Part of our Visas & Moving to Tokyo guide. Last reviewed: October 2026.
If you’re raising children in Tokyo, two regular cash payments are available to you — and foreign residents qualify on the same terms as Japanese families. Japan’s national child allowance (児童手当, jidō teate) is paid through your ward, and Tokyo adds its own 018 Support payment on top. Together they can be worth well over 200,000 yen a year for a family with two young children. The catch: you have to apply, and applying late can cost you months of payments.
Who’s eligible
- Nationality doesn’t matter. What matters is that you and your child are registered residents of Japan (and, for 018 Support, of Tokyo).
- No income limit. Since the October 2024 reform, the child allowance has no income cap, and 018 Support has never had one.
- Short-term visitors aren’t eligible. You need resident registration, which comes with a status of residence such as a work or Dependent visa.
- The child generally needs to live in Japan, with limited exceptions such as children studying abroad.
Child allowance (jidō teate): how much
Since October 2024, the allowance covers children until the end of March after they turn 18 (high school age), and pays per child per month:
- Under 3 years old: 15,000 yen
- From age 3 to high school age: 10,000 yen
- Third and later children: 30,000 yen, at any age
Payments are made six times a year — in February, April, June, August, October and December — each covering the previous two months, directly into your bank account.
The 15-day rule (read this before anything else)
The child allowance is generally paid from the month after you apply — not from the month you arrived or the baby was born. To avoid losing money:
- Apply within 15 days of moving into your ward or of your baby’s birth. If the move or birth falls near the end of a month, applying within 15 days lets you receive payment from the following month rather than losing a month.
- Apply at the same visit as your ward-office registration if you can.
- If you move to another ward or city, you need to apply again at the new one, again within 15 days.
Late applications aren’t paid retroactively for the months you missed, so this is one deadline worth taking seriously.
How to apply for the child allowance
- Who applies: usually the parent with the higher income. Public servants apply through their employer instead of the ward.
- Where: your ward office’s child allowance counter. Many wards also accept online (My Number portal) or postal applications.
- What to bring: the applicant’s Residence Card, a bank account in the applicant’s name, health insurance details, and your My Number (individual number). Your ward may ask for more.
- After that: since June 2022, most families no longer need to submit the old annual status report (genkyō todoke). The ward will contact you if you do.
Tell the ward if your circumstances change — for example, if you move, a child leaves Japan, or the family’s situation changes.
Tokyo 018 Support: an extra 5,000 yen a month
Tokyo pays 5,000 yen a month (up to 60,000 yen a year) for each child aged 0 to 18 who lives in Tokyo, with no income limit. It’s run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, not your ward, and you apply separately.
- How to apply: online through the 018 Support portal (using My Number cards for you and your child on a smartphone), or by post using the forms on the portal.
- Who applies: a parent or guardian for children under 18; 18-year-olds can apply themselves.
- When you’re eligible: from the month after you register an address in Tokyo (if you move in on the 1st of the month, from that month).
- When it’s paid: in instalments during the fiscal year rather than monthly. Check the portal for this year’s application deadlines and payment dates.
- Help in English: the 018 Support call center is on 0120-056-018.
If you don’t yet have My Number cards, apply for them at the ward office — or use the postal application.
What it adds up to: an example
A family with a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old living in Tokyo would receive, per year:
- Child allowance: 15,000 + 10,000 yen = 25,000 yen a month = 300,000 yen
- 018 Support: 5,000 × 2 = 10,000 yen a month = 120,000 yen
- Total: about 420,000 yen a year, before any ward-level benefits
Other support worth knowing about
- Child medical subsidy: covers co-payments for children’s insured medical care in Tokyo’s 23 wards until the March after they turn 18. See our health insurance guide.
- Free licensed daycare: the base fee for licensed daycare in Tokyo is free for ages 0–5. See how to apply for hoikuen.
- Pregnancy and birth support: national pregnancy support payments and Tokyo’s newborn gift program for babies born in Tokyo.
- Ward-specific benefits: some wards add their own payments or vouchers. Ask your ward’s child and family support section.
FAQ
Do we lose the child allowance if we travel abroad for the holidays?
Short trips don’t affect eligibility. If the child moves abroad, eligibility generally ends, and you need to notify the ward.
Is the child allowance taxable?
No, the child allowance isn’t taxable income in Japan. 018 Support may be treated differently in some cases, such as children living abroad — check the portal.
We arrived months ago and never applied. What now?
Apply now. You won’t get back-payments for the missed months, but payments will start from the following month.
Sources and official information
- Children and Families Agency — Child allowance system (Japanese) and FAQ (Japanese)
- Ota City — Child allowance, online and postal applications (Japanese)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government — 018 Support inquiries (English)
Amounts and procedures can change. Confirm with your ward and the 018 Support portal. See our editorial policy.
Featured image: Yen 2 by Astelus, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
