Dependent Visa Part-Time Work Permit: The 28-Hour Rule Explained

A Japanese Dependent visa is granted so that the supported spouse or child of a foreign national in an eligible work status or another qualifying status, or of a student, can live together in Japan — not so that the family member can work. By default, a Dependent holder may not work at all. To take even a part-time job, you must first obtain a separate permission, and then keep within a strict 28-hour weekly limit.

This guide explains the permission you need, exactly how the 28 hours are counted, what work is off-limits, how to apply, and what happens if you break the rule. If you want the bigger picture of the Dependent status itself, see our complete Dependent visa guide.

Why a Dependent Needs Permission to Work

Every status of residence in Japan authorises only certain activities. The Dependent status authorises the activities of daily life as a family member — it does not include work that earns income. Doing paid work outside what your status allows is called “engaging in an activity other than that permitted”, and it is only lawful if you have first obtained permission to engage in activity other than that permitted from the Immigration Services Agency.

In other words, the residence card of a Dependent holder who has not obtained this permission means: no work of any kind. Once the permission is granted, limited part-time work becomes lawful within the conditions attached to it.

The Permission: Comprehensive vs Individual

There are two forms of the permission:

• Comprehensive permission — the normal one for dependents and students. It allows ordinary part-time or casual work up to 28 hours a week without naming a specific employer or job, provided that working hours can be objectively verified and the work is not prohibited. This is what most dependents apply for.
• Individual permission — tied to a specific employer and activity, used in special cases. It is uncommon for ordinary part-time work.

The permission is recorded on the back of your residence card; depending on the application procedure, a separate permission certificate or passport seal may also be issued. Show the residence card and any accompanying document to your part-time employer as proof. When a part-time employer asks to see proof that you may work, this is what you show.

How the 28 Hours Are Counted

The comprehensive permission allows work of up to 28 hours per week. The way the limit is counted catches many people out:

• Any seven-day window. The 28 hours are not measured Monday-to-Sunday only. Immigration treats it as 28 hours in any seven consecutive days — so you cannot work 40 hours one week and 16 the next and average it out. Every rolling seven-day period must be 28 hours or less.
• All jobs combined. If you have two part-time jobs, the hours are added together. The 28-hour cap is on your total work, not per employer.
• No holiday boost for dependents. Students on a 留学 status may work up to 8 hours a day during their school's long vacations. Dependents do not get this — the 28-hour weekly cap applies every week of the year.

Keep your own record of hours across all jobs. The responsibility to stay within 28 hours is yours, even if an employer schedules you for more.

Work That Is Never Allowed

All other ordinary part-time work — convenience stores, restaurants (outside the adult-entertainment category), retail, warehouses, offices, language teaching, and so on — is permitted within the 28-hour limit.

How to Apply for the Permission

The permission is free of charge. For Dependent status holders, you ordinarily apply at the regional immigration bureau after arrival in Japan.

You will need your residence card, passport, and the application form; immigration may ask about the intended work. Because the permission is comprehensive, you do not need to have a specific job lined up to apply.

Penalties for Breaking the Rule

Working without the permission, working beyond 28 hours, or working in a prohibited business is an immigration violation with real consequences:

• Refusal of your next application. The most common consequence is that your extension or change of status is refused, because you are no longer seen as genuinely living as a dependent and have breached your conditions.
• Deportation in serious cases. Substantial or repeated unauthorised work is a ground for deportation under the Immigration Control Act.
• Effect on the main holder. Problems with a dependent can complicate the whole family's renewals.
• Employer liability. An employer who knowingly has you work beyond what is allowed can be punished for promoting illegal work.
• Future Permanent Residency and naturalisation. A record of unauthorised work counts against you for years afterwards.

The 28-hour rule is not a guideline — treat it as a hard limit.

Dependents vs Students: the Same 28 Hours, but Different Holidays

So a student and a dependent both work up to 28 hours during ordinary weeks, but only the student gets the higher daily allowance during long school breaks.

If You Want to Work Full Time

If your goal is full-time work, the answer is not to stretch the 28-hour rule — it is to obtain a status that allows it. Depending on your background you might change to a work status such as Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, to Specified Skilled Worker, or — if you marry a Japanese national or Permanent Resident — to a spouse status with no work limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

Part-time work on a Dependent visa is entirely possible — but only with the permission in hand and only within 28 hours a week, all jobs combined, away from the adult-entertainment business. If you need to earn more than that allows, the right move is to change to a status that permits full-time work, not to risk your family's future in Japan by breaching the limit.