Do you dream of Japan, Japanese culture and manga? Go for it! Every year 1,500 PVT(Permis Vacances Travail ) visas are available for young French people aged between 18 and 30. An opportunity to spend a year in Japan, alternating between vacation and work.
You’ll be able to travel, visit Japan and gain professional experience abroad, ideal for a career start.
1. How do I obtain a Working Holiday Visa for Japan?
The PVT Japan is free, but the application process is a little complex.
Conditions for obtaining :
- Between the ages of 18 and 30
- Valid French passport
- Have a return ticket or sufficient resources to purchase one
- No dependent children
- You must have at least €4,500 in your bank account to support yourself.
- Being healthy
- You must not have already done a WHP in Japan.
Documents required :
- Passport photo
- Application form available online
- A CV
- A schedule of planned activities in Japan (a minimum of preparation is required)
- A one-page cover letter
- Full details are available on the Japanese Embassy website.
Next, you need to take your application to the Japanese embassy closest to your place of residence. Turnaround times are fairly short (3 to 5 days for acceptance), but you must submit your application at least three weeks before departure.
2. Is it difficult to find a job in Japan?
Finding a job in Japan is not easy. As the Japanese embassy states, the primary objective of your WHP in Japan should not be work. Extract from the agreement :
“We would, however, like to draw your attention to the fact that, although work may be accepted as a secondary means of supplementing one’s finances, it should never be the main objective of the stay. It must remain above all a tourist activity.
In addition, the agreement prohibits certain jobs: “French nationals may not engage in activities considered contrary to the purpose of the agreement (e.g. employment in bars, nightclubs, gaming rooms, etc.)”.
If you don’t speak Japanese, it will be more difficult to find a job in Japan. That’s why many pvtists start their trip with a few weeks of language courses, so they can manage to get by on their trip afterwards.
It’s easy to find odd jobs while on a WHP in Japan;
– Language teacher (English or French): because you don’t need an advanced level of Japanese, and because the timetable is flexible enough to give you time to travel.
– Wwoofing: a popular activity in the Japanese countryside. You’ll find quite a few farms offering Wwoofing, i.e. room and board in exchange for 4 to 5 hours’ work. But don’t mention it, or mention it very little, in your schedule of planned activities in Japan. It should not occupy more than 30% of your time during your stay.
3. Is insurance necessary for a WHP in Japan?
We strongly recommend that you take out insurance, even if you won’t be required to provide proof of insurance to obtain your visa.
Indeed, if you leave for a year, social security in Japan won’t cover you in the event of a medical problem, and costs are among the most expensive in the world.
Mondassur and Partir en PVT both offer insurance policies adapted to PVT-Working Holiday Visas from €27 per month, with good coverage.
What’s important is that the contract covers you from the 1st euro (without recourse to social security), with unlimited coverage (this is very important in Japan, given the cost of medical expenses) and no deductible.
