Japan Pension System Basics for Foreign Residents: National Pension, Employees’ Pension, and Lump-Sum Withdrawal

All registered residents in Japan aged 20 to 59 are statutory participants in the public pension system. The National Pension (国民年金) forms the basic tier, while salaried employees are additionally enrolled in Employees' Pension Insurance (厚生年金) through their employer.

Your pension records are tracked using a 10-digit Basic Pension Number (基礎年金番号). Salaried employees are enrolled by their employer, whereas self-employed residents or students handle National Pension procedures at their local municipal office.

Residents facing financial difficulty or low income during specific periods may apply for contribution exemptions or payment postponements. Note that exemptions require formal review and approval by the Japan Pension Service and are not granted automatically.

Japan has entered into bilateral social security agreements with numerous countries to prevent dual coverage and allow period totalization. Whether your contribution period in Japan can be combined with your home country pension depends on specific treaty terms.

Non-Japanese nationals leaving Japan who satisfy contribution period conditions may apply for a Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment (脱退一時金), generally within two years after departure. Note that receiving this payment invalidates all previous Japanese pension coverage periods used for that calculation.

Regularly check your contribution statements and consult a local Japan Pension Service branch office or official helpline for individual questions regarding totalization, exemptions, or departure filings.