People in Japan on a status such as Student (留学) or Dependent (家族滞在) need a permission before they start paid work outside that status, such as a part-time job. The permission is called permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence (資格外活動許可).[1]
You apply when you plan to start that work.[1]
The weekly limit
The usual form of the permission is the comprehensive permission (包括許可). For students, it covers paid work of up to 28 hours a week. During the school's long vacations, the limit is 8 hours a day instead.[2]
For dependents, the comprehensive permission covers up to 28 hours a week. The agency's page for dependents does not list a separate vacation rule.[3]
When a different permission is needed
Work outside the comprehensive permission needs an individual permission (個別許可), which is set for each activity separately.[2]
For example, work whose hours cannot be checked objectively, such as some self-employed work, needs an individual permission.[2][3]
A person can hold both kinds of permission at the same time.[2]
The agency's pages also list activities that the permission never covers. Read the full list on the official page before you start a job.
How to apply
The agency's page lists the following.[1]
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | The regional immigration office that covers your address |
| Hours | Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Fee | None |
| What to show | Your residence card, and your passport or certificate of status of residence |
| Processing time | 2 weeks to 2 months |
For the comprehensive permission, the only document to submit is the application form.[2][3]
You can apply online only when you file it together with an application to change or extend your status of residence, or to acquire one.[1]
Plan ahead
Processing can take weeks, so the permission may not be ready on the day a job offer comes. If you are renewing or changing your status anyway, find your procedure in Clerfy: it shows the permission alongside the main application.