Unemployment benefits in Japan for foreigners (and your visa)

Yes, foreigners can claim unemployment benefits in Japan through employment insurance (雇用保険), on the same terms as Japanese workers. You need 12 insured months in the 2 years before you left, or 6 months in the last year if the employer ended your job. As of October 2026, if you quit, you wait 7 days plus 1 month before payments start. On a work visa, you must also tell immigration within 14 days.

Can foreigners get unemployment benefits in Japan?

Yes. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) says labor and social insurance laws apply to foreigners regardless of nationality. You are insured if your contract has:

• 20 hours or more of scheduled work a week, and
• an expected job of 31 days or more.

Your employer enrolls you and reports your name and status of residence to Hello Work, the public employment office. If your employer never enrolled you but should have, you can be enrolled retroactively. Ask Hello Work to check.

Do I qualify for the basic allowance?

The main benefit is the basic allowance (基本手当). According to Hello Work, you need:

• Insured months: 12 or more in the 2 years before leaving. If you are a specified eligible recipient (特定受給資格者, for example after dismissal or bankruptcy) or a specified reason leaver (特定理由離職者), 6 months in the last year is enough. A month counts if you were paid for 11 or more days or 80 or more hours.
• Unemployed and job hunting: you are willing and able to work, actively looking, and registered as a job seeker at Hello Work.

How much are unemployment benefits in Japan?

Hello Work takes your wages for the last 6 months (bonuses excluded) and divides by 180 to get your daily wage. The daily allowance is about 50% to 80% of that (45% to 80% at ages 60 to 64). Lower earners get the higher percentage.

The daily maximum from 1 August 2026:

How many days are paid?

It depends on why you left, your age and how long you were insured.

If you quit or your contract ended normally:

If you were laid off or the company closed (specified eligible recipient):

You must use the days within 1 year of the day after you left. Illness, pregnancy, childbirth or childcare that stops you working for 30 days or more can extend this by up to 3 years.

How long do I wait if I quit?

Everyone waits 7 days of unemployment after filing (待期). If you left at your own convenience (自己都合), a benefit restriction (給付制限) follows:

• 1 month if you left on or after 1 April 2025 (it was 2 months before).
• 3 months if you quit without good reason twice or more in the past 5 years, or were dismissed for serious misconduct.
• No restriction if you take education and training for reskilling, from April 2025. Ask Hello Work which courses count.

Hello Work’s procedure page still says 2 months. The ministry’s page on the April 2025 change says 1 month, and we follow the ministry.

How do I claim at Hello Work?

Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行) accounts are accepted for payment. Because you must attend in person every 4 weeks, you can’t keep claiming once you leave Japan.

What happens to my visa when I lose my job?

This is where foreigners differ from Japanese workers. Two rules matter, as of October 2026.

1. Tell immigration within 14 days. If you hold Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Skilled Labor, Specified Skilled Worker, Nursing Care, Researcher, Highly Skilled Professional or contract-based Entertainer, file the notification on your contracting organization (契約機関に関する届出) within 14 days of the contract ending. File it again within 14 days of signing with a new employer. Other statuses, such as Intra-company Transferee or Business Manager, file a similar notification on the activity organization. File online at any time, at a regional immigration bureau with your residence card (在留カード), or by mail.

2. Three months without work can cost you your status. Under Article 22-4 of the Immigration Act, the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) can revoke a work, study or other activity-based status if you don’t do its activities for 3 months or more in a row, unless you have a legitimate reason (正当な理由). The agency’s page doesn’t list what counts. Keep records of your job search and ask your regional bureau. A licensed immigration specialist (行政書士) can advise on your own case.

If your next job is a different kind of work, read about changing your status of residence. Specified Skilled Worker holders, see the SSW guide.

What about health insurance and pension after I leave?

The Japan Pension Service says your workplace pension and health insurance end when you leave. If you aren’t re-employed straight away and are 20 to 59, you enroll in the National Pension (国民年金). You also join National Health Insurance at your city office within 14 days.

If you were laid off, many cities cut your health insurance premium. In Shinjuku, a specified eligible recipient or specified reason leaver under 65 has their previous salary counted at 30% until the end of the next fiscal year. For the pension, the Japan Pension Service offers a special exemption after job loss, regardless of last year’s income, if you show your separation notice. See the Japanese pension for foreigners.

More guides

• Visa renewal in Japan
• Resident tax for foreigners
• Send money from Japan