Working on a student visa in Japan: the 28-hour rule and how to get permission

On a student visa in Japan, your work hours limit is 28 hours a week, rising to 8 hours a day during your school’s long holidays. You can work only after you get permission to engage in activity other than that permitted (資格外活動許可). It is free, and new students can get it at the airport on arrival. Jobs at adult entertainment businesses are banned whatever the hours. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA).

How many hours can you work on a student visa?

The Student status (留学) itself doesn’t allow paid work. The comprehensive permission adds part-time work within these limits. It isn’t tied to one employer, so you can change part-time jobs without applying again.

The permission is shown as a sticker in your passport or a permission document, and on the back of your residence card (在留カード). Employers are asked to check the back of the card.

Which jobs are banned?

Even with permission, you can’t work at a business covered by Japan’s adult entertainment law (風俗営業等の規制及び業務の適正化等に関する法律). That includes:

• businesses licensed as 風俗営業 under that law
• sex-related businesses, whether in a shop or not, including phone and video services
• specified late-night entertainment restaurants (特定遊興飲食店営業)

The ban is worded as work at a place where such a business operates, so it is not limited to particular roles. Illegal work is excluded too.

How do you apply?

Approved school staff, a registered lawyer or a 行政書士 can submit the application for you. Online, you can apply only together with a renewal or change of status. Since January 2024, a permission granted online can be sent by post.

What about internships, freelancing or tutoring?

Some work needs individual permission (個別許可), which names the employer and job:

• internships over 28 hours a week for final-year university students who have most of their credits (ISA gives about 90% as a guide), or final-year master’s or doctoral students
• language teaching, interpreting, private tutoring and similar jobs, when outside the comprehensive permission
• freelance or contract work where your hours can’t be checked objectively. If the hours are clear, such as delivery work with tracked hours, the 28-hour permission is enough
• preparing to start a business

Setting up a company, hiring staff or opening an office needs a change to Business Manager status instead. You can hold both kinds of permission at once.

One exception needs no permission: paid teaching or research assistance under a contract with your own university.

What happens if you work more than 28 hours?

The consequences can follow you for years.

ISA publishes real refusal examples. In one, a student applying for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services had worked more than 200 hours a month for over a year and was refused. In another, a vocational school student with 70% attendance said absences were due to illness but had been working during them, and was refused.

If you stop studying for 3 months without a good reason, ISA can cancel your Student status.

Can you work after you graduate?

Your Student permission covers only the time you are enrolled. After graduation, you need a new status.

If you have a job offer, apply to change to a work status. ISA asks students starting work in April to apply between December 1 and the end of January. See our change of status guide.

If you are still looking, you can change to Designated Activities (特定活動) for job hunting:

• for graduates of Japanese universities and of vocational schools with the 専門士 title, with your school’s recommendation
• 6 months, renewable once: up to 1 year after graduation
• a second year is possible through some local-government job-support programs
• with a new permission, you can again work up to 28 hours a week

Some graduates of foreign universities who studied at a certified Japanese language school can use a similar route.

Related guides

Getting paid? See our guides to opening a bank account and resident tax for foreigners. Going home for the holidays? Read about the re-entry permit.

More guides: visa renewal, Highly Skilled Professional visa.