Article 31Application for Extension of the Benefit Period

①The application under Article 20, paragraph (1) of the Act is to be made by submitting a written application for extension, etc. of the benefit period (Form No. 16) to the Chief of the competent Public Employment Security Office, attaching a certificate from a physician or other documents capable of proving that the person falls under the reasons prescribed in that paragraph, and the qualified recipient's certificate (where the qualified recipient's certificate has not been issued (excluding where a notice of recipient qualification has been issued), the separation slip (where two or more separation slips are held, all of them); the same applies hereinafter in this Article) (and, where the person making the application has been issued a notice of recipient qualification, presenting the Individual Number Card together with attaching those documents).

②Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, a qualified recipient may, in addition to the case prescribed in the proviso to Article 22, paragraph (1) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (8), omit attaching the qualified recipient's certificate (or, where the qualified recipient has been issued a notice of recipient qualification, presenting the Individual Number Card), as specified by the Director-General of the Employment Security Bureau.

③The application under paragraph (1) must be made during the period from the day following the day on which the person concerned came to fall under the persons prescribed in Article 20, paragraph (1) of the Act until the day on which four years elapse counting from the day following the basis day prescribed in item (i) of that paragraph immediately preceding the day on which the person came to fall under those persons (where the period after the addition under that paragraph is less than four years, until the last day of that period); provided, however, that this does not apply where there is an unavoidable reason, such as a natural disaster, for not having made the application.

④The application under paragraph (1) in the case of the proviso to the preceding paragraph must be made within seven days counting from the day following the day on which that reason ceased.

⑤For the application under paragraph (1) in the case of the proviso to paragraph (3), documents capable of proving the unavoidable reason, such as a natural disaster, for not having made the application must be attached to the written application for extension, etc. of the benefit period.

⑥When the Chief of the competent Public Employment Security Office finds that a person who has made the application under paragraph (1) falls under the persons prescribed in Article 20, paragraph (1) of the Act, the Chief must issue to that person a written notice of extension, etc. of the benefit period (Form No. 17). In this case (excluding where the application under paragraph (1) is received without the qualified recipient's certificate attached pursuant to paragraph (2), or to the proviso to Article 22, paragraph (1) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (8) (excluding where the person who made the application has made that submission without attaching the qualified recipient's certificate because the person was issued a notice of recipient qualification)), the Chief of the competent Public Employment Security Office must, after entering the necessary particulars in the qualified recipient's certificate, return it (or, where that person has been issued a notice of recipient qualification, after entering the necessary particulars in the notice of recipient qualification, issue it).

⑦A person who has been issued a written notice of extension, etc. of the benefit period under the preceding paragraph must, if falling under any of the following items, promptly report that fact to the Chief of the competent Public Employment Security Office and submit the documents listed in that item (and, where that person has been issued a notice of recipient qualification, also present the Individual Number Card). In this case, the Chief of the competent Public Employment Security Office must, after entering the necessary particulars in the documents submitted, return them (or, in the case prescribed in item (ii) where that person has been issued a notice of recipient qualification, after entering the necessary particulars in the written notice of extension, etc. of the benefit period submitted, return it, and after entering the necessary particulars in the notice of recipient qualification, issue it).

⑧The provisions of Article 17-2, paragraph (4) apply mutatis mutandis to the cases of paragraph (1) and the preceding paragraph and to the application under paragraph (1) in the case of the proviso to paragraph (3), and the provisions of the proviso to Article 22, paragraph (1) apply mutatis mutandis to the cases of paragraph (1) and the preceding paragraph.