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.
Combined with the social-insurance exemption during leave (health insurance, pension, employment insurance premiums all waived), your effective take-home is roughly 80% of pre-leave net income during the 67% phase. 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 R7.4 (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%
Effective take-home (67% phase, with insurance exemption)
~80%
Calculated against the average daily wage of the 6 months before your leave started (休業開始時賃金日額). Payments are bi-monthly. Daily-wage cap is revised every August 1 — current 30–44 age cap is ¥16,110/day, 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. Those on fixed-term contracts may qualify if they expect to return to the same employer.
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. Procedures became stricter in R7.4 (April 2025) — the application form, the rejection notice from the ward, and the daycare application paperwork all need to be submitted.
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 exempt automatically
Your employer notifies the social insurance office; health insurance and pension premiums are exempted automatically while leave is active.
~2 MONTHS AFTER LEAVE STARTS
First payment arrives
Your employer files the initial Hello Work claim around 2 months in. Payment lands in your bank account a few weeks after that.
EVERY 2 MONTHS
Renewal application by employer
Your employer files a renewal every 2 months for the duration of your leave. You provide signed forms when requested.
RETURN TO WORK
Final payment + return to standard payroll
Last benefit payment arrives within ~2 months of return. Social insurance exemption ends. Your employer notifies Hello Work that the leave has ended.
If you change employers during leave, the benefit transfers — but you must inform Hello Work and the new employer must take over the procedural responsibilities. Most employers handle this seamlessly.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the daily-wage cap?
From August 1, 2025: the upper cap on the daily wage used in the calculation is ¥16,110/day for ages 30–44 (other age brackets: ¥14,510 for under 30, ¥17,740 for 45–59, ¥16,940 for 60–64). If your monthly salary is around ¥480,000+ (¥16,000 × 30), the cap may bind. Cap is revised annually each August.
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. Be aware: if you took maternity leave (産休) before the parental leave, the wages from that pre-pre-leave period are used, not zero.
Can I work part-time during leave and still receive the benefit?
Yes, but with limits. You can work up to 10 days or 80 hours per month while still receiving the benefit at the standard rate. Beyond that, the benefit is reduced or stopped. Discuss 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), the first up to 28 days 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. They stack via the postpartum support benefit (+13% for both parents).
My employer does not handle the paperwork — what can I do?
While employers normally handle the filing, you can file yourself directly at Hello Work in such cases. Contact the Hello Work nearest your workplace; bring your employment insurance card (雇用保険被保険者証), the parental leave certificate, and your bank info.
SOURCES