The 28-Hour Rule for Students: What It Means and How to Show It on Your Resume

If you are in Japan on a student visa (在留資格「留学」) you are allowed to work part-time, but only after you get a 資格外活動許可 (permission to engage in activity outside your status) and only up to a fixed number of hours. Getting this wrong is one of the few resume mistakes that can affect your visa, so it is worth understanding clearly.

What the 28-hour rule actually says

With a valid 資格外活動許可, a student may work up to 28 hours per week. The limit is on hours worked, not hours scheduled, and it applies to the total across every job — if you have two part-time jobs, the hours are added together. The week is counted no matter which day you treat as the start, so you cannot “reset” the count by switching employers mid-week.

Dependents (家族滞在) are under the same 28-hour limit. Working beyond the cap is treated as unauthorised work and can put a future visa renewal at risk, so most store managers will check that your hours stay inside it.

The long-vacation exception

During your school's official long holidays (summer, winter, and spring breaks), the limit rises to 8 hours per day, up to 40 hours per week. This only applies to periods the school formally designates as vacation — not to ordinary weekends during term. Keep this in mind when you promise availability: it is fine to offer more hours in August, but do not commit to 40-hour weeks year-round.

How to get the permission

You apply for the 資格外活動許可 at your regional immigration office, or request it at the airport when you first land with a student visa. It is free, and once granted it is noted on the back of your 在留カード (residence card). You cannot legally start a part-time job until it is approved.

How to show it on your rirekisho

Employers want to see, at a glance, that you are allowed to work. The cleanest way is to state your residence status and your permission together. In the licences/notes area, a single line such as the following removes any doubt:

• 在留資格：留学（資格外活動許可あり・週28時間以内）
• In English: “Residence status: Student. Permission to work outside status granted (within 28 hours/week).”

ResumeJP's part-time template has dedicated residence-status fields, and when you select 留学 or 家族滞在 it can print the 週28時間以内 note for you. You can start a part-time rirekisho here or jump straight into the editor.

What counts toward your 28 hours

The cap counts actual hours worked, including paid training and any paid breaks, across every job you hold. A few points that catch people out:

• Two jobs are added together. 15 hours at a konbini plus 15 at a restaurant is 30 — over the limit, even though each job alone is under it.
• The week does not reset by employer. Immigration looks at your total weekly hours, not each contract separately.
• Unpaid, genuine breaks do not count, but paid standby or paid training does. When in doubt, count it.
• Excluded workplaces never qualify, no matter the hours — bars, pachinko parlours, and other adult-entertainment businesses are off-limits on a student permit.

What happens if you go over

Exceeding 28 hours is unauthorised work. The realistic risk is not an on-the-spot fine but a problem the next time you deal with immigration: a visa extension or a change of status can be refused if your records show you worked beyond the limit, and in serious or repeated cases it can affect your ability to stay in Japan. Employers know this too, which is why a responsible store manager will keep your hours inside the cap. Treat the limit as a hard line, not a target — and if a manager pushes you to work more “off the books,” that is a red flag for you, not just for them.

When the rule does not apply to you

The 28-hour rule is tied to the student and dependent statuses. If you hold a work visa such as 技術・人文知識・国際業務, a 特定技能 status, 永住者 (permanent resident), 定住者, or 日本人の配偶者等, you are not bound by the 28-hour cap (though work visas have their own scope rules about what kind of work you may do). On a part-time resume, the key is to state your actual status accurately — see the part-time resume guide for how each status appears on the sheet.

Quick checklist before you apply for a baito

• Do you hold a valid 資格外活動許可? (Check the back of your residence card.)
• Will your total weekly hours across all jobs stay at or under 28?
• Is the work outside the excluded categories (e.g. adult-entertainment venues)?
• Have you written your status and permission clearly on the resume?

For the rest of the sheet, see our guide on how to write a Japanese resume.