{"id":1282,"date":"2016-10-24T11:28:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-24T02:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/?p=1282"},"modified":"2025-10-27T05:59:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T20:59:01","slug":"dependent-visa-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/dependent-visa-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Dependent Visa: How to Bring Your Family to Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><!-- DullGrayLinkAd --><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5833612346624328\" data-ad-slot=\"1050832894\" data-ad-format=\"link\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><br>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\" alt=\"dependent visa japan\" width=\"1028\" height=\"514\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1288\" data-layzr=\"http:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Japan_dependent_visas.jpg\"><br>\nPerhaps the most popular article on this blog at this point is my guide on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/certificate-of-eligibility-spouse-visa-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility and Spouse Visa for Japan<\/a>. But I often get questions there about Japanese Dependent Visas, as well.<\/p>\n<p>This article, I hope, will make that process clear.<\/p>\n<h1>How to Get a Dependent Visa to Bring Your Family to Japan<\/h1>\n<p>Of course, we all want to live together with our family. But when you first come to Japan, it can be hard to understand how to do that. If you have one of the Residence Status listed below, you will be able to apply for a Dependent Visa for your spouse and children.<\/p>\n<p>First, let&rsquo;s get clear on <em>who<\/em> you can bring to Japan on a dependent visa.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Your (legally married) spouse<\/li>\n<li>Your (legal) children<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Who Cannot be Your Dependent<\/h3>\n<p>You cannot apply for a Dependent Visa for a parent or other relative, regardless of whether or not they depend on you for income.<br>\nYou cannot apply for a Dependent Visa for a fiance.<br>\nYou cannot apply for a Dependent Visa for your spouse&rsquo;s children from previous marriages if you have not legally adopted them as your own.<\/p>\n<h1>Statuses Eligible to Apply for Dependent Visas<\/h1>\n<p><em>Almost<\/em> all international residents in Japan are eligible to bring their family to Japan as Dependents. As long as your Residence Status is in the list below, you&rsquo;ll be able to apply.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#25945;&#25480;&#12288;Professor<\/li>\n<li>&#33464;&#34899;&#12288;Artist<\/li>\n<li>&#23447;&#25945;&#12288;Religious Activities<\/li>\n<li>&#22577;&#36890; Journalist<\/li>\n<li>&#39640;&#24230;&#23554;&#38272;&#32887; Highly Skilled Professional<\/li>\n<li>&#25237;&#36039;&#12539;&#32076;&#21942; Investor\/Business Manager<\/li>\n<li>&#27861;&#24459;&#12539;&#20250;&#35336;&#26989;&#21209; Legal\/Accounting Services<\/li>\n<li>&#21307;&#30274; Medical Services<\/li>\n<li>&#30740;&#31350; Researcher<\/li>\n<li>&#25945;&#32946; Instructor<\/li>\n<li>&#25216;&#34899;&#12539;&#20154;&#25991;&#30693;&#35672;&#12539;&#22269;&#38555;&#26989;&#21209; Engineer\/Specialist in Humanities\/International Services<\/li>\n<li>&#20225;&#26989;&#20869;&#36578;&#21220; Intra-company Transferee<\/li>\n<li>&#20171;&#35703; Nursing Care<\/li>\n<li>&#33288;&#34892; Entertainer<\/li>\n<li>&#25216;&#33021; Skilled Labor<\/li>\n<li>&#25991;&#21270;&#27963;&#21205; Cultural Activities<\/li>\n<li>&#30041;&#23398; Student*<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5>Additional Criteria for Student Residence Status Holders<\/h5>\n<p>If you are living in Japan on a Student status, then the type of school you are attending determines whether or not you can apply for a dependent visa for your family.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#2f588e;border:1px solid #2f588e; text-align:center;\">Types of Schools that <em>Can<\/em> apply for a Dependent Visa<\/th>\n<th style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#2f588e;border:1px solid #2f588e; text-align:center;\">Types of Schools that <em>Cannot<\/em> apply for a Dependent Visa<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Graduate School (Doctor, Master, or Research Student)<br>&#22823;&#23398;&#38498;&#65288;&#21338;&#22763;&#12289;&#20462;&#22763;&#12289;&#30740;&#31350;&#29983;&#65289;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Advanced Vocational School, Specialized Training College (Specialized Course, Higher Course, General Course)<br>&#23554;&#20462;&#23398;&#26657;&#65288;&#23554;&#38272;&#35506;&#31243;&#12289;&#39640;&#31561;&#35506;&#31243;&#12289;&#19968;&#33324;&#35506;&#31243;&#65289;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">University (Undergraduate, Auditor, Elective Course Student, Research Student, Japanese Language Course Student)<br>&#22823;&#23398;&#65288;&#23398;&#37096;&#29983;&#12289;&#32884;&#35611;&#29983;&#12289;&#31185;&#30446;&#31561;&#23653;&#20462;&#29983;&#12289;&#30740;&#31350;&#29983;&#12289;&#21029;&#31185;&#24615;&#65289;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Japanese Language Institution (Advanced vocational school of specialized course, preparatory courses, others)<br> &#26085;&#26412;&#35486;&#25945;&#32946;&#27231;&#38306; &#65288;&#23554;&#20462;&#23398;&#26657;&#23554;&#38272;&#35506;&#31243;&#12289;&#28310;&#20633;&#25945;&#32946;&#35506;&#31243;&#12289;&#12381;&#12398;&#20182;&#65289;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Junior College (Regular Student, Auditor, Elective Course Student, Japanese Language Course Student)<br>&#30701;&#26399;&#22823;&#23398;&#65288;&#23398;&#31185;&#29983;&#12289;&#32884;&#35611;&#29983;&#12289;&#31185;&#30446;&#31561;&#23653;&#20462;&#29983;&#12289;&#21029;&#31185;&#24615;&#65289;<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\" style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Senior High School, Junior High School, Elementary School<br>&#39640;&#31561;&#23398;&#26657;&#12289;&#20013;&#23398;&#26657;&#12289;&#23567;&#23398;&#26657;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border: 1px solid #2f588e;\">Technical School<br>&#39640;&#31561;&#23554;&#38272;&#23398;&#26657;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>You&rsquo;ll see that there are several options for Japanese language, so if you are in Japan studying Japanese, you may wonder which applies to you. The simple answer is to look at your institution. If the institution is a university or junior college (i.e. if it also grants associates degrees or higher in other fields), then you would be eligible to apply for a Dependent Visa. If you are studying Japanese at an advanced vocational school or at a dedicated Japanese language school, you would <strong>not<\/strong> be eligible to apply for a Dependent Visa.<\/p>\n<h3>Other Residence Statuses<\/h3>\n<p>Someone who is living in Japan as a Dependent cannot have their own Dependent.<br>\nThere are a few other statuses, such as Trainee and Designated Activities, that are not eligible to bring family members.<br>\nOther statues, such as Spouse of Japanese National, Permanent Resident, Diplomat, etc., have other methods to bring their family members to Japan and will not need the Dependent Visa process.<\/p>\n<h1>Can I Bring my Family With Me to Japan at the Same Time?<\/h1>\n<p>It depends on your employer.<\/p>\n<p>Certain types of companies in Japan have special authorization to accelerate their Certificate of Eligibility application process for foreign employees and <em>simultaneously<\/em> apply for Dependent Visas for their spouses. Those companies are able to get Certificates of Eligibility for both the employee and the dependents within about 2 weeks from application.<\/p>\n<p>If you are coming to Japan as a student, researcher, or working for anything less than a large enterprise, then you <strong>will not<\/strong> be able to bring your dependents to Japan at the same time as you. After you arrive in Japan, you will have to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility for your dependents so they can join you Japan. That application process can take up to three months. Skip down to the instructions below.<\/p>\n<h3>What Companies Can Apply Simultaneously for Dependent Visas?<\/h3>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.moj.go.jp\/nyuukokukanri\/kouhou\/nyuukokukanri07_00096.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ministry of Justice<\/a>, companies designated as Category 1 or Category 2 are eligible for the accelerated Certificate of Eligibility application process, provided that they are paying you enough to support your family members as well.<\/p>\n<p>Category 1 and 2 companies must be &ldquo;of a certain size&rdquo; and make their present operating situation clear through public documentation. Specific examples include:<br>\n<strong>Category 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Companies listed on the Japanese stock exchange<\/li>\n<li>Mutual insurance companies<\/li>\n<li>National or regional public organizations (&#20844;&#20849;&#22243;&#20307; <em>kokyo dantai<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>Independent administrative institutions (&#29420;&#31435;&#34892;&#25919;&#27861;&#20154; <em>dokuritsu gyosei hojin<\/em>), Special public corporations (&#29305;&#27530;&#27861;&#20154; <em>tokushu hojin<\/em>), Specially-authorized corporations (&#29305;&#21029;&#35469;&#21487;&#27861;&#20154; <em>tokubetsu ninka hojin<\/em>), Public organization-authorized public service organizations (&#20844;&#30410;&#27861;&#20154; <em>koeki hojin<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>Tax-exempt public benefit corporations listed in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mof.go.jp\/about_mof\/act\/kokuji_tsuutatsu\/kokuji\/KO-20030930-0606-12.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Table 1<\/a> of the tax exempt corporations list.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Category 2:<\/strong> Individuals or organizations that paid over 15,000,000 yen in income tax during the previous fiscal year.<\/p>\n<p>If you are to be employed in Japan and want to know if your company can apply simultaneously for your dependents&rsquo; certificates of eligibility, the best thing to do is ask them directly!<\/p>\n<h1>Applying for a Dependent Visa Yourself<\/h1>\n<p>If you have to bring your family to Japan yourself, you will need to start with applying for their Certificate of Eligibility. Approval can take up to three months, so get started as soon as you can after you arrive in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>As usual with the Immigration Bureau, the information available in English is vague. The requirements below are translated from the Japanese webpage:<\/p>\n<h2>Dependent Certificate of Eligibility Required Documents<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Completed application form. You can download the form from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.immi-moj.go.jp\/english\/tetuduki\/kanri\/shyorui\/01.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Immigration Bureau website<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>One ID-quality photo: 30mm wide by 40mm high, showing the applicant (your dependent) from the chest up, facing forward, with no hats or background.<br>Write the applicant&rsquo;s name on the back and attach it to the application form in the designated spot<\/li>\n<li>One self-addressed reply envelope with 392 yen in stamps attached.<\/li>\n<li>One of the following documents to prove your relationship:\n<ol>\n<li>Family Register<\/li>\n<li>Certificate of acceptance of registration of marriage<\/li>\n<li>Marriage certificate<\/li>\n<li>Birth certificate<\/li>\n<li>Any other document that can be accepted as meeting the requirements of the previous items<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Any documents in a foreign language must have a Japanese translation attached.<\/p><\/li>\n<li>Copy of the supporter&rsquo;s (you) Residence Card or passport. (Submit copy of the Residence Card if you have it!)<\/li>\n<li>Proof of employment\/activity and financial resources.\n<ol>\n<li>If the supporter is engaged in business management or income-generating activities:<br>\n(a) 1 copy of certificate of employment or business license (must show supporter&rsquo;s occupation); and<br>\n(b) Certificate of Residence Tax amount and payment showing one full year of tax payment. (Acquired from the City Hall where you resided as of Jan 1.<br>*If you have not been in Japan long enough to acquire a Certificate of Residence Tax showing a full year of tax, consult with the Immigration Bureau. A certificate of employment with salary <em>may<\/em> be sufficient.<\/li>\n<li>If supporter is not employed or earning income through operating a business:<br>\n(a) A bank account balance statement in the supporter&rsquo;s name or scholarship award statement showing the amount of award and period of payment.<br>\n(b) Documents equivalent in nature to (a) that show proof of sufficient finances for the applicant to be able to meet their expenses while in Japan.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Proof of identity, in case of application by proxy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It is acceptable to fill out the application form in English, but all documents submitted as evidence must be in Japanese or be accompanied by a translation.<\/p>\n<h2>Financial Resources for your Dependent<\/h2>\n<div style=\"float:right; clear:right; margin-left:1em;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br>\n<!-- ArticleBlockAd --><br>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:336px;height:280px\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5833612346624328\" data-ad-slot=\"5479423294\"><\/ins><br>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div>\n<p>As a general rule, 80,000 yen per month is considered sufficient resources for one person. Since you will be living with your dependent, you don&rsquo;t need to double that for each person, but count on adding at least 40,000 for a spouse and a little less than that for each child (depending on their age).<\/p>\n<p>As an example, I know of MEXT scholars who were successful in bringing a spouse and two children to Japan with a total income of 145,000 yen.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Dependent Residence Status <em>does not<\/em> allow your spouse or children to work in Japan<\/strong>, so you need to plan to support them from your income. Your spouse will be eligible to apply for a work permit (called &ldquo;Permission to Engage in Activities Other than that Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted&rdquo;), but they will be limited to working no more than 28 hours per week. This is not going to be enough for your spouse to support him\/herself.<\/p>\n<p>A dependent <em>is<\/em> able to search for a full time job and use that to apply to change to a working residence status. However, finding a full-time job in Japan is quite difficult without some level of fluency in the language.<\/p>\n<p>All of that will come later, once your spouse is in Japan. But it&rsquo;s a good idea to have a clear understanding of your financial situation in advance.<\/p>\n<h1>Applying for the Japanese Dependent Visa<\/h1>\n<p>Once you have your spouse and\/or child&rsquo;s Certificate of Eligibility, you will need to send it to them so they can apply for their visa in your home country.<\/p>\n<p>I recommend making a photocopy first and sending the Certificate by a reliable courier service. Your spouse\/child will need the original Certificate of Eligibility to apply for the visa. The photocopy can help you apply for reissuance of the Certificate if it gets lost in the mail.<\/p>\n<p>Visa requirements vary by country, so be sure to check the website of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mofa.go.jp\/about\/emb_cons\/mofaserv.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Japanese Embassy in your country<\/a>!<\/p>\n<h1>Making Travel Arrangements<\/h1>\n<p>Once you have the Certificate of Eligibility, your spouse&rsquo;s dependent visa is all but guaranteed, so it&rsquo;s safe to start making his or her travel arrangements to Japan.<\/p>\n<p>Your spouse\/child <strong>must<\/strong> arrive in Japan within 3 months of the date of issue on the Certificate of Eligibility (regardless of whether the visa has a later expiration date or not).<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations! Your family will be together in Japan soon!<\/p>\n<p>As always, please leave any questions or comments below and I will reply as soon as possible.<br>\n<!-- Begin MailChimp Signup Form --><\/p>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form action=\"\/\/transenzjapan.us1.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=0760d99f65cbd791813cf27e5&amp;id=6d4a84a320\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<h2>Get Notified about New Resources<\/h2>\n<p>Sign up below to receive email notifications whenever we have new resources about expat living in Japan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"indicates-required\"><span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span> indicates required<\/div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n\t<label for=\"mce-EMAIL\"><strong>Email Address  <span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span><\/strong><\/label><input type=\"email\" value=\"\" name=\"EMAIL\" class=\"required email\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group\">\n\t<label for=\"mce-FNAME\"><strong>First Name  <span class=\"asterisk\">*<\/span><\/strong><\/label><input type=\"text\" value=\"\" name=\"FNAME\" class=\"required\" id=\"mce-FNAME\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mc-field-group input-group\"><strong>Email Format <\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><input type=\"radio\" value=\"html\" name=\"EMAILTYPE\" id=\"mce-EMAILTYPE-0\"><label for=\"mce-EMAILTYPE-0\">&nbsp;HTML<\/label><\/li>\n<li><input type=\"radio\" value=\"text\" name=\"EMAILTYPE\" id=\"mce-EMAILTYPE-1\"><label for=\"mce-EMAILTYPE-1\">&nbsp;Text<\/label><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-error-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"response\" id=\"mce-success-response\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: absolute; left: -5000px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><input type=\"text\" name=\"b_0760d99f65cbd791813cf27e5_6d4a84a320\" tabindex=\"-1\" value=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><input type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" name=\"subscribe\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"button\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--End mc_embed_signup--><br>\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><!-- DullGrayBannerAd --><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5833612346624328\" data-ad-slot=\"2527566096\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Perhaps the most popular article on this blog at this point is my guide on How to Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility and Spouse Visa for Japan. But I often get questions there about Japanese Dependent Visas, as well. This article, I hope, will make that process clear. How to Get a Dependent Visa to Bring Your Family to Japan Of course, we all want to live together with our family. But when you first come to Japan, it can be hard to understand how to do that. If you have one of the Residence Status listed below, you <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,84],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1282"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169519,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282\/revisions\/169519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transenzjapan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}