5 ms·

I agree the my number card is a pain, if they want people to use it they should make it easier to get. When I went to get a plastic my number card, the staff at

I agree the my number card is a pain, if they want people to use it they should make it easier to get. When I went to get a plastic my number card, the staff at city hall advised me not to get it because I had a driving license and I'd have to renew the my number card every time my residence status was extended. They recommended it to non-holders of driving licenses to use as ID. But I'm standing by these examples. For my move to Europe, it was 4 months to get the equivalent to the COE, then another 4 months (average is supposed to be 2-3 months) to get the equivalent of a residence card. And the company that sponsors you has to either prove you're highly skilled or prove they tried to hire a European for a set period of time first. And if you're not from a visa-waiver country, you aren't even allowed to travel in Europe while you wait for the ID card. For my driving license, I probably won't have to wait in line, but the total time to process it is at least four months. For starting a sole proprietorship, similar story. A bit annoying paperwork to start one in Japan, but it only took a few hours for everything. Here, it's 3 months and counting, and it's possible that it comes with a condition that I need to rent space for doing consulting (not do it from home) before getting the OK. Japan is bureaucratic but usually fast, at least for individuals.

lmm 3y ago
> And the company that sponsors you has to either prove you're highly skilled or prove they tried to hire a European for a set period of time first. Well, that's different rules, not more or less bureaucratic. (And if you're the first foreigner hired by a given company in Japan, good luck for how many months you'll have to wait while they verify the company). > And if you're not from a visa-waiver country, you aren't even allowed to travel in Europe while you wait for the ID card. Pretty sure that's country-specific. And I've heard plenty of complaints from people in Japan not being able to travel, not just on arrival but every year, because it's de facto impossible when awaiting a visa renewal (you have to go to collect your new card within a short time once you get the notification to do so, and you don't know when that will arrive). > For my driving license, I probably won't have to wait in line, but the total time to process it is at least four months. I'd have taken waiting four months over having to use one of my 10(!) days off/year, although obviously that's specific to your personal circumstances. > For starting a sole proprietorship, similar story. A bit annoying paperwork to start one in Japan, but it only took a few hours for everything. Here, it's 3 months and counting, and it's possible that it comes with a condition that I need to rent space for doing consulting (not do it from home) before getting the OK. True, the support for starting a business is pretty good (though only if you're a citizen or already on a non-work visa - on a work visa it's extremely difficult to do legally, office space isn't the half of it. The much-vaunted Fukuoka startup visa is completely useless in practice since you have to qualify for a regular visa within 6 months). I'm sure there are countries in Europe that are bureaucratic, probably some that are more bureaucratic than Japan (I know e.g. Italy in particular has a poor reputation). But I'd certainly say Japan is a lot more bureaucratic than Ireland, and a lot worse than it should be.

lmm 3y ago

> And the company that sponsors you has to either prove you're highly skilled or prove they tried to hire a European for a set period of time first. Well, that's different rules, not more or less bureaucratic. (And if you're the first foreigner hired by a given company in Japan, good luck for how many months you'll have to wait while they verify the company). > And if you're not from a visa-waiver country, you aren't even allowed to travel in Europe while you wait for the ID card. Pretty sure that's country-specific. And I've heard plenty of complaints from people in Japan not being able to travel, not just on arrival but every year, because it's de facto impossible when awaiting a visa renewal (you have to go to collect your new card within a short time once you get the notification to do so, and you don't know when that will arrive). > For my driving license, I probably won't have to wait in line, but the total time to process it is at least four months. I'd have taken waiting four months over having to use one of my 10(!) days off/year, although obviously that's specific to your personal circumstances. > For starting a sole proprietorship, similar story. A bit annoying paperwork to start one in Japan, but it only took a few hours for everything. Here, it's 3 months and counting, and it's possible that it comes with a condition that I need to rent space for doing consulting (not do it from home) before getting the OK. True, the support for starting a business is pretty good (though only if you're a citizen or already on a non-work visa - on a work visa it's extremely difficult to do legally, office space isn't the half of it. The much-vaunted Fukuoka startup visa is completely useless in practice since you have to qualify for a regular visa within 6 months). I'm sure there are countries in Europe that are bureaucratic, probably some that are more bureaucratic than Japan (I know e.g. Italy in particular has a poor reputation). But I'd certainly say Japan is a lot more bureaucratic than Ireland, and a lot worse than it should be.