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.

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.