Most work statuses in Japan let you bring immediate family on a Dependent status (家族滞在). The status is straightforward. The limits on what your family can then do are where the surprises are.
Who qualifies
Dependent covers a spouse and children of someone holding most work or student statuses. It does not extend to parents, siblings or other relatives — there is no general family reunification route for them, and this is the single most common disappointment.
You will be asked to show the relationship and that you can support them: a marriage or birth certificate, often with a Japanese translation, plus your certificate of employment, tax certificates and residence certificate. There is no published income floor, but the assessment is real, and a household being supported on a low or irregular income is where applications fail.
The usual route is a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書) applied for in Japan by the sponsor, then sent to the family member to convert into a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate. Reforms in 2024 widened which statuses can bring family, including some Specified Skilled Worker categories that previously could not.
The 28-hour rule
A Dependent may not work. That is the default, and working without permission is a status violation rather than a technicality.
What unlocks work is permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under the status of residence (資格外活動許可) — a free application to Immigration, often granted as a blanket permission stamped on the residence card. With it, a dependant may work up to 28 hours per week.
To work full time, the dependant must change status to one that permits it in their own right — Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, for instance. That is a genuine application, judged on their own qualifications and job offer. It is common and frequently approved, and it is worth planning for early if your spouse intends to work properly rather than casually.
Health insurance and tax
Dependants are normally added to your health insurance rather than insured separately, which is one of the larger practical benefits of the status. If you are on Employees Health Insurance, a spouse under the income limit is covered without a separate premium. On National Health Insurance the household is assessed together.
Dependants also affect your income tax through the dependant deduction — declared in the year-end adjustment each November, with the same rule as everything else there: a dependant you do not declare is a deduction you do not get.
School
Children of foreign residents can attend local public elementary and junior high school, and compulsory-education schooling is free of tuition. Enrolment goes through your city or ward office or its board of education, usually at the same time as registering your address. You are not required to hold any particular status for this.
Practicalities worth knowing early: instruction is in Japanese, and the level of extra language support varies enormously between municipalities — it is worth asking before choosing where to live. Entry to high school is by examination and is not part of compulsory education. International schools are an alternative, at international-school fees.
Where to confirm this
- Immigration Services Agency — Dependent status, Certificates of Eligibility, activity permission
- Your city or ward office — school enrolment, health insurance and child allowances
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 6 August 2026. This is an organisational aid, not legal or immigration advice — always confirm anything consequential with your ward office, the Immigration Services Agency, or a qualified professional.