Type of status of residence
Whether you are allowed to work in Japan or what kind of work you can do is determined depending on the type of "status of residence" (purpose of being in Japan).
Check your status of residence written on your residence card.
① Those whose status of residence is “Permanent Resident”, “Spouse or Child of Japanese National”, “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident” or “Long-term Resident”:
You can work in Japan without any restrictions.
② Those whose status of residence is “Cultural Activities”, “Temporary Visitor”, “Student”, “Trainee” or “Dependent”:
Cannot work in Japan.
You must obtain the permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted (shikakugai katsudo kyoka) from the immigration office if you want to work.
③ Those whose status of residence is other than ① and ②:
You can only do the work permitted by your status of residence.
If you want to do work other than what is permitted by your status of residence, you need to obtain the permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted.
Permission to Engage in Activity Other than that Permitted (shikakugai katsudo kyoka)
“Permission to engage in activity other than that permitted” is a permission that is required when trying to do work that is not permitted by your status of residence.
In the following cases, submit required documents to the Immigration Bureau (nyukan) to obtain the "permission to engage in activity other than that permitted."
- Those whose status of residence is not permitted to work such as “Student” or “Dependent”, but want to work part-time:
- Those who want to do work other than what is permitted by their status of residence:
Submit required documents to the Immigration Bureau (nyukan) to obtain the "permission to engage in activities other than that permitted."
[Things to note with “permission to engage in activities other than that permitted”]
There are rules for those whose status of residence is “Student” or “Dependent” and receives the “permission to engage in activity other than that permitted”:
- Working hours allowed: up to 28 hours per week
※up to 40 hours per week for international students during long breaks determined by the school (summer vacation, etc.)
- Workplaces not allowed: cabarets, clubs, host clubs, mahjong parlors, pachinko parlors, game arcades, etc.
Consultation for status of residence
You can consult about your status of residence at the following helpdesks:
Tel: 0570-013904
Time: Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 5:15 pm
Language: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Nepalese, Indonesian, Thai, Khmer (Cambodia), Myanmar, Mongolian, French, Sinhalese, and Urdu
E-mail: info-tokyo@i.moj.go.jp (Japanese and English)
Consultation Support Center for Foreign Residents
Tel: 03-3202-5535 / 03-5155-4039
Time: Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (excluding 2nd and 4th Wednesdays)
Language: Japanese, Chinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog (excluding 2nd and 4th Wednesdays)
(*Days of week and times vary depending on the language. Please check the flyer.)
