VisaSHOGUN FAQ — Can I Work on a Dependent Visa (家族滞在) in Japan?
Can I Work on a Dependent Visa (家族滞在) in Japan?
This guide is for people in Japan on a Dependent visa (家族滞在) — typically spouses or children of work visa holders — who want to work part-time, full-time, or start a side income, and want to understand what's actually allowed.
The Dependent visa (家族滞在) itself does not permit work. However, you can apply for "Permission to Engage in an Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted" (資格外活動許可) — a relatively simple, blanket-type permission — which allows you to work up to 28 hours per week (with some flexibility during long school holidays for students). If you want to work full-time in a professional role (e.g., as an engineer), the Dependent visa generally isn't the right vehicle — you'd typically need a status change to a work-based category like Engineer/Specialist in Humanities.
- Dependent visa = no work by default; you need 資格外活動許可 to work at all
- The blanket permission caps work at 28 hours/week — this is a hard legal limit, not a guideline
- Exceeding 28 hours/week is a real violation with penalties up to deportation
- The 28-hour cap applies to your combined total hours across all jobs, not per job
- For full-time professional work, pursue a status change to a work-based category rather than relying on 資格外活動許可
The 28-Hour Rule — A Hard Legal Limit
Under the blanket permission attached to 資格外活動許可 for Dependent visa holders, work is limited to 28 hours per week (with some allowance for full days during long school breaks for students). Working beyond this is a violation of the Immigration Control Act and can lead to penalties including deportation.
If you have multiple part-time jobs, the 28-hour cap is a combined total across all of them — not 28 hours per job. Keep track of your total scheduled hours across employers, especially during busy periods, and communicate clearly with each employer about your limit.
How to Get 資格外活動許可
This is the same permission system covered in our side job FAQ. For Dependent visa holders, it's typically a blanket-type permission — simpler than the individual permission required for some other situations — and is often noted directly on the back of your residence card once granted. Apply at your regional immigration office; there's no fee, and processing generally takes 2 weeks to 2 months.
When Is a Status Change the Better Option?
If you want to work full-time in a professional capacity — for example, taking a full-time job as an engineer, in marketing, or another role that would normally require a work-based status — the 28-hour-capped 資格外活動許可 isn't designed for that. In this case, the appropriate path is usually a Change of Status of Residence to the relevant work-based category (e.g., Engineer/Specialist in Humanities), which removes the hours cap entirely (subject to normal employment law, not immigration law).
資格外活動許可 = "I'm still primarily a dependent, but I want to work part-time within limits." Status change = "I want to be the primary visa holder based on my own employment." If your situation has shifted toward the second, a status change is usually the right conversation to have with a scrivener.
📋 Common Scenarios
Apply for 資格外活動許可 (blanket type) before starting. Once granted, you can work up to 28 hours/week. Keep this documentation handy, as employers may ask to see it.
This exceeds the 28-hour cap even though each individual job might seem reasonable on its own. Reduce your combined hours to stay within the limit — this is a compliance issue regardless of how the hours are split across employers.
Don't try to fit this into the 28-hour permission. Consult a licensed scrivener about a Change of Status to a work-based category before starting the full-time role — this generally needs to be resolved before you begin, not after.
🚫 Common Mistakes
The Dependent visa alone doesn't permit any work. Get the permission first.
It's a combined weekly total across all employment. Multiple "under 28 hour" jobs can still add up to a violation.
This permission is designed for part-time/limited work alongside your dependent status, not as a substitute for a proper status change to a work-based category.
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