. Through this arrangement, Evershine Tokyo can open a designated bank account at Tokyo Star Bank to receive your capital contribution.
Once the funds are received, Tokyo Star Bank will issue the Capital Deposit Certificate, which can be submitted for the company’s legal registration.

Regarding with Tax and Social Security Filing issues

Client can appoint Evershine Tokyo to be ” “Tax Agent” (納税管理人) to satisfy this requirement without needing a resident director.

Regarding with Corporate Address Verification

Client can use our Tokyo office as registered address.

The above-mentioned are Evershine hands-on experiences. We has been successfully serving clients for more than 50 cases.

Notice: If your company need to apply special industry licence in Japan , you will be required to have “local Chief Representative”.

Contact Us

Tokyo Evershine BPO Service Limited Corp.

E-mail: tyo4ww@evershinecpa.com
Contact : Andrea Kyu, speak both Japanese and Mandarin
Onarimon Yusen Building 7F,Nishi-Shinbashi 3-23-5,Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003, Japan

or
For investment structure relevant with multi-national tax planning and Financial & Legal Due Diligence for M&A (Merge and Acquisition), send an email to HQ4tyo@evershinecpa.com
Dale Chen, Principal Partner/CPA in Taiwan+China+UK will be accountable to your case.
Email address:dalechen@evershinecpa.com
Linkedin address: Dale Chen  

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(version: 2024/07)

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