How many months after starting can I take paid leave?

6 months
Minimum service
80%
Attendance rate
10 days
First-year entitlement
15 days
After 2 years
The Short Answer

You can take paid leave after working continuously for 6 months and attending work for at least 80% of scheduled workdays.

What the Law Says

Japan’s Labor Standards Act sets the legal requirements for paid annual leave, including eligibility timing and minimum entitlements.

Under Japanese law, employees become eligible for paid annual leave after completing 6 months of continuous employment with the same employer.

To qualify, the employee must also have attended work on at least 80% of all scheduled workdays during that 6-month period.

The number of paid leave days granted depends on length of service: 10 days after 6 months and 1 year of service; 11 days after 1.5 years; increasing up to 20 days after 6 or more years of continuous service.

Employers must grant leave upon request — unless it interferes with normal business operations — and cannot unilaterally cancel approved leave.

Statutory Text

An employer shall grant annual paid leave of not less than ten working days to an employee who has been employed continuously for six months and has attended work for at least eighty percent of the scheduled workdays.

— Labor Standards Act, s. 39 — Annual Paid Leave
Statutory Text

The number of days of annual paid leave to be granted... shall increase as the period of continuous employment becomes longer...

— Labor Standards Act, s. 39, Paragraph 3

What to Do

1

Confirm you have worked continuously for at least 6 months with your current employer.

2

Check your attendance record — ensure you attended ≥80% of scheduled workdays in that period.

3

Submit a written leave request to your employer specifying desired dates.

4

If denied, ask for a written explanation — employers may only refuse if granting leave would significantly hinder operations.

5

Keep records of your request and employer’s response for potential labor consultation.

Sources

statuteLabor Standards Act, s. 39 — Annual Paid Leave

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Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.