Dependent visa: bringing your spouse and children to Japan

Rules and fees change often. Last checked: 7 November 2026. Always confirm with the official sources below before you apply.

The Dependent status (家族滞在, kazoku taizai) is for the spouse or child of a foreign resident who will live with and be supported by them in Japan. This guide calls the person in Japan the supporter.

Married to a Japanese citizen or a permanent resident? Then this is not your status. Spouses and children of Japanese nationals and of permanent residents have their own statuses (“Spouse or Child of Japanese National”, “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident”). See ISA’s status list in the sources and our permanent residence guide.

Who it is for

Your spouse or child can come if the supporter has one of these statuses (ISA’s list):

• Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist
• Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor
• Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Intra-company Transferee, Nursing Care, Entertainer, Skilled Labor
• Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
• Cultural Activities, Student

Not on the list: Technical Intern Training and Specified Skilled Worker (i). ISA says family members of SSW (i) workers basically cannot accompany them. Parents, brothers and sisters are not covered by this status either: it is for a spouse or child only.

Requirements

• A real legal relationship: marriage or parent and child, shown by official certificates.
• The supporter can pay for the family’s life in Japan. ISA asks for proof of the supporter’s job and income (or bank balance or scholarship). ISA does not publish a fixed minimum income.
• The family member will live as a dependent, supported by the supporter. Their main activity is daily family life, not work.

The full checklist is in Who is eligible below.

Japanese level needed

None. The Dependent status has no Japanese requirement. But a little Japanese makes daily life, shopping and school contact much easier. Our free lessons are a good start for the whole family: Lesson 1: Hiragana, Lesson 7: Numbers and prices, Lesson 22: Shopping conversation and Lesson 24: Reading short notices.

How to apply, in short

The family member, the supporter, or a relative living in Japan (the ordinance allows them to act as agent) applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the regional immigration bureau. ISA’s standard period is 1–3 months, and the COE is free. The COE is sent to the family, who apply for the visa and travel. If the family member is already in Japan on another status, they apply for a change of status instead. The detailed steps are in How to apply, step by step below.

Applying from Bangladesh. Since 3 November 2024 the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka accepts visa applications only through VFS Global (Gulshan-2, Dhaka). You must book online; new appointments for the month after next usually open on the 15th of each month. The embassy’s standard processing time is 7 working days from the day VFS receives a complete application, and longer if documents are missing. Mid-March to early June and mid-September to late October are very busy, mainly with students, so book early.

Other countries. Each Japanese embassy has its own system. The Embassy of Japan in Nepal also takes applications only through VFS Global. Other embassies use their own application centres or accredited agencies, and these have changed recently in some countries, so always check your own embassy’s visa page. If you are a national of the Philippines, Viet Nam or Nepal, you also need a TB clearance certificate from a designated clinic (see below). Indonesia’s screening starts on 2 November 2026, and the certificate is required from 4 January 2027.

Visa fee. MOFA raised visa fees for applications accepted from 1 July 2026: about ¥15,000 for a single-entry visa and about ¥30,000 for a multiple-entry visa, paid in local currency. MOFA also says the fee may not be required, or may be different, depending on your nationality. Bangladeshi nationals: check the current fee with the embassy. The visa pages of the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh still say the visa is free for Bangladeshi nationals, but they were written before the 1 July 2026 change, and we could not confirm the fee that applies now (checked 8 November 2026). Ask the embassy or VFS Global before you pay. VFS Global charges its own service fee.

Working rules

• Permission first. A dependent may work only after getting “permission to engage in activity other than that permitted”. It is free.
• Up to 28 hours a week with the general permission. Unlike students, dependents do not get 8 hours a day in holidays: the limit is 28 hours a week.
• No adult entertainment businesses, under any permission.
• More work than this needs a work status of their own (for example Engineer/Humanities if they qualify).

Family: what to report

While in Japan, dependents must report changes to ISA: a new address, changes to residence card details, and the divorce from, or death of, the supporting spouse.

How long you can stay

ISA decides the period for each person, up to 5 years at a time. To extend, apply before the period ends (from 3 months before, if the period is 6 months or longer). The extension uses mostly the same documents as the first application, and the counter fee depends on the period you are given (¥10,000 to ¥75,000 from 1 October 2026).

Changing status

• To a work status: if a dependent gets a full-time job that fits a work status, they apply for a change of status. See our Engineer/Humanities guide.
• To permanent residence: ISA’s permanent residence document list for work statuses also covers the Dependent status. See our permanent residence guide.
• If the supporter’s status changes (for example from SSW (ii) back to a status not on the list, or the supporter leaves Japan), the dependent’s basis also changes. Check with ISA early. Read our SSW guide for the SSW (i) and (ii) rules.

Common mistakes and scams to avoid

• Working more than 28 hours a week. Count all jobs together. Too many hours can cause problems at the next extension.
• False marriage or birth documents. Status granted on false documents can be cancelled, even if you did not know they were false.
• Unpaid taxes by the supporter. ISA asks for the supporter’s resident tax and tax payment certificates. Unpaid tax shows up and can hurt the application.
• Paying an agent for the COE. The supporter can apply in Japan, and ISA charges nothing for a COE.
• Applying while on SSW (i). Family of SSW (i) workers basically cannot come. Do not pay anyone who says otherwise.

Free official help. The Immigration Services Agency’s information centre answers questions about forms and documents: 0570-013904 (from IP phones or overseas: 03-5796-7112).