Many work statuses, Student and certain other listed statuses can support a spouse or child on Dependent status (家族滞在 / Kazoku Taizai). Check the sponsor's exact status on Immigration's current eligibility page before starting your application.
Who qualifies as a sponsor
Dependent covers a supported spouse or child of a person holding one of the listed statuses. It does not itself cover parents, siblings or other relatives; any exceptional route for them has different conditions.
The usual overseas route uses a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書), followed by a visa application at a Japanese embassy or consulate. Specified Skilled Worker (ii) is on the current sponsor list; Specified Skilled Worker (i) is not. Always check the current list rather than relying on information from a previous year.
Required documents (by relationship type)
The core requirements for all applications:
- Completed application form (在留資格認定証明書交付申請書) signed by the sponsor in Japan
- Photograph of the applicant (4cm × 3cm, recent)
- Return-addressed envelope with stamp (for postal delivery of the COE)
- Sponsor's residence card (copy)
- Sponsor's employment certificate (在職証明書) or contract showing current status and salary
- Sponsor's tax certificate (課税証明書) from the ward office for the most recent year
- Sponsor's residence certificate (住民票) for the whole household
Additional documents for spouse applications:
- Official marriage certificate from your country, with Japanese translation (sworn or notarised where required)
- Where the certificate is from a country using a civil registration system, an extract of the family register may also be required
Additional documents for child applications:
- Child's birth certificate with Japanese translation
- Evidence of the parent-child relationship (family register extract or equivalent)
- If the child is above school age, proof the child will not need to attend school on their own status (usually not required for standard dependent applications)
Processing times in 2026
Dependent visa (family stay) COE processing times at Immigration Services Agency in Japan are currently:
- Spouse of a regular worker or engineer/humanities holder: approximately 6–12 weeks from submission to COE issue
- Spouse of a Highly Skilled Professional holder: approximately 4–8 weeks (preferential processing)
- Child joining a parent already in Japan: typically similar to or slightly faster than spouse applications
After the COE is issued, the sponsor in Japan receives it and forwards it to the family member abroad. The family member then applies for a visa at the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate — typically a 5–10 working day process. The entire process from application to landing in Japan commonly takes 3–5 months when processing is smooth.
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 can permit part-time 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 Immigration application. The blanket form can allow up to 28 hours per week, but it does not permit work at an adult-entertainment business, even in a role that is not itself adult entertainment.
To work beyond the permission, the dependant needs a change of status to one that permits the intended activity in their own right. That application is judged on the person's qualifications, job and the requirements of the requested status.
Common refusal reasons
Dependent applications are refused more often than most applicants expect. The main reasons:
- Sponsor income judged insufficient: No published floor exists, but applications with sponsors earning below approximately ¥2.5–3 million annually face much higher scrutiny. Document every source of income and savings clearly.
- Gaps or inconsistencies in relationship documents: Name spelling inconsistencies between different documents, or an inability to produce original-language certified documents, can trigger requests for additional evidence or refusals.
- Sponsor's visa status is not on the eligible list: Specified Skilled Worker (i) sponsors cannot bring dependants under the standard route.
- Previous overstays or violations in Japan: Prior status violations by either the applicant or the sponsor are weighed in the assessment.
- COE expired before visa was applied for: A COE is valid for 3 months from issue. Missing this window requires a full restart from Japan-based re-application.
Health insurance and tax
Immigration's Dependent status does not by itself decide medical-insurance coverage. Under Employees' Health Insurance, a supported spouse or child may qualify as an insured dependant if the scheme's relationship, support and income conditions are met. National Health Insurance has no premium-free dependant category: each eligible household member enrols, and the household is assessed under municipal rules.
Tax treatment is also separate from residence status. Spouse and dependant deductions have their own relationship, age, income, support and residence conditions; for example, a child under 16 does not generate the national income-tax dependant deduction. Declare only a deduction whose tax conditions are met.
School
Foreign children are not legally subject to Japan's compulsory-attendance duty. However, if a foreign child wishes to attend a public elementary or junior-high school, the municipality accepts them without tuition on the same basis as Japanese pupils. Ask your municipal board of education about enrolment and required resident records.
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
- Immigration Services Agency: permission for activity outside status
- Ministry of Education: school attendance for foreign children
- Our guide to the COE application and 3-month deadline
- Your city or ward office — school enrolment, health insurance and child allowances
Guides are dated rather than undated: last reviewed 13 September 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.