💗 Life & Wellbeing
Pregnancy and Childbirth in Japan — Everything About the Systems Foreigners Can Use Too
Maternity leave, childcare leave, and benefits. The systems that support you and your baby
📖 9 min read📅 2026-10-01
When she learned she was pregnant in Japan, the worry was greater than the joy. "Can I, a foreigner, give birth and raise a child here?"
Irene (29), from Davao in the Philippines, married while working in Japan and became pregnant. Although she should have been filled with joy, it was worry that kept crossing her mind.
Could she communicate with the hospital in Japanese? How much would childbirth cost? Would she have to quit her job? She couldn't even have her mother back home come to help. — There was so much she didn't understand that some nights she cried alone.
One day a senior colleague at work told her this: "Irene, Japan has many systems that support pregnancy and childbirth. Maternity leave and childcare leave — foreigners can use them just the same. And most of the cost of giving birth is covered by insurance. Let's look into it together."
Irene hadn't known that foreigners working in Japan can use the systems that support pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing, just like Japanese people. From the Maternal and Child Health Handbook to maternity leave, childcare leave, the lump-sum birth allowance, and the child allowance — that there are many systems she could use.
Pregnancy and childbirth in Japan. We've gathered the systems that support you and your baby, in a Q&A format (information as of June 2026).
Japan's systems for pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing apply to foreign workers in the same way. Let's look at the systems you can use, in the order of "when you find out you're pregnant," "the cost of giving birth," "work and leave," and "after the baby is born."
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q.I just found out I'm pregnant — what should I do first?
A.Submit a "notification of pregnancy" at the counter of the municipality where you live. You'll then receive a "Maternal and Child Health Handbook." This is an important handbook for recording prenatal checkups and your baby's growth, and foreigners can receive it just the same. The Maternal and Child Health Handbook comes in versions in 10 languages — English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, and others — printed alongside Japanese. At the same time, you'll also receive "checkup vouchers (subsidy tickets)" that subsidize the cost of prenatal checkups. Start with this notification first.
Q.How much does childbirth cost? Can I use insurance?
A.A big help with childbirth costs is the "lump-sum birth allowance." From your health insurance, in principle ¥500,000 per baby is provided (from April 2023, for births covered by the Obstetric Compensation System). In many cases it is paid directly to the hospital under the "direct payment system," so you don't need to prepare a large sum of money in advance. Foreigners are also eligible if they are enrolled in health insurance (or are a dependent of someone who is). If the childbirth cost is within ¥500,000, your out-of-pocket payment is almost nothing.
Q.Can I take time off work for pregnancy and childbirth?
A.Yes — "maternity leave (before and after childbirth)" is recognized by law (the Labor Standards Act). You can take 6 weeks before childbirth (14 weeks in the case of multiple babies, such as twins) and 8 weeks after childbirth. In particular, the 6 weeks after childbirth are a mandatory rest period. This applies to foreign workers in the same way. Dismissing you or treating you unfavorably for the reason that "you became pregnant" is prohibited by law. Please use these systems with peace of mind.
Q.What happens to my income during maternity and childcare leave?
A.Even while no salary is paid, benefits support your income. ① During maternity leave: from health insurance, "maternity allowance" (equivalent to two-thirds of your salary). ② During childcare leave: from employment insurance, "childcare leave benefits" (67% of wages up to the 180th day from the start of leave, and 50% thereafter). Furthermore, from April 2025, a new system began: if both spouses take 14 or more days of childcare leave within 8 weeks after the child's birth, an additional 13% is added for up to 28 days, bringing the total to 80% (effectively about 100% of take-home pay when combined with the exemption from social insurance premiums). Foreigners are eligible for these too.
Q.Can foreigners take childcare leave too?
A.Yes, they can. Under the Child Care and Family Care Leave Act, in principle you can take childcare leave until your child turns 1 (up to a maximum of age 2 if there are circumstances such as being unable to get a daycare spot). Nationality does not matter. As a note, you can take the childcare leave itself even without being enrolled in employment insurance, but to receive "childcare leave benefits" there are conditions such as enrollment in employment insurance. Also, if you are on a fixed-term contract such as a contract employee, there are additional conditions, so check with your employer or the company's HR.
Q.Are there systems I can use after my child is born?
A.Yes. A representative one is the "child allowance." From October 2024 the system was expanded: the income limit was removed, and it is now paid through the high-school-age years. The amounts are ¥15,000 a month for children under 3, ¥10,000 a month from age 3 through the high-school-age years, and ¥30,000 a month for the third and subsequent children. Foreigners are also eligible if they have an address in Japan (children who live within Japan are eligible for the payment). Apply at the municipality where you live.
Q.What about the residence status of a baby born in Japan?
A.A foreign baby born in Japan needs a procedure called "acquisition of residence status." Apply within 30 days of the date of birth to the Immigration Services Agency with jurisdiction over the area where you live. In many cases the baby gets the same status as the parents or a status such as "Dependent." Note that if you leave Japan within 60 days of birth, this procedure is not required. The period around childbirth gets busy, so prepare early, together with the birth notification (to the municipality within 14 days).
🤝 Where to get help (free, multilingual, anonymous OK)
Child-Rearing / Maternal and Child Health Counter of Your Municipality
You can submit the pregnancy notification, receive the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, get subsidies for prenatal checkups, and apply for the child allowance. Some municipalities offer multilingual handbooks and interpreters.
🌐 Multilingual support varies by municipality (the handbook is in 10 languages) ⏰ Weekdays (varies by municipality)
📝 Contact via web →General Labor Consultation Corner (at each prefectural Labor Bureau)
You can consult about labor troubles such as dismissal or unfavorable treatment for reasons of pregnancy, or being unable to take maternity or childcare leave.
🌐 14 languages (phone interpretation available) ⏰ Weekdays 9:00–17:00
📝 Contact via web →📞 Prefectural Labor Bureau
