The information is current as of Sep 2011, and is provided only as a guide. Please note that TPG takes no responsibility for the currency or accuracy of the information provided. As the system is subject to change, it is important that you use this information only as a guide, and confirm all the details specific to your own situation with your own company.
If you are employed as local staff by a company in Japan and have Japanese national health insurance, you are entitled to these 3 allowances:
1. Baby Bonus （出産育児一時金）
This money is to help pay for your hospital fees during birth (390,000 – 420,000 yen). This can alternatively be covered through your husband's insurance if you are not working.
2. Maternity Leave allowance（出産手当金）
This is the money to support you for 6 weeks (42 days) before and 8 weeks (56 days) after the birth. You can receive 67% of your monthly salary during this period.
3. Childcare Leave allowance（育児休業給付金）
This is the money paid monthly from 56 days after the birth until 12 mths after the birth. You can receive 50% of your monthly salary (note there is a cap). This can also be extended for an additional 6 mths, if for example you need more time to get your child into childcare.
Here is a diagram to help you visualise these support systems:
If your baby arrives early?
- You will receive reduced pre-birth maternity leave allowance (you will receive less money). The 56 days post-birth maternity allowance and 12 mths childcare allowance will be calculated from the actual date of birth.
If your baby is overdue?
- You will receive an extended pre-birth maternity leave allowance (you will receive more money). The 56 days post-birth maternity allowance and 12 mths childcare allowance will be calculated from the actual date of birth.
Steps for applying for Baby Bonus, Maternity Leave and Childcare Leave
Below is a summary of the steps for preparing the applications for the baby bonus, maternity leave and childcare leave. In Japan, it seems common that your company will organise the documentation for you, so you just need to provide the necessary information. This was a strange concept for me at first, as I wanted to know all the details! Hopefully the following information will help others in a similar situation.
1. At 12 wks, I informed my boss that I was pregnant. This allowed my company ample time to notify staff (before my belly started to become noticeable!), and also time to prepare the maternity leave documents and temporary replacement staff.
2. At 20 wks, my company asked me for the following information:
- Doctor’s certificate
- Confirmation of the pregnancy and estimated due date
- Dates for starting and finishing maternity leave
- You can start 6 weeks before due-date, and finish 12 months from the date of birth.
- It is recommended to be very specific about these dates and try not to make a mistake – once the documents are submitted it is difficult to change (I made a few mistakes:)). Ask your company if you are unsure. Of course, the date you return to work will be adjusted later depending on the actual date of birth.
- Whether baby will be your or your husband’s dependant（被扶養者）
- Usually the father has the baby as his dependant, but if mother’s salary is higher, she could have the baby as her dependent (for tax benefits)
- Where the baby will be born
- Hospital name, location
3. At 28 wks, company provided the following details and requested further information:
- My company provided an estimate of the amount of money that will be received for baby bonus, maternity leave, and childcare leave
- They advised that this estimation was under the current law and system, and that it may change before the baby is born (once the baby is born it is usually fixed)
- They requested my bank account details for the maternity allowance to be paid into
- Social insurance
- I had to pay for an extra 3 months of social insurance after I started maternity leave (even though I wouldn’t be working). I still don’t really understand the reason for this, but seems it happens under the Japanese system…
- I was advised that payment of inhabitant tax will be my own responsibility during maternity leave. Payment slips will be sent to my home address from the ward office.
- Baby bonus（出産育児一時金）
- This bonus is to help pay for the hospital fees during birth
- They asked me to find out if my hospital is a member of the birth medical compensation scheme （産科医療補償制度） (sankairyo hosho seido)
- If NO, will receive JPY390,000.
- If YES, will receive JPY420,000.
- Your baby bonus can be paid directly to the hospital, or into your own bank account. In the former case, you will only need to pay the balance to the hospital (for example, if your hospital is a member of the above scheme and your total stay in hospital costs 550,000 yen, you will only need to pay 130,000yen). You will need to notify your company whether you want the baby bonus to be paid to the hospital directly or into your bank account. I chose to have the money paid directly to the hospital as this was easier (my hospital fees cost more than 420,000yen, so I arranged for the baby bonus to be paid directly to my hospital and I will pay the balance after the baby is born).
4. At 34 wks (before I started maternity leave), my company provided the documentation for:
- Baby Bonus （出産育児一時金）
- As mentioned above, I chose to have the baby bonus paid directly to the hospital, so my company submitted the application form to the insurance office to make direct payment to the hospital.
- After the baby is born, ask your Doctor to fill in the relevant sections on the form. Ask your hospital front desk for help if you have any questions.
- Maternity Leave allowance（出産手当金）
- After the baby is born, ask your Doctor to fill in the relevant sections on the form. Ask your hospital front desk for help if you have any questions.
- Childcare Leave allowance（育児休業給付金）
- After baby is born, need to go to your bank with your bank book and get your bank’s stamp on the document (as verification of your bank account), and then send back to your company.
- Copy of front page of your boshi techo （母子手帳）
- Name of your baby and your and your husband’s name
- Date your baby was born (birthday)
- Birth certificate from your local ward office
You will need to send these 3 forms (Baby Bonus, Maternity Leave, and Childcare Leave forms) back to your company, together with the supporting documents, no later than 56 days after your baby is born.
Click here for more information in Japanese:
Baby Bonus (出産一時金)
Maternity Leave allowance（出産手当金）
Childcare Leave allowance（育児休業給付金）
Hope this helps and if anyone has some additional information or would like to share their own personal experience, please contact us at TPG!