top of page
Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka 

Let's refer this permission as Shikakugai.
Activities you can do with your Japanese visa is designated for each visa categories.
If you want to do what is outside of the scope of your visa, you need Shikakugai.

Here is the general information only.

富士山の日の出
Who needs Shikakugai?

No need for Shikakugai

  • Permanent Residents

  • Spousal visa holders (spouse of a Japanese or a permanent resident)

  • Long-term visa holders

​

Blanket Shikakugai, 28-hour Shikakugai (houkatsu kyoka)

  • Dependent visa holders

  • Student visa holders

​

Individual Shikakugai (kobetsu kyoka)

  • Working visa holders

  • Dependent visa holders or Student visa holders intending to do activities whose working hours cannot be objectively confirmed

You get a Shikakugai stamp on the back of your residence card and/or a sticker on your passport, if granted.  Shikakugai will not be granted if the immigration think it will affect your activities designated by your visa.

Please check your residence card and passport now.

Check also the permit expiry date on the Shikakugai sticker.

Blanket Shikakugai, 28-hour Shikakugai

Blanket Shikakugai, 28-hour Shikakugai is granted to dependent/student visa holders.

  • can work up to 28 hours per week

  • can engage in simple labor (such as convenience store staff, factory staff, etc.)

  • student visa holders can work longer during long breaks

​

​Notes on Blanket Shikakugai, 28-hour Shikakugai

  • With 28-hour Shikakugai , your working hours must be 28 or less for 7 days starting from any day.  It is not from Sunday to Monday, for example.  If you work 14 hours on Friday and Saturday, and 15 hours on Sunday and Monday, it is overwork.  Because total number of working hours for 7 consecutive days (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur) is 29 hours.

  • If you work at 2 different places with 28-hour Shikakugai, you add up the working hours at all places.  If you work 20 hours at one restaurant and 10 hours at convenience store, working for 30 hours  is illegal.

  • Even if you get paid in cash for your work with 28-hour Shikakugai, include it when counting your working hours.  

  • Even with 28-hour Shikakugai, you cannot work at facilities doing Adults Entertaiment Business (night clubs, mahjong shop, pachinko, love hotels, etc.)

  • Even with 28-hour Shikakuagi, you cannot do the work if proving your working hours is difficult.  You need individual Shikakugai.

Individual Shikakugai (kobetsu kyoka)

Working visa holders, your working visa allows you to do what is in the scope of your visa.

What the immigration law prohibits are:​

  • operating a business which involves income and which are outside of the scope of your visa

  • activities for which you receive remuneration and which are outside of the scope of your visa

Individual Shikakugai is very different from 28-hour Shikakugai

  • Individual Shikakugai is granted to each extra activity you want to do.   You need to make applications to the immigration for each extra activity. 

  • The extra activity you can do with Individual Shikakugai must fall into one of the working visa categories.   You cannot get individual Shikakugai for working at convenience stores or factories, for example.

  • You need to get permission to have side jobs from your employer.

  • The company name and contents of activities are designated on the Individual Shikakugai sticker on your passport.

​

Examples of individual Shikakugai for working visa holders:

  • Junior high school ALT teaches English at English conversation schools

  • IT engineer teaches at universities for a semester

  • College professor/instructor works as a private language tutor to individuals

  • Translator works as a fitness instructor at a fitness gym

  • Recruiter works as a model on regular basis

  • Chef writes newspaper articles on regular basis

The immigration makes individual Shikakugai permit decisions on case-by-case basis.   

It is sometimes unclear whether you need Shikakugai or not.  We often advise our clients to make Shikakugai application anyway. 

  • If the immigration tells you that you cannot get individual Shikakugai for your extra work, you cannot do that work.

  • If the immigration tells you that you don't need individual Shikakugai for your extra work,  you can do it without worrying about your visa.

  • If you can get individual Shikakugai, you can do extra activities without worrying about your visa.

Contact us if you need our support.

bottom of page