Hello. My name is Takada, Immigration attorney. Recently, more and more individuals are starting online sales, and I sometimes hear from foreign clients that they want to earn extra income from a little online sales. Especially during the time of the Corona disaster, I was consulted by a client who had been laid off from the company he was working for and wanted to set up a website to sell his own goods or cosmetics from his home country. Even if it is not an online sale, I sometimes upload unwanted items using the Mercari application and feel happy when a transaction unexpectedly takes place. Is this really an acceptable activity for foreign residents in Japan?
The activities of foreign nationals residing in Japan are restricted according to their status of residence. For example, if a foreigner with the most common "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status sells his/her own items on auction sites (Yahoo! Auctions, Mercari, etc.), there is no problem as long as it is an act of selling unused items over the Internet and not as a business. . However, if you go beyond the scope of selling unwanted items and purchase items from others and resell them for profit on an ongoing basis, you are conducting a business, and this can be problematic. If you want to set up your own website to sell goods online, in addition to using an auction site, you will need to apply for "Business Manager" status. In other words, you must obtain "Business Manager" status as a sole proprietor to seriously conduct business. In general, you will need to file a "notification of opening a sole proprietorship" with the tax office, keep proper books of account, and file a tax return every year regarding your business income (sales minus expenses).
You may be thinking, "No, no, I don't intend to earn that much income. I just want to earn extra income by selling things from my website on weekends in my free time in addition to my main job, so it would be OK if I can obtain "permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence.
For example, if you are a foreign student or a foreigner with family stay status, you can obtain "permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence (comprehensive permission)" and work part-time for up to 28 hours per week without being involved in the adult entertainment business, etc. If you want to conduct a personal business of online sales, it is possible if you obtain "individual permission" instead of the general "comprehensive permission. Therefore, it is possible to conduct a personal business of online sales if you can obtain an "individual permit" instead of the general "blanket permit. The Immigration Bureau may not allow a sole proprietorship with a "blanket permission" because it is difficult to objectively confirm the hours of operation. If you operate an online sales business without an "individual permit," your status of residence may be revoked or you may be denied renewal of your status of residence.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ procedures/nyuukokukanri07_00004.html
On the other hand, if a foreigner with a work qualification (work based on specialized knowledge and experience such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Education, or Skills) applies for an "Individual Permit" to operate an online store, there is a high possibility that the activity will be classified as simple labor, making it difficult to obtain a permit. It is difficult to obtain a permit. In order to operate and manage online sales on your own website, you must obtain a "Business Manager" license and be serious about your business. If you do so casually, you may be subject to revocation of your status of residence, or risk losing your main business if you are unable to renew it.
