Dependent Visa Guide for Japan | Eligibility, Requirements, Work Restrictions, and Renewal

The “Dependent” status of residence (commonly called a “visa”) allows the spouse or child of a foreign national living in Japan under a qualifying status, such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Business Manager, or Student, to reside in Japan as a dependent. Not every status qualifies. For example, Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Technical Intern Training do not. Holders cannot work in principle, but with permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence (blanket permission), they may work part-time for up to 28 hours per week.

For an overview of all residence status categories, see our Guide to Residence Status Types.

What Is the Dependent Visa?

The “Dependent” (kazoku taizai) status of residence is for the spouse or child supported by a foreign national residing in Japan under certain statuses of residence (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA), Appended Table 1-4).

The activities covered are daily activities carried out as a spouse or child receiving support. A Dependent status holder may not engage in activities of operating a business involving income or activities for which they receive remuneration (ICRRA, Article 19, paragraph 1, item 2). Those who wish to work must obtain permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence in advance.

The period of stay is a period designated individually by the Minister of Justice (not exceeding five years) (Immigration Services Agency (ISA), Status of Residence “Dependent”).

How the Dependent Visa Differs from Other Statuses

The Dependent visa is often confused with status-based categories such as “Spouse or Child of Japanese National,” “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident,” or “Long-Term Resident.” However, these differ significantly.

Item	Dependent	Spouse or Child of Japanese National
Legal basis	ICRRA, Appended Table 1-4	ICRRA, Appended Table 2
Family member of	A foreign national residing under a work, student, or similar status	A Japanese national
Employment	Not permitted in principle (permission required)	No restriction on work activities

The Dependent status presupposes that the holder is “a spouse or child receiving support” from a person residing under one of the qualifying statuses. If the supporter’s residence in Japan ends, the holder can no longer continue Dependent activities.

Eligible Family Members

The Dependent status is limited to spouses and children. Parents and siblings are not covered.

Statuses of the Supporter

The Dependent status covers the spouse or child supported by a person residing under one of the following statuses of residence (ICRRA, Appended Table 1-4):

• Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist (Appended Table 1-1)
• Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Intra-company Transferee, Nursing Care, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) (Appended Table 1-2)
• Cultural Activities (Appended Table 1-3)
• Student (Appended Table 1-4)

Diplomat, Official, Specified Skilled Worker (i), Technical Intern Training, Trainee, Temporary Visitor, and Designated Activities, among others, are not in this list. From April 1, 2027, under the ICRRA as amended by Act No. 60 of 2024, the new Employment for Skill Development status and Intra-company Transferee item 2 (acquisition of skills) are also scheduled to be excluded. Note that some persons reside under the Designated Activities status with daily activities as a spouse or child supported by a foreign national designated as their activity (ISA, “Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted”).

Scope of “Spouse”

The statute uses the word “spouse.” In our view, this presupposes that a legal marriage has been validly established and currently continues. How relationships that are not a legal marriage, such as a de facto marriage, are treated needs to be checked case by case.

Scope of “Child”

The statute uses the word “child” and, unlike Spouse or Child of Japanese National (“a spouse or specially adopted child of a Japanese national, or a person born as a child of a Japanese national”), contains no wording limiting adopted children to specially adopted children. The statute sets no upper age limit either, but the child must be receiving support.

Bringing Family Members Other Than a Spouse or Child

The Dependent status cannot be used to bring a parent or other relative to Japan. Whether another status of residence is available depends on individual circumstances.

Application Requirements

When bringing a family member from overseas, the activities must fall under the Dependent status and, in addition, the applicant must meet the landing permission criteria (ICRRA, Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2).

Receiving Support

The Dependent status requires that the applicant be a spouse or child receiving support from the supporter. The application therefore documents the family relationship with the supporter and the supporter’s occupation and income (or, where the supporter is not working, the ability to cover the applicant’s living expenses through bank deposits, a scholarship, or similar means).

Landing Permission Criteria

The Ministerial Ordinance on the criteria under Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2 of the ICRRA (the landing permission criteria) provides, for Dependent, that the applicant must “reside in Japan receiving support” from a person residing under one of the following:

• A status in Appended Table 1-1 or 1-2, or Cultural Activities
• Student: limited to those falling under item 1 (a) or (b) of the Student criteria, that is, persons enrolled and receiving education at a university, an equivalent institution, a college of technology, or a specialized course of a specialized training college, etc. (excluding, among others, those who exclusively receive Japanese language education), or at a graduate school that offers classes at night

In other words, family members supported by a student who exclusively receives Japanese language education, or by a student at a high school, junior high school, or elementary school, do not meet this criterion.

Required Documents

Application for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) (bringing family from overseas):

1. Application for Certificate of Eligibility
2. One photograph meeting the specifications
3. Return envelope (with postage for simplified registered mail)
4. A document certifying the relationship between the applicant and the supporter (one of the following):
   • Family register, certificate of acceptance of marriage notification, marriage certificate (copy), birth certificate (copy), or an equivalent document
5. A copy of the supporter’s residence card or passport
6. Documents certifying the supporter’s occupation and income
   • If the supporter engages in activities of operating a business involving income or activities for which they receive remuneration: a certificate of employment or a copy of a business license, etc., and resident tax certificates (taxation or tax exemption, and tax payment)
   • Otherwise: a bank balance certificate in the supporter’s name, a scholarship certificate specifying the amount and period, or an equivalent document showing that the applicant’s living expenses can be covered

The required documents are listed on the ISA’s Status of Residence “Dependent” page. Certificates issued in Japan must have been issued within the past three months, and documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. Additional materials may be requested during the examination.

Processing Time

The standard processing period published by the ISA for a COE application is one to three months (as of October 2026).

Our View on Bringing Children to Japan

Where the child is older, or where the child is brought to Japan some time after the supporter’s own arrival, we recommend preparing to explain the following:

• That the child’s activities in Japan will be “daily activities as a child receiving support,” not work
• Who has been raising the child in the home country, and why the child is being brought to Japan now

Work Restrictions and Permission for Other Activities

A Dependent status holder may not engage in activities of operating a business involving income or activities for which they receive remuneration (ICRRA, Article 19, paragraph 1, item 2). To work, the holder must obtain permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence (ICRRA, Article 19, paragraph 2).

Types of Permission

There are two types of permission: blanket permission and individual permission (ISA, “Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted”). A person may hold both.

Blanket Permission

Dependent status holders are eligible for blanket permission within the following scope (Regulation for Enforcement of the ICRRA, Article 19, paragraph 5, item 1):

• Activities of operating a business involving income or activities for which remuneration is received, up to 28 hours per week
• Activities at establishments where adult entertainment businesses and similar businesses operate are excluded
• The ISA states that this permission envisages “what are generally called part-time jobs”
• Only the application form is required

The Regulation contains a special rule for Student status holders allowing up to eight hours per day during long school holidays, but no such rule applies to Dependent. The limit is 28 hours per week throughout the year.

Individual Permission

Activities outside the scope of blanket permission are permitted individually, specifying the name of the organization, the nature of the work, and other matters. The ISA gives the following guidance for Dependent (Permission for the Dependent status):

• Individual permission is required where working hours cannot be objectively confirmed, such as when working as a sole proprietor (sole-proprietor work such as taking delivery orders is covered by blanket permission if the working hours can be objectively confirmed)
• Individual permission is required for outsourcing or contracting agreements under which the standard working hours are not clear
• For individual permission, the period of engagement in the activity must not exceed half of the period of stay

Points to Note When Working

Operating a business and the Business Manager status

The ISA states that operating a business under this permission “envisages cases such as operating a relatively small business alone,” and that a change to the Business Manager status is required when newly establishing a corporation, hiring employees, or setting up a place of business. A change of status of residence is also required where, in light of the activities and the contract, the purpose of residence is judged to have substantially changed.

Continuing to “receive support” (our view)

The Dependent status presupposes that the holder receives support. In our view, if income from permitted activities increases to the point where the holder can no longer be said to be receiving support, this may affect an extension of the period of stay.

Applying for Permission

According to the ISA’s guidance on the application for permission (as of October 2026):

• Where to apply: The regional immigration services office with jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence
• Required documents: Application form, a document clarifying the activity (depending on the type of permission), and residence card and passport (to be presented)
• Fee: None
• Standard processing period: Two weeks to two months

Changing from Dependent to Another Status

Working after graduating from high school (change to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities)

A person who entered Japan as a Dependent accompanying their parents and wishes to work in Japan after graduating from high school may, if certain requirements are met, be eligible for a change of status to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities (ISA guidance). This applies to those who will work beyond the scope of permission for other activities (28 hours per week).

• Change to Long-Term Resident: Completed compulsory education in Japan; graduated (or expected to graduate) from a high school in Japan; has resided continuously under the Dependent status since entry; was under 18 at the time of entry; has an employer decided (including a job offer); and has fulfilled public obligations such as notification of place of residence
• Change to Designated Activities: Graduated (or expected to graduate) from a high school in Japan (those who transferred into high school also need Japanese ability of around N2 on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)); the supporter resides in Japan as the guarantor; has resided continuously under the Dependent status since entry; was under 18 at the time of entry; has an employer decided (including a job offer); and has fulfilled public obligations

In both cases, a person residing under another status (such as Student) who is in the position of a dependent is also covered.

Renewal Procedures

To extend the period of stay, file an application for extension of period of stay on or before the date the period of stay expires.

What to Show at Renewal

The application documents that the following continue to apply:

• The supporter resides in Japan under a qualifying status of residence
• The applicant is a spouse or child receiving the supporter’s support
• The supporter’s occupation and income (or the ability to cover living expenses)

Required Documents

1. Application for extension of period of stay
2. One photograph
3. Passport and residence card (to be presented)
4. A document certifying the relationship between the applicant and the supporter
5. A copy of the supporter’s residence card or passport
6. Documents certifying the supporter’s occupation and income (same categories as for the COE application)

If the Supporter’s Residence Ends

If the holder no longer engages in Dependent activities (for example, because the supporter has left Japan), the status of residence may become subject to revocation even if the period of stay has not yet expired. This applies where the holder has stayed without engaging in those activities for three months or more in a row (ICRRA, Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 6), or stays without engaging in those activities while engaging or intending to engage in other activities (item 5 of the same paragraph); in both cases, except where there is a justifiable reason.

In such cases, please consider a change to another status of residence at an early stage.

Notification Concerning the Spouse

A person residing under the Dependent status as a spouse must notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days of a divorce from or the death of the spouse (ICRRA, Article 19-16, item 3; ISA, “Notification concerning the spouse”). A fine of up to 200,000 yen is prescribed as the penalty for violating this notification obligation (ICRRA, Article 71-5, item 3).

How We Can Help

AEGIS International Administrative Firm, as a registered immigration specialist (certified by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients), supports Dependent applications.

• Checking eligibility and requirements: We sort out whether the family member is covered by the Dependent status in light of the supporter’s status of residence and the family relationship
• Preparing and filing the application: We prepare and file applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, an extension of the period of stay, and permission to engage in other activities
• Changing to another status: We advise on working after high school graduation and on the status of residence after the supporter’s residence ends

If you have any questions about the Dependent status, please feel free to contact us.