Since 2007, employers have had to report each foreign employee to the public employment service, Hello Work, both on hiring and on separation. The report gives the person's name, residence status, period of stay, nationality and, since 1 March 2020, residence card number. It applies to every employer, whatever its size, and to full-time, part-time and fixed-term staff alike.
The exemptions are narrow. Special permanent residents, mostly long-settled Korean and Taiwanese families, and people with Diplomat or Official status are excluded. Ordinary permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals and other family-based statuses are covered, even though they can work without restriction.
Deadlines follow employment insurance. For an employee who is enrolled, the notification is made on the employment insurance enrolment form, due by the tenth of the month after hiring, and on the loss-of-eligibility form within ten days of leaving. For someone not enrolled, such as a short-hours part-timer, a separate form is due by the end of the following month. Failure to notify, or a false notification, is punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
The aggregate figures are the government's main count of foreign workers. As of October 2025, they recorded about 2.57 million foreign workers at around 371,000 establishments, both record highs.
What it means for a foreign employer
- Permanent residents are not exempt. HR teams often assume a permanent resident is treated like a Japanese employee. For this filing they are not.
- It is a separate step from the visa check. Checking the residence card and filing this notice are two duties. A missed notice on departure is a common gap when someone leaves suddenly.
- Expatriates count too. A transferee on the Japanese payroll, or working for the Japanese entity, needs a notification even if their contract sits overseas.
- Use the same data for tracking expiries. The notice captures period of stay, which is also what you need for a renewal calendar.
Sources
- Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labour Policies, Articles 28 and 40.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, guidance on the foreign employment status notification.
- Tokyo Hello Work, notice that residence card numbers are required in notifications from March 2020.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, summary of foreign employment status notifications as at end of October 2025.