Child Allowance Application (児童手当)

Applying within 15 days from the day after birth (15-day special rule) means payments start from the following month. Missing the 15-day window delays payments by one full month

Where both parents care for the child and share a household, the recipient is whichever of them supports the child to the greater degree (Child Allowance Act, art. 4(3)) - in practice usually the higher earner. If the parents live apart, it goes preferentially to the one living with the child

Monthly amount per child: 15,000 yen under age 3, and 10,000 yen from age 3 through the high-school years. At any age, the third and later children get 30,000 yen. Counting for 'third and later' includes older siblings up to the March 31 following their 22nd birthday

The October 2024 reform removed the income cap, so people who were previously above the limit and received neither the allowance nor the special payment now qualify on application. Coverage also extended to the high-school years, up to the March 31 following the child's 18th birthday

Civil servants apply through their employer, not the municipal office. Check with your workplace for the exact procedure

As a rule the child must live in Japan (studying abroad can still qualify if certain conditions are met). Statuses that carry no residence registration, such as Temporary Visitor, are out of scope; mid-to-long-term residents are registered and so can generally receive it

Since the June 2022 payment, the annual status report is no longer required as a rule. Some people still have to file one - for instance those separated from a spouse during divorce proceedings - and a municipality can still ask for it

The same 15-day rule applies when you move in from another municipality: apply to the new one within 15 days of the day after your move-in (or planned move-out) date. Apply late and you generally lose the allowance for the months you missed