All about the working holiday in Japan!

Visa applications are never fun, but if you know what steps to anticipate, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

In our Japan WHV application guide, we walk through 1) applicant eligibility 2) program description and rules 3) and application steps. Be sure to read it in detail so you’re fully prepared.

As mentioned in the FAQs, health insurance is not required for the Japan WHV application (unless stated otherwise in your application process). However, once you arrive in Japan, you must declare your address at the local city hall within 14 days. Doing so will give you access to public health insurance, which covers 70% of eligible medical expenses.

Japanese social security does not, however, cover repatriation in case of serious illness if you need to be flown back to your home country, so you may still want to consider buying a private health insurance that includes repatriation just in case. If you don’t want to buy insurance for the full year, the Japanese government still advises that you do so for the first couple of months, since it may take you some time to figure everything out when you land in Japan.

We’ve been recommending Globe WHV since 2005. They have covered thousands of working holiday makers for medical expenses, hospitalisation, and repatriation. They can also act as a secondary insurance, for the 30% that is not reimbursed by Japanese social security.

Japans’s currency is the Japanese yen (JPY, ¥). There are two main ways to open a foreign-currency account: via 1) a traditional bank or 2) an online neo-bank. Traditional banks usually require you to already be in the country. You would have to make and attend an appointment where a representative would ask you for some documents.

If you want to have a Japanese debit card in hand before even arriving in Japan, you may want to consider the second option, an online neo-bank like Wise. It is an app that offers multi-currency financial services. Customers receive a physical debit card that can be used to withdraw cash at local ATMs. Your JPY account would also have its own routing and account numbers, so you can set up autopay, direct deposits, or transfer money to recipients in Japan. These capabilities could be useful in exchanges with your employer or landlord. You can register from your home country or once you arrive in Japan. Learn more about Wise.

There are advantages to both options. Wise registration is simple and quick, but traditional banks offer the possibility of issuing and depositing cheques, if that is something you need. So you could make a Wise account first and then a traditional account once you arrive in Japan.

Once your application is approved, you’ll need to think about where to live, especially in the first few days and weeks. If you are planning on renting long term housing, we recommend you wait until you arrive in Japan before paying a deposit or signing anything. Never send money to anyone without seeing the place in person.

For your first couple of weeks, you could consider Airbnb or hotels. But the most affordable option is going to be youth hostels. You can find some great ones on Hostelworld.

Make sure to declare your address within 14 days of arriving in Japan! You’re address will be printed on your resident card.

After you get your visa, you will have plenty of things to take care of. Some of them are more urgent than others, so this list breaks down your to-dos, starting with the most urgent to the least. It may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, one step at a time!

As you prepare for your working holiday in Japan, check out our library of free articles and guides. Everyone on the pvtistes.net team has done (or is currently on) a working holiday, and so everything we write is from personal experience.

This is also the perfect chance to learn or brush up on a foreign language. Babbel is partnering with pvtistes.net to offer 20% off on language courses (learn more). Also check out our some other deals for working holiday makers.