During parental leave,67% of your salary from Employment Insurance
Official name
Parental Leave Benefit (Childcare Leave Allowance) — 育児休業給付金 (ikuji kyugyou kyufukin)
If you are enrolled in Employment Insurance (雇用保険) and take parental leave, the program pays 67% of your pre-leave daily wage for the first 180 days of leave, then 50% after that. Both mothers and fathers are eligible — same rules.
The benefit is tax-free, health insurance and pension premiums are waived during leave when your employer applies, and no employment insurance premium is charged if you receive no salary. Because of this, MHLW explains that an 80% rate (67% plus the 13% post-birth support benefit, for up to 28 days when both parents take leave) is roughly equal to 100% of take-home pay.
Standard duration: until the child turns 1 year old. Extendable to 1.5 years (and to 2 years) if you cannot find a daycare spot — extension procedures became stricter from April 2025.
Foreign residents enrolled in Employment Insurance through their Japanese employer are eligible — no nationality requirement.
PAYMENT RATE
Days 1–180 of leave
67%
Day 181 onward
50%
Plus post-birth support benefit (up to 28 days, when both parents take leave)
+13%
Calculated against the average daily wage of the 6 months before your leave started (休業開始時賃金日額). Claims are normally made every 2 months. The daily wage has an upper limit of ¥16,540 and a lower limit of ¥3,203 (from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027), so high earners hit a ceiling.
ELIGIBILITY
Who can claim this benefit
Enrolled in Employment Insurance (雇用保険) through your employer
Most regular full-time and many part-time workers in Japan are enrolled — check the "雇用保険被保険者" line on your monthly payslip. Self-employed/freelancers and corporate executives are NOT eligible.
Worked at least 12 months in the 2 years before leave
Specifically: in the 2 years before leave begins, at least 12 months in which you had ≥11 paid working days (or ≥80 working hours). If you've been at your current employer for more than a year, you almost certainly qualify.
Both parents eligible
Mother and father can each take leave and each receive the benefit. Both must independently meet the 12-month employment requirement. Combined claims are common — both parents take leave at the same time, both receive 67% of their respective salaries.
Foreign residents
If you are enrolled in Employment Insurance through your Japanese employer, you qualify regardless of nationality. The application is processed by your employer's Hello Work office, the same as for Japanese employees.
Not eligible
Self-employed individuals, freelancers without employment insurance, business owners, and government employees (公務員, who have a separate program) are not under this benefit. Workers on fixed-term contracts can qualify if it is not clear that their contract (including renewals) will end before the child turns 1 year and 6 months.
DURATION
How long can you take leave?
Standard: until child turns 1 year old
Default: from end of maternity leave (post-birth 8 weeks) until the day before the child's 1st birthday. Or for the father: from any day on or after the birth, until the day before the child's 1st birthday.
Extension to 1.5 years
If by the time your child turns 1, you cannot return to work because no daycare spot is available, leave can be extended by 6 months. Required: documented evidence that you applied for daycare and were rejected. From April 2025 the rules became stricter: you must have applied to the ward for an authorized daycare spot by the deadline (non-authorized daycare does not count), and Hello Work must recognize that you applied in order to return to work quickly. You submit a declaration form with a copy of your daycare application and the ward's result notice (入所保留通知書).
Further extension to 2 years
Same conditions — if you still cannot find a daycare spot at age 1.5, another 6 months. Maximum total leave is until the child turns 2.
HOW TO APPLY
Application process
Your employer files most of the paperwork on your behalf. You sign forms but rarely visit Hello Work yourself.
~1 MONTH BEFORE LEAVE
Notify your employer of intent to take leave
In writing, ideally 1 month before. Your employer prepares the parental leave forms; you sign and return.
DAY 1 OF LEAVE
Leave begins; social insurance premiums waived
Health insurance and pension premiums are waived while you are on leave once your employer applies for the exemption.
BY THE END OF THE MONTH 4 MONTHS AFTER LEAVE STARTS
First claim
Your employer files the eligibility check and the first claim with the Hello Work office for your workplace. The first claim normally covers the first two 1-month periods. Example from MHLW: leave starting July 10 → deadline November 30.
EVERY 2 MONTHS
Renewal application by employer
Your employer files a claim every 2 months, on the dates Hello Work specifies (monthly if you ask). You sign the forms when requested.
RETURN TO WORK
Last claim
The last claim covers the days up to the day your leave ends. The premium waiver ends when the leave ends.
Questions: Childcare Leave Benefit Call Center (育児休業等給付コールセンター) 0570-200-406, weekdays 8:30–17:15 (closed weekends, holidays and Dec 29–Jan 3).
FAQ
Common questions
What is the daily-wage cap?
From August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027, the daily wage used in the calculation is capped at ¥16,540 (one cap for all ages) with a floor of ¥3,203. For a 30-day period the benefit is at most ¥332,454 at 67% and ¥248,100 at 50%. If your monthly salary is above roughly ¥496,000 (¥16,540 × 30), the cap applies. The figures are revised every August 1.
How is "daily wage before leave" calculated?
Average of the 6 months of your wages before leave began, divided by 180. So a ¥400,000/month salary = ¥2,400,000 over 6 months / 180 = ¥13,333/day. Bonuses are excluded from the calculation. If you took maternity leave (産休) first, the 6 months before maternity leave started are used.
Can I work part-time during leave and still receive the benefit?
Only temporarily, and within a limit: in each 1-month period you may work up to 10 days (or, if more than 10 days, up to 80 hours). If you work more than that, no benefit is paid for that period. Wages paid during leave can also reduce the benefit. Check with your employer and Hello Work before agreeing to any work during leave.
How does this combine with the post-birth allowance (出生時育児休業給付金)?
For fathers (or for mothers who don't take regular maternity leave), up to 28 days of leave within 8 weeks of the birth can be claimed under 出生時育児休業給付金 (post-birth childcare leave benefit, also at 67%). After that, regular 育児休業給付金 starts. In addition, the post-birth support benefit (出生後休業支援給付金) adds 13% for up to 28 days when both parents take at least 14 days of leave within a set period after the birth (8 weeks; for a mother who takes maternity leave, 16 weeks). Single parents and some other cases qualify without the spouse taking leave. Details (Japanese page).
My employer does not handle the paperwork — what can I do?
Employers normally file, but if filing through the employer is difficult, or if you prefer, you can submit the claim yourself to the Hello Work office that covers your workplace. For the documents you need, call the Childcare Leave Benefit Call Center (0570-200-406, weekdays 8:30–17:15).
SOURCES
Official sources (mostly in Japanese)
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
育児休業給付について (Parental leave benefit overview)
mhlw.go.jp/.../0000135090_00001.html
MHLW (revised August 1, 2026)
育児休業等給付の内容と支給申請手続 (Childcare leave benefits and how to claim)
mhlw.go.jp/content/11600000/001461102.pdf
Japanese version on this site
育児休業給付金(雇用保険)
minato-kosodate.com/kouyouhoken-ikuji-kyugyou