Dependent Visa Work: Japan’s 28-Hour Rule

Can dependent visa holders work in Japan? Yes—if they first receive permission to do activities outside their status and stay within the applicable conditions. For most part-time work, the key rule is the 28-hour limit in one week under blanket permission.

A Dependent status holder has 家族滞在 (kazoku taizai, Dependent) status for daily activities as a spouse, child, or comparable dependent of a foreign resident. Paid work is an activity outside that status, so the relevant permission is called 資格外活動許可 (shikakugai katsudō kyoka, permission to engage in activity outside status).

The dependent visa work 28 hours rule

For a Dependent visa holder, the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) says that blanket permission is required to operate a revenue-generating business or undertake paid work for up to 28 hours in one week. This is the permission commonly associated with 家族滞在 資格外活動 アルバイト—part-time work under Dependent status. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Blanket permission can cover ordinary employment where the hours you will work are clear from an employment contract or similar document. It can also cover certain management work or delivery-type independent work paid by results, but only where working time can be objectively verified. ISA guidance for Dependent status

How to get permission to work

The ISA’s general procedure says to apply when you intend to engage in a revenue-generating business activity or paid activity outside your current status of residence. There is no application fee. ISA’s qualification-for-extra-status activities procedure

Submit the application to the regional Immigration Services Agency office that has jurisdiction over your place of residence. The official page lists standard reception hours as weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., while noting that individual offices or procedures may have different arrangements. ISA’s qualification-for-extra-status activities procedure

Application checklist

For blanket permission under Dependent status, the ISA’s status-specific page lists only the application form as the required document for that permission type. The general procedure page also requires presentation of your residence card and passport or certificate of status. ISA guidance for Dependent status General application requirements

Use this practical checklist:

1. Confirm that your residence status is 家族滞在.
2. Decide whether your intended activity has clear, objectively verifiable working hours.
3. Complete the common application form for permission to engage in activities outside your status.
4. Bring your residence card and passport or certificate of status for presentation.
5. Submit through the regional immigration office responsible for your address.
6. Do not begin the paid activity until you have the permission needed for that activity.

The ISA also allows online applications for this permission when it is filed at the same time as an application to change status, extend the period of stay, or acquire status. ISA’s qualification-for-extra-status activities procedure

Work that is prohibited even with permission

Permission for work outside your status is not available for every type of job. The ISA’s general conditions exclude activities that violate laws and activities at establishments conducting adult-entertainment-related businesses, including 風俗営業 (fūzoku eigyō) and specified entertainment food-and-drink businesses. ISA’s general permission conditions

The exclusion also covers work involving non-storefront sexual services, online sexual services, store-based telephone dating businesses, and non-storefront telephone dating businesses. The restriction is framed around the establishment or business type, so focus on the nature of the workplace and activity—not merely the title of the role. ISA’s general permission conditions

This is important when reviewing job advertisements. A position can look like ordinary support work, but if it is performed at an excluded establishment, it is outside the activities that can be authorized under this permission framework.

Blanket permission and individual permission

The ISA provides two routes for Dependent status holders: blanket permission and individual permission. You may hold both, and a person who already has one may apply for the other in addition. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Blanket permission

Blanket permission is the practical route for eligible paid work within 28 hours in one week. It is suitable where the work is within that limit and the hours can be clearly established and objectively checked.

For this route, the status-specific ISA page lists the application form as the necessary document. It does not authorize work that falls outside the blanket scope simply because the person remains within the stated time limit. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Individual permission

Individual permission is for activities outside the blanket-permission scope. The ISA grants it individually by specifying matters such as the name of the Japanese public or private organization where the activity will occur and the nature of the work. ISA guidance for Dependent status

The application requires the form plus a document, in any format, explaining the activity, working time, and compensation. The intended activity period must not exceed more than half of the already determined period of stay for the current status. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Individual permission is also needed where working time is difficult to verify objectively. This can arise with self-employment, a business operation, outsourcing, or contract work where standard working hours are not clear. ISA guidance for Dependent status

If the content and terms of the activity show that the real purpose of your stay has changed, the ISA says that you need to use the procedure to change your status of residence. Starting a new company, hiring employees, or establishing a business office are examples the ISA identifies as situations requiring a change to Business Manager status. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Risks of working without permission or over the cap

The safest rule is straightforward: do not treat a job offer, a verbal agreement, or a payroll arrangement as a substitute for immigration permission. The ISA requires permission when a person intends to undertake paid work or operate a revenue-generating business outside their current status. ISA’s qualification-for-extra-status activities procedure

Similarly, blanket permission is expressly limited to work within 28 hours in one week. If your arrangement goes beyond that scope, assess whether individual permission is required before accepting or continuing the activity. ISA guidance for Dependent status

Permission is also assessed against general conditions. These include that the additional activity must not interfere with the activities of your current status, that you are carrying out the activities of that status, and that the proposed activity is not one of the prohibited categories. ISA’s general permission conditions

If your situation is unusual—especially freelance work with unclear hours, business ownership, or a role that may exceed the blanket scope—use the individual-permission route or consult the regional ISA office before working.

Common questions