🇯🇵 Japan vs 🇲🇽 Mexico
Tax residency, treaties and PE risk compared.
| Dimension | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Residency rule | Jusho (domicile) + 1-year presence | Permanent home in Mexico OR center of vital interests |
| Day threshold | 365 days | 183 days |
| Warning band | from 183d | from 90d |
| Tax range | 5–45% + 10% local | 1.92–35% |
| Tax treaties | 85+ | 60+ |
| PE risk | Medium | Medium |
| Digital nomad visa | Yes | No |
| Best for | Non-permanent residents (first 5 of 10 years) shielding foreign income | RFC-registered freelancers using RESICO (1–2.5% flat) |
| Common pitfall | Non-permanent resident status ends after 5 years — then worldwide tax kicks in. | Mexico uses 'permanent home' not days — owning property can make you resident. |
Verdict
Japan and Mexico carry similar residency risk on day-count alone — the deciding factor is usually treaty coverage (85 vs 60) and your specific income mix.
Deep dive
🇯🇵 Japan residency rules →
Deep dive
🇲🇽 Mexico residency rules →
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