Quitting your job in Japan on a work visa: notice, notifications and the 3-month rule

Quitting a job in Japan on a work visa is allowed, but it starts two clocks. If your contract has no fixed term, the job ends 2 weeks after you give notice, under the Civil Code. Then you must tell immigration within 14 days, and if you go 3 months or more without doing the work your status covers, it can be revoked unless you have a legitimate reason. All as of October 2026.

How much notice do I need to give to quit a job in Japan?

It depends on your contract type.

No fixed term. Article 627 says either side can give notice at any time, and the employment ends when 2 weeks have passed. Your employer doesn’t have to agree. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) adds one point: if your work rules (就業規則) set a resignation procedure and it is reasonable, you need to follow it. So read your work rules before you hand in notice.

Fixed term. You generally can’t leave before the contract ends. Article 628 allows it for an unavoidable reason, but if that reason was your fault, you can owe the employer damages. Article 137 gives you a way out: on a contract longer than 1 year, you can resign at any time once the first year has passed. It excludes project-based contracts and some specialist and over-60 contracts.

Give notice in writing, such as a resignation letter (退職届), and keep a copy. That gives you a dated record of when the 2 weeks started.

What can I ask my employer for when I leave?

The Labor Standards Act gives you two rights on leaving:

• A certificate of employment (退職証明書). If you ask, your employer must issue it without delay. It can show your period of employment, type of work, position, wages and reason for leaving, but only the items you ask for (Art. 22).
• Your final pay within 7 days of a request. Your employer must pay wages owed and return money or property that belongs to you within 7 days of your request. If there’s a dispute, the undisputed part is still due in 7 days (Art. 23).

Also ask for your separation notices (離職票) if you plan to claim unemployment benefits.

Do I need to tell immigration when I quit my job?

Yes, for most work statuses. Under Article 19-16 of the Immigration Act, you file a notification on your affiliated organization (所属機関に関する届出) within 14 days of the event. Which form depends on your status.

You can file three ways, according to the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁):

• Online through the electronic notification system (電子届出システム), 24 hours a day. You register the first time. The agency recommends this route.
• In person at a regional immigration bureau, with the form and your residence card (在留カード).
• By mail with the form and a copy of your residence card, to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau’s notification desk (東京出入国在留管理局 在留調査部門 届出受付担当), 〒160-0004 東京都新宿区四谷1丁目6番1号四谷タワー14階. Write 届出書在中 or NOTIFICATION ENCLOSED in red on the envelope. The bureau doesn’t confirm receipt, so use trackable mail.

What if I forget?

Not filing is an offense under the Immigration Act, with a fine of up to ¥200,000 (Art. 71-5). A false notification carries up to 1 year of imprisonment or a ¥200,000 fine (Art. 71-2). The agency’s renewal guideline also lists keeping up with notifications on your organization as a factor when you next renew or change status.

How long can I stay in Japan after quitting my job?

Your residence card doesn’t expire when you quit. The risk is revocation under Article 22-4 of the Immigration Act:

• The 3-month rule. If you hold a work status (or any status in Appended Table I, such as Student or Dependent) and don’t do its activities for 3 months or more in a row, immigration can revoke it, unless you have a legitimate reason (正当な理由). For Highly Skilled Professional (ii), the period is 6 months.
• No 3-month grace for the wrong work. A separate ground covers people who aren’t doing their status’s activities and are doing, or trying to do, other activities. If your next job doesn’t fit your status, don’t start it before you have permission.

The agency’s page doesn’t list what counts as a legitimate reason. Keep records of your job search: applications, interviews and Hello Work visits. Ask your regional immigration bureau, or a licensed immigration specialist (行政書士) about your own case.

Revocation isn’t automatic. An immigration inspector must first hear your side, and you can submit evidence. If the status is revoked on the 3-month ground, you get up to 30 days to leave Japan.

The agency’s renewal guideline also treats time spent not doing your status’s activities as a negative factor at your next renewal, unless you had a legitimate reason. See visa renewal in Japan.

Quitting a job in Japan: step by step

What happens to my health insurance and pension after quitting?

Your Employees’ Health Insurance and Employees’ Pension end when you leave, the Japan Pension Service says. If you don’t start a new job straight away, you have two health insurance choices:

For 協会けんぽ plans, the cap uses a standard monthly pay of ¥320,000 as of October 2026. If your employer had its own health insurance society (健保組合), ask it about its continuation rules. If you join National Health Insurance late, you still owe premiums back to the date you became eligible. See National Health Insurance for foreigners.

For pension, if you are 20 to 59 and not working, you enroll in the National Pension (国民年金) at your city office. The Japanese pension guide covers enrollment and exemptions. For how resident tax is paid once salary deductions stop, see resident tax for foreigners.

How do I change jobs without losing my visa?

If the new job fits your current status, you don’t apply for anything. You file the new-contract notification within 14 days of signing. If it’s a different kind of work, you need a change of status before you start; see changing your status of residence. Highly Skilled Professional and Specified Skilled Worker holders should read that guide before switching employers.

Do I need a certificate of authorized employment?

A certificate of authorized employment (就労資格証明書) is official written proof of the paid work your status allows. It is optional. Article 19-2 of the Immigration Act says no one may treat you worse in hiring for not showing it, when your permitted work is otherwise clear.

It is useful if you want written proof that your new job fits your status.

• Fee: ¥2,000 at the counter or ¥1,600 online, in revenue stamps (収入印紙), paid only if issued.
• Time: same day normally, but 1 to 3 months after a change of employer or activities.
• Bring: the application form, residence card, passport, and documents on the new employer and your new duties.
• Where: the regional immigration bureau for your address, or online. A 行政書士 can apply for you.

More guides

• Unemployment benefits for foreigners
• Changing your status of residence
• Leaving Japan checklist