Japan 28-Hour Rule: How Students Can Work Part-Time

Understand Japan’s 28-hour student work rule with real counting examples, application steps, and multilingual help links (2026).

Most guides repeat the same line: “International students can work 28 hours/week.” But the real risk isn’t the headline number—it’s the hidden ways you can accidentally break it (multiple jobs, unexpected overtime, and misunderstandings about what “one week” means).

In this 2026 guide, we’ll explain the official system (資格外活動許可 / Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted), the practical traps, and a compliance checklist you can actually use.

Quick takeaway (2026): If you are in Japan on a Student status of residence, you generally need “Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted” before any paid part-time work. With comprehensive permission, the standard limit is up to 28 hours per week, and during official long school vacations it expands to up to 8 hours/day (and commonly managed as up to 40 hours/week).

What the 28-hour rule actually means (who needs permission, who doesn’t)

Japan doesn’t issue a separate “work permit card” for most students. Instead, you apply for a permission add-on to your current status of residence.

The official name is Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted (資格外活動許可). The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) explains that if your status of residence is one of the “activity-based” statuses (like studying), you must get this permission before doing paid work outside the activities your status allows.

Who typically needs this permission?

International students on “Student” status (留学) who want a paid part-time job (ISA guidance for Student status).
People on “Dependent,” “Cultural Activities,” and some “Designated Activities” categories (rules vary by category, so confirm your specific case with immigration or your school).

Who usually does not need it?

Status types with no work restriction (often called “Table 2” statuses), such as Permanent Resident and Long-Term Resident (ISA explains these are not subject to the extra-status permission system because they are not restricted in the same way).

Two permission types matter for students:

Comprehensive permission (包括許可): This is the most common for students doing normal part-time work. ISA explains it’s used when working within the standard limit of 28 hours/week and during long vacations up to 8 hours/day (Student status comprehensive permission details).
Individual permission (個別許可): Needed when you’ll work outside the comprehensive scope (for example, certain internships, or work where working time is hard to verify objectively). ISA notes that some cases (including certain internships and some business-style work arrangements) require individual permission with additional documents (Student status individual permission cases).

Important exception (many students miss this): ISA explains that, since July 2010, some paid education/research support work done under contract with your university or college of technology may not require extra-status permission (this often includes roles like TA/RA depending on the institution’s contract setup). Osaka University also explicitly tells students that certain on-campus roles like TF/TA/RA can be exempt (ISA extra-status permission overview; Osaka University on-campus exception notes).

ISA’s Student-status rule summary includes: “28 hours per week (and during official long vacations, up to 8 hours per day).” (Immigration Services Agency)

How to get permission (airport, immigration office, or online)

There are three realistic routes. Which one you can use depends on whether you’re entering Japan for the first time, and whether you’re already filing another residence application (renewal/change) online.

1) Apply at the airport when you enter Japan (best for new arrivals)

If you are newly entering Japan and receive a residence card at the airport, ISA explains you can apply for extra-status permission right after landing at the port of entry (with some exceptions, such as very short periods of stay). Many universities also instruct students to request it at entry so they can start job-hunting safely after arrival.

Tell the officer you want 資格外活動許可.
Submit the “new entry” version of the application form if required by your situation (your school often provides instructions, and ISA’s application page provides downloadable forms).
If granted, the permission is reflected in your residence record (commonly via the residence card notation/stamp depending on the procedure path and era).

Example of university guidance: Shinshu University’s international student handbook instructs students that when entering Japan with a visa, they can apply at the airport when the residence card is issued, and they will receive permission indicated on the card (Shinshu University handbook page).

2) Apply after arrival at your regional immigration office

If you didn’t apply at the airport, you can apply later at the immigration office that covers your address. ISA’s official procedure page summarizes the framework, including who can apply, what to bring, and where to ask questions (ISA procedure: extra-status permission application).

Key practical points from ISA:

Fee: none (ISA procedure page).
Standard processing time: about 2 weeks to 2 months (ISA procedure page).
Documents: application form, plus supporting documents depending on whether it’s comprehensive vs individual permission; you also show your residence card and passport (ISA procedure page).
Where to ask: ISA lists the Foreign Residents General Information Center phone number 0570-013904 as a consultation point (ISA procedure page).

3) Apply online as an “add-on” (only in specific situations)

ISA allows online filing of extra-status permission only when you submit it together with another online residence application (such as extension/renewal, change of status, or acquisition of status). This is spelled out on the official procedure page (ISA procedure page).

ISA also announced that from January 1, 2024, if you apply online (as the combined add-on described above), you can choose to receive the permission by mail. In that mailed-receipt method, ISA issues a Permission document instead of the passport sticker format used at the counter (ISA: mailed issuance for online applications).

How employers (and you) confirm your permission: ISA explains the permission’s summary is recorded on the back of your residence card, and can also be checked via the Residence Card Reader App (在留カード等読取アプリケーション) when needed (ISA mailed issuance page; iPhone app listing (ISA developer)).

Common ways students accidentally break the rules (two jobs, overtime, long breaks, prohibited venues)

This is where most “28 hours/week” articles fail: immigration trouble usually happens through small, repeated mistakes—not through a student knowingly working 60 hours.

Trap 1: Two jobs (or more) and assuming each employer will “keep you safe”

The 28-hour cap is about your total work time, not “28 hours per employer.” If you stack shifts at a convenience store plus a restaurant, you can exceed the limit without realizing it—especially if one workplace adds “closing tasks” at the end of the shift.

Compliance habit: treat yourself as the timekeeper. Keep one weekly log that includes all jobs + all paid training + all overtime.

Trap 2: Overtime that “doesn’t feel like overtime”

Common examples: staying 20–40 minutes late to clean, a manager asking you to cover a sudden absence, or a shift running long because the store was busy. Even if your schedule says 4 hours, the risk is your actual working time.

What to do: ask for a shift pattern that has a built-in buffer (for example, schedule 24–26 hours/week during class weeks, not 28 exactly). That buffer protects you when real life happens.

Trap 3: “One week” is not always a simple Monday–Sunday calendar week

Many schools warn students that the 28-hour limit should be managed so that it stays within the limit no matter which day you start counting from. For example, Kyoto Tachibana University explicitly notes that the weekly limit must be within 28/40 hours regardless of the day you count from (Kyoto Tachibana University guidance).

Safest approach: manage your hours as a rolling 7-day window. If your schedule is “end-of-week heavy” (Fri/Sat/Sun), it’s very easy to exceed 28 hours across the boundary between two calendar weeks.

Real-world example (how an “okay” schedule becomes a violation):

Job A: Fri 6h + Sat 6h + Sun 6h = 18h
Job B: Mon 6h + Tue 6h + Wed 6h = 18h

If you think in calendar weeks, you might split these into two “weeks” and feel safe. But if you count any 7-day period that includes Sun–Sat, you can end up with 36 hours in a 7-day window.

Trap 4: Misunderstanding “long vacation” (and working 40 hours when it’s not actually vacation)

ISA’s Student guidance notes that during an educational institution’s long vacation period, the limit expands to up to 8 hours/day (ISA Student status page).

In practice, many schools and student handbooks explain this as up to 8 hours/day and 40 hours/week during official spring/summer/winter breaks. For example, JASSO’s Tokyo Japanese Language Education Center page states permitted working time is up to 28 hours/week during class periods, and 8 hours/day (40 hours/week) during spring/summer/winter vacation (JASSO (Tokyo JLEC) part-time work rules).

Critical detail: “Long vacation” means a break designated in your school’s official academic calendar / regulations. It is not “I have no classes this week,” and it is not a national holiday stretch.

Trap 5: Working at prohibited venues (even if your job is “just cleaning”)

ISA’s procedure page lists adult-entertainment-related businesses/venues as prohibited categories for extra-status activities. It explicitly includes a wide range of regulated adult entertainment business types (ISA procedure page: prohibited activities).

JASSO provides a student-friendly list of examples that are treated as adult entertainment/related businesses, such as certain bars/nightclubs, pachinko parlors, game centers, and love hotels, and notes that even dishwashing/cleaning or handing out promotional tissues for those venues is not permitted (JASSO part-time work warnings).

Osaka University likewise warns that working at sex-industry-related establishments is strictly prohibited and that the ban applies regardless of the type of work (including cleaning) (Osaka University part-time work rules).

Trap 6: Gig work and “business-style” contracts (delivery apps, freelancers, paid internships)

ISA’s Student guidance includes an important nuance: comprehensive permission can cover some “income-earning business operation” activity only when working time can be objectively confirmed. If your working time is not objectively trackable, ISA indicates you may need individual permission instead (ISA Student status page: objective time confirmation).

Before accepting app-based delivery or “freelance” arrangements: ask your school’s international office and confirm the contract structure (employment vs outsourcing), how hours are recorded, and whether comprehensive permission is enough.

Practical compliance checklist (save this):

Before your first shift: confirm your residence card shows the extra-status permission (or you have the official permission document for online issuance).
Keep a single hours log across all employers and all paid training.
Target 24–26 hours/week in class periods to leave buffer for real overtime.
Count hours in a rolling 7-day habit (safe approach; many universities warn against simple Mon–Sun thinking).
Long vacation: confirm your school’s official vacation dates, and keep a screenshot/PDF of the academic calendar.
Venue check: if there’s any chance it’s adult entertainment/related (or attached to it), don’t take the job until a Japanese-speaking local confirms what the business actually is.

Why this matters: ISA statistics show illegal work is a major enforcement focus. For example, ISA reported that in 2024, among people processed through deportation/exit procedures, a large share involved illegal work findings (ISA press release on 2024 immigration law violations).

How to find a safe part-time job in Japan (Hello Work + support centers + LO-PAL help)

“Safe” means more than “legal hours.” You also want (1) a job that won’t push you into overtime, (2) clear written conditions, and (3) somewhere you can get help quickly in a language you understand.

Start with official job-search routes (Hello Work)

Hello Work is Japan’s public employment service. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) provides an overview and points job seekers to the official Hello Work Internet Service for job searches (MHLW Hello Work portal; Hello Work Internet Service (official)).

Foreign Employment Service Centers (multilingual support in major cities):

Tokyo Employment Service Center for Foreigners (in FRESC): 13F Yotsuya Tower, CO・MO・RE Yotsuya, 1-6-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. TEL 03-5361-8722 (Tokyo center (MHLW)).
Osaka Employment Service Center for Foreigners: Hankyu Grand Building 16F, 8-47 Kakuda-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka. TEL 06-7709-9465 (Osaka center (MHLW)).
Nagoya Employment Service Center for Foreigners: Yamaichi Building 8F, 2-14-25 Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya. TEL 052-855-3770 (Nagoya center (MHLW)).
Fukuoka Employment Service Center for Foreigners: TEL 092-716-8608 (the center page also notes interpretation services by reservation) (Fukuoka center (MHLW)).

When you need multilingual “what do I do right now?” help (immigration + labor + legal)

If you’re unsure whether a job is compliant (or you already worked extra hours and you’re scared), don’t rely on rumors. Use official consultation windows early, while the problem is still fixable.

Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC), Tokyo (one-stop):

What it is: a one-floor hub with multiple government-related counters, including immigration consultation and labor consultation.
Address (as used by FRESC counters): 13F Yotsuya Tower, 1-6-1 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004 (MHLW Tokyo center page).
Main phone (FRESC): 0570-011000 (listed on ISA’s portal page) (ISA portal (guidebook gateway)).

Labor problems (hours, unpaid wages, dismissals): Tokyo Labour Bureau Consultation and Support Office for Foreigners (inside FRESC):

Phone: 0570-011000 (Navi Dial), or +81-3-5361-8728 from outside Japan/IP phones. The page also lists language availability schedules (Tokyo Labour Bureau (FRESC) consultation page).
In-person hours: weekdays 9:00–17:00 (see the page for language-specific windows) (Tokyo Labour Bureau info).

Legal information (free guidance, multilingual phone option): Houterasu (Japan Legal Support Center) provides services at FRESC, including multilingual phone support via their multilingual information line (Houterasu services in FRESC (English)).

Tokyo-only general life consultation (not immigration decisions, but helpful when you’re stuck): Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Foreign Residents’ Advisory Center lists phone consultation by language and hours (English/Chinese/Korean) (TMG Foreign Residents’ Advisory Center).

How to ask a local Japanese person to confirm a job is safe (script you can copy)

Some compliance risks are language-and-context problems: the job ad looks normal in English, but the venue type, contract type, or “real duties” are risky in Japan.

Before you accept, ask a Japanese-speaking person to check these points:

Venue category: Is this business connected to adult entertainment (風俗営業等) or “related” venues? (If yes, don’t take it.)
Actual duties: Are you expected to “entertain,” “sit with customers,” or do anything beyond normal restaurant/retail work?
Contract type: Is it employment (アルバイト) or a business/outsourcing arrangement (業務委託) where hours aren’t recorded clearly?
Shift reality: Does “4 hours” really mean 4 hours, or is there unpaid prep/closing time?
Written conditions: Can they provide the pay, hours, and break rules in writing?

If anything feels unclear, pause and confirm before you start. It’s much easier to prevent a violation than to explain one later.

If you’re building a stable life in Japan as a student, these guides may help next:

Need More Help? Ask on LO-PAL

Rules are national, but your risk is local: the same “bar job” can be a normal restaurant in one place and an adult-entertainment-related venue in another. And immigration compliance often depends on details hidden in Japanese (contracts, venue category, job duties, and shift practices).

On LO-PAL, you can post a question (or request help as a task), and local Japanese helpers in your area will respond. LO-PAL supports multiple languages including English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Korean, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, and Spanish, so you can ask in the language you’re comfortable with.

Use LO-PAL like this:

Paste the job ad (or upload a screenshot) and ask: “Is this venue type prohibited for students?”
Ask a local to translate the key lines of the contract (hours, overtime, duties).
If you’re nervous, request help preparing what to say to the employer: “I can work up to 28 hours/week. Can we schedule 24–26 to avoid overtime risk?”

FAQ: student work permit Japan 28 hours

These are the questions we see most often from students trying to follow Japan’s work restrictions visa Japan part-time job rules safely.

Do I need permission even for a 1-day paid trial shift?

If you receive pay (including “training pay”), you generally need the extra-status permission first. If the job is unpaid and truly voluntary, the analysis can differ—but confirm with your school before participating.

Can I work two part-time jobs if the total is under 28 hours?

Multiple jobs are common, but your total hours across all employers must stay within the limit. This is one of the easiest ways to accidentally violate the rule if you don’t track your time centrally.

During summer vacation, can I work 40 hours/week?

During official long school vacations, students are commonly guided that they can work up to 8 hours/day and 40 hours/week, but only during vacation periods officially designated by the school. Check your academic calendar and keep proof.

Is it OK to work at a bar if I’m only washing dishes?

Not necessarily. Certain adult-entertainment-related venues are prohibited even if your role is cleaning or dishwashing. When in doubt, confirm the venue’s legal category before accepting.

Where can I ask official questions in English?

Start with ISA’s consultation points listed on the procedure page, and if you’re in Tokyo, consider visiting FRESC where immigration-related and labor-related counters are available with multilingual support.