Japan Child Allowance (Kodomo Teate): Amounts and Payment Dates

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Amounts and rules are set nationally by the Children and Families Agency and paid by your city or ward; check your municipality's own page for its payment day and forms.

Correction, 11 October 2026: an earlier version said the allowance is paid monthly and gave no amounts. It is paid six times a year, in even-numbered months, at the national rates below.

Japan pays a child allowance to almost every family raising children here, including foreign residents. Its official name is 児童手当 (jidō teate). Many people still call it kodomo teate (子ども手当), the name it had from 2010 to 2012.

How much you get

Since the reform that took effect in October 2024, there is no income limit, and children qualify until the end of March after they turn 18, that is, through high school age.

When counting which child is your third, older children up to the end of March after they turn 22 count if you support them, even though they no longer receive the allowance themselves.

When it is paid

The allowance is paid six times a year, in even-numbered months: February, April, June, August, October and December. Each payment covers the previous two months; the December payment, for example, covers October and November. The exact deposit day is set by your city or ward, so check its website for the dates in 2026.

Who qualifies

• You are registered as a resident in Japan (you have a residence card and have registered your address).
• The child lives in Japan. Children studying abroad can be an exception; ask your municipality.
• You are the person mainly supporting the child. In a two-parent household this is usually the parent with the higher income.

Nationality does not matter. Foreign residents apply on the same terms as Japanese citizens.

How to apply

1. Register your address at your city or ward office after you move in. See ward registration for families.
2. Apply for the child allowance at the same office, or online through Mynaportal in many municipalities, within 15 days of moving in or of the birth. The allowance starts from the month after you apply, so a late application loses months that cannot be paid back.
3. Bring your residence card, your bank account details in your own name, and your health insurance information. Your municipality may ask for more, so check its list first.

If you or your spouse is a public servant, apply through your employer, not the city.

When you move to another municipality, you apply again at the new one, also within 15 days.

FAQ

Can foreign residents get the child allowance in Japan? Yes, if you are registered as a resident and your child lives in Japan. Nationality does not matter.

How much is the child allowance in 2026? ¥15,000 a month for each child under three, ¥10,000 a month from age three until the end of March after the child turns 18, and ¥30,000 a month for the third child and later at any age.

When is the child allowance paid? Six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December, each covering the previous two months. Your city or ward sets the exact day.

Is there an income limit? No. The income limit was abolished in October 2024.

What happens if I apply late? The allowance starts from the month after you apply, so apply within 15 days of moving in or of the birth. Months before the application are not paid.

Is this the same as daycare subsidies? No. The child allowance is separate from daycare (hoikuen) fees and subsidies, which you apply for separately.