# Maternity and childcare leave in Japan for foreign workers

URL: https://japanhow.com/work/leave/maternity-childcare-leave-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 24, 2026

## Summary

Maternity leave in Japan is 6 weeks before the birth (14 for twins or more) and 8 weeks after, with two-thirds of your pay from company health insurance. Childcare leave runs until the child turns 1, or up to 2 with no daycare place, paid by employment insurance at 67% for 180 days, then 50%. Since April 2025, a 13% top-up for 28 days brings pay to 80% when both parents take 14 days. Foreign workers qualify on the same terms, as of October 2026.

## Key facts

- Maternity leave: 6 weeks before, 8 weeks after birth
- Maternity pay: 2/3 of pay (出産手当金)
- Childcare leave pay: 67% for 180 days, then 50%
- 2025 top-up: +13% for up to 28 days (80%)

**Maternity leave in Japan** is **6 weeks before the birth** (14 weeks for twins or more) and **8 weeks after it**, with **two-thirds of your pay** from company health insurance. Then either parent can take childcare leave until the child turns 1, paid at **67%** for the first 180 days and **50%** after. Since April 2025, a **13% top-up** can lift pay to 80% for up to 28 days. Foreign employees qualify on the same terms as Japanese ones, as of October 2026.

## How long is maternity leave in Japan?

The Labor Standards Act (労働基準法, Article 65) sets maternity leave (産前産後休業, sanzen sango kyūgyō):

| Period | Rule |
|---|---|
| Before the birth | If you ask, your employer must not make you work within **6 weeks** of the due date (**14 weeks** for twins or more) |
| After the birth | Your employer must not let you work for **8 weeks**. From week 6, you may return if you ask and a doctor says it is fine |
| While pregnant | If you ask, your employer must move you to lighter work |

Leave before the birth is your choice; the 8 weeks after are not.

## How much is maternity leave pay in Japan?

If you are in **company health insurance** (健康保険), it pays a **maternity allowance** (出産手当金, shussan teate-kin) for days you are off without salary:

- **Period:** 42 days before the birth (98 days for twins or more) to 56 days after. If the baby is late, the extra days are covered too.
- **Amount:** your average standard monthly pay (標準報酬月額) over the last 12 months, divided by 30, times two-thirds. In the Japan Health Insurance Association (協会けんぽ) example, an average of ¥170,000 gives ¥3,780 a day.
- **Less than 12 months insured:** the lower of your own average or the all-member average (¥320,000 for leave starting from 1 April 2025).
- **If your employer pays part of your salary**, you get the difference.
- **If you leave the job:** you can still get it if you were insured for at least 1 year in a row and were entitled to it the day before coverage ended. Working on your last day disqualifies you.

Apply to your health insurer with the 出産手当金支給申請書 form. The costs of the birth itself are covered separately: see [giving birth in Japan](/life/family/giving-birth-japan-foreigners/).

**Freelancer or in National Health Insurance?:** The maternity allowance comes from company health insurance and childcare leave pay from employment insurance (雇用保険); both need you to be an employee. If you are self-employed, see the premium breaks in our [giving birth guide](/life/family/giving-birth-japan-foreigners/).

## How long is childcare leave in Japan?

Under the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act (育児・介護休業法), mothers and fathers can each take **childcare leave** (育児休業, ikuji kyūgyō):

- **Until the child turns 1**, in up to **2 separate periods**. For mothers, it starts after the 8 weeks of postnatal leave.
- **Until 1 year 2 months** if both parents take leave (パパ・ママ育休プラス), with each parent still limited to 1 year in total.
- **Until 1 year 6 months, then 2 years**, if there is an extension reason, mainly that you applied for daycare and no place is available.
- **Ask your employer at least 1 month ahead.** If you ask later, your employer can push the start date back to the 1-month point (2 weeks for extensions).

Your employer **cannot refuse** leave that meets the law, and it must not dismiss you or treat you worse because you asked for or took leave (Article 10).

**The daycare extension got stricter in April 2025:** To extend pay past age 1 (or 1 year 6 months), you must have applied to your city for a licensed daycare (保育所) place by the deadline, and Hello Work must accept that you applied in order to go back to work soon. Unlicensed daycare doesn't count. Forgetting to apply, or not applying because the city said it would be hard, doesn't qualify. See [daycare (保育園) for foreigners](/life/family/daycare-hoikuen-foreigners/) for how applications work.

## What is paternity leave (産後パパ育休) in Japan?

**Post-birth childcare leave** (出生時育児休業, known as 産後パパ育休) is extra leave for the parent who did not give birth, usually the father:

- Up to **28 days** in total within **8 weeks of the birth**, in up to **2 parts**.
- Ask at least **2 weeks** before you want to start.
- It is separate from regular childcare leave, which the father can also take until the child turns 1.
- Leave pay still applies if you work up to 10 days (or 80 hours) during a full 28 days, fewer for shorter leave.

## How much is childcare leave pay in Japan?

Employment insurance pays it. Applications go to the Hello Work (ハローワーク) office for your workplace; its call center is 0570-200-406 (weekdays 8:30 to 17:15, Japanese).

| Benefit | Rate | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare leave benefit (育児休業給付金) | **67%** of your pre-leave daily wage for the first 180 days, **50%** after | Either parent on childcare leave |
| Post-birth childcare leave benefit (出生時育児休業給付金) | **67%**, up to 28 days | The parent on 産後パパ育休 |
| Post-birth leave support benefit (出生後休業支援給付金), from April 2025 | **+13%**, up to 28 days | Each parent who takes 14+ days, see below |
| Reduced-hours childcare benefit (育児時短就業給付金), from April 2025 | **10%** of wages paid while on shorter hours | Parents of a child under 2 working shorter hours |

Your daily wage is your pay in the 6 months before leave (before maternity leave, for mothers) divided by 180, not counting bonuses. As of October 2026 the daily wage is capped at **¥16,540**, so the most you can get for a 30-day period is **¥332,454** at 67% and **¥248,100** at 50%. These caps apply until 31 July 2027.

**Example from the ministry:** ¥201,000 a month (Daily wage ¥10,000 x 30 days x 67%. The ministry's simulator, in Japanese, is at shussan.ikukyu-simu.mhlw.go.jp.)

### Who qualifies for childcare leave pay?

- You are in **employment insurance**.
- In the 2 years before leave, you have **12 months** with 11 or more paid days (or 80 or more paid hours).
- You work no more than 10 days (or 80 hours) in each 1-month payment period.

## How does the 80% top-up work?

The post-birth leave support benefit adds **13%** for up to 28 days, so pay reaches **80%** (67% + 13%). The ministry says 80% is roughly your full take-home pay, because childcare leave benefits are tax-free and your social insurance premiums are waived. The cap for 28 days is **¥60,205**.

To get it:

1. **You take at least 14 days** of leave: within 8 weeks of the birth for fathers, or within 16 weeks for mothers who took postnatal leave.
2. **Your spouse also takes at least 14 days** within 8 weeks of the birth, **unless** an exception applies.

The exceptions include: you have no spouse, or your spouse is **not employed**, **self-employed or freelance**, or **on postnatal leave**. So a father whose wife just gave birth meets the spouse condition.

## Do fixed-term and foreign workers qualify?

Yes. None of these laws has a nationality condition. What matters is your contract and insurance:

| You are | Childcare leave | 産後パパ育休 |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent (no fixed term) employee | Yes | Yes |
| Fixed-term contract (有期雇用) | Yes, unless it is clear your contract, including renewals, ends before the child is **1 year 6 months** old | Yes, unless it is clear it ends within **6 months** after the 8-week window |
| With the employer less than 1 year | Yes, unless a written labor-management agreement (労使協定) excludes you | Same |
| Day laborer (日々雇用) | No | No |

Ask HR for the work rules (就業規則) and any labor-management agreement; the contact for disputes is the prefectural labor bureau (都道府県労働局). See [labor rights for foreign workers](/work/rights/labor-rights-foreign-workers-japan/).

## Do I pay social insurance during leave?

No. During maternity leave and childcare leave (until the child turns 3), **health insurance and employees' pension premiums are waived** for both you and your employer. Your employer files the form with the Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構).

The waived months **count as paid** when your pension is calculated. If you come back on shorter hours and your pay drops, you can ask to have your pension calculated on your old pay until the child turns 3 (養育期間標準報酬月額特例). Your employer submits that form too. More on how the pension works in [Japan's pension for foreigners](/money/pension/japan-pension-foreigners/).

## What changed in 2025?

| From | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 April 2025 | 13% top-up (出生後休業支援給付金) and 10% reduced-hours benefit (育児時短就業給付金) start |
| 1 April 2025 | Stricter daycare test for extending childcare leave pay |
| 1 April 2025 | Child nursing leave (子の看護等休暇) extended to the end of 3rd grade of elementary school, 5 days a year (10 for 2+ children); also for class closures and entrance or graduation ceremonies |
| 1 April 2025 | Right to be excused from overtime extended from under-3s to children before elementary school |
| 1 October 2025 | For children aged 3 to before elementary school, employers must offer at least 2 flexible options (such as later start, telework or 6-hour days); you pick one |

## Does maternity or childcare leave affect my visa?

The Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) can revoke a work status if you don't do its activities for **3 months or more**, unless you have a legitimate reason (正当な理由). Its page gives no examples and doesn't mention maternity or childcare leave.

**Before a long leave:** Keep your employment contract in place and check your residence card's expiry date, as a renewal may fall during your leave. Ask your regional immigration bureau or a licensed immigration specialist (行政書士) how your leave will be viewed. See [visa renewal in Japan](/visa/visas/visa-renewal-japan/). This page is general information, not legal advice.

## Step by step

Registering the baby is covered in [baby born in Japan to foreign parents](/life/family/baby-born-japan-foreign-parents/).

**More guides:** [giving birth in Japan](/life/family/giving-birth-japan-foreigners/) · [daycare (保育園)](/life/family/daycare-hoikuen-foreigners/) · [child allowance](/money/benefits/child-allowance-japan-foreigners/) · [labor rights for foreign workers](/work/rights/labor-rights-foreign-workers-japan/) · [Dependent visa](/visa/visas/dependent-visa-japan/)

## Questions people ask

### How long is maternity leave in Japan?

You can take leave from 6 weeks before the due date (14 weeks for twins or more), and your employer must not let you work for 8 weeks after the birth. From week 6 after the birth you may go back early if you ask and a doctor agrees. Childcare leave can follow until your child turns 1.

### How much is maternity leave pay in Japan?

Company health insurance pays a maternity allowance of two-thirds of your standard daily pay for the leave period. Childcare leave pay from employment insurance is 67% of your pre-leave daily wage for the first 180 days and 50% after that, with a cap of ¥332,454 a month at 67% as of October 2026.

### Can foreigners get maternity and childcare leave in Japan?

Yes. The laws have no nationality condition. What counts is your job: you need to be an employee, in company health insurance for the maternity allowance and in employment insurance for childcare leave pay. Fixed-term workers qualify unless it is clear their contract will end before the child is 1 year 6 months old.

### How long is paternity leave in Japan?

Fathers can take post-birth childcare leave (産後パパ育休) of up to 28 days within 8 weeks of the birth, in up to 2 parts, plus regular childcare leave until the child turns 1. Pay is 67%, and 14 days or more can add a 13% top-up for up to 28 days.

### Is there a maternity leave calculator for Japan?

The health ministry runs an online simulator for childcare leave benefits at shussan.ikukyu-simu.mhlw.go.jp. It is in Japanese. Your exact amount is decided by Hello Work for childcare leave pay and by your health insurer for the maternity allowance.

## Sources

- [労働基準法 (Labor Standards Act), Article 65](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000049), e-Gov Law Search (Digital Agency) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [育児・介護休業法 (Child Care and Family Care Leave Act), Articles 5, 6, 9-2, 9-3, 10](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/403AC0000000076), e-Gov Law Search (Digital Agency) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [育児休業等給付について](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000135090_00001.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [育児休業等給付の内容と支給申請手続 (2026年8月1日改訂版)](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11600000/001461102.pdf), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [育児時短就業給付の内容と支給申請手続](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11600000/001395102.pdf), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [育児・介護休業法 改正ポイントのご案内](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/001259367.pdf), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [出産手当金について](https://www.kyoukaikenpo.or.jp/benefit/childbirth/001/index.html), Japan Health Insurance Association (協会けんぽ) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [厚生年金保険料等の免除（産前産後休業・育児休業等期間）](https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kounen/hokenryo/menjo/20140122-01.html), Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [養育期間の従前標準報酬月額のみなし措置](https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/kounen/hokenryo/menjo/20150120.html), Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [在留資格の取消し（入管法第22条の4）](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/torikeshi_00002.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)