Dependent Visa

Who Qualifies as a Dependent

Eligible family members are limited to two categories:

• Legally married spouse — Marriage must be officially registered. Common-law partnerships, de facto relationships, and same-sex marriages (even if legally recognized abroad) are not recognized for this visa.
• Children — Biological children (legitimate or illegitimate), legally adopted children, or children legally acknowledged by the parent. While there is no strict age limit in law, the system assumes minor children who require financial support. Adult children may be eligible if clearly in school (high school or university), but the hurdle becomes higher as age increases. Children of working age should consider whether a different visa category (Student or work visa) is more appropriate.

Not eligible are parents, siblings, grandparents, fiancés, or common-law partners of the foreign resident.

Sponsor Requirements

The sponsoring foreign resident must hold a valid mid- to long-term status of residence. Eligible statuses include work visas (Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services, Business Manager, Highly Skilled Professional, Intra-company Transferee), activity-based visas (Professor, Researcher, Instructor, Medical Services, Legal/Accounting Services), Student, and Cultural Activities visas. There are approximately 18 specified visa statuses that allow individuals to bring family members as dependents.

Critical restriction: Someone holding a Dependent visa cannot sponsor their own dependents. Certain statuses such as Trainee and Designated Activities are also ineligible to bring family members.

Financial Support

The sponsor must demonstrate sufficient and stable income to support the family in Japan. No fixed legal threshold exists, but applications may be denied if the family's livelihood is deemed unsustainable.

Practical income guidelines (not legal minimums):

• Spouse only: ¥2.5 million/year
• Spouse + 1 child: ¥2.8 million/year
• Spouse + 2 children: ¥3.2 million/year
• General benchmark: ¥3,000,000 to ¥4,000,000 per year, depending on the number of dependents
• As a general rule, ¥80,000 per month is considered sufficient resources for one person

Special consideration for students: If the sponsor is an international student on a Student visa, part-time work income is generally not evaluated as the sponsor's primary income for supporting dependents. Students must demonstrate stable remittances from family, scholarships, or bank savings.

Cohabitation

The dependent visa is intended for families who live together in Japan. Long-term separation may raise doubts about the genuineness of the family relationship. In cases of unavoidable temporary separation, additional evidence such as remittance records, communication logs, or travel history may be required.

Housing

Housing conditions are considered part of the sponsor's ability to support the family. Immigration typically examines whether the home is realistically large enough for cohabitation (for example, a one-room apartment for a family of four may be seen as unrealistic) and whether rent places an excessive burden on the sponsor's income.