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If you paid into Japan’s pension system for at least 6 months and leave Japan for good, you can claim part of it back. Japan calls this the lump-sum withdrawal payment (dattai ichijikin, 脱退一時金). You must claim within 2 years of leaving, and payments count up to 60 months at most. Here is how it works as of October 2026.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
- Who can claim: Non-Japanese nationals who paid in for 6 months or more and no longer live in Japan.
- Deadline: Within 2 years of the day you stop having an address in Japan.
- Cap: Up to 60 months (5 years) count toward the payment.
- National pension amount: ¥53,760 for 6 to 11 months, up to ¥537,600 for 60 months or more. This applies if your last payment was April 2026 to March 2027.
- Tax: 20.42% is withheld from the employees’ pension part only. You can apply to get it back through a tax agent.
Who can get the lump-sum withdrawal payment?
You can claim if you don’t have Japanese nationality, left Japan’s pension system, and left Japan. You must claim within 2 years of no longer having an address in Japan. (Japan Pension Service)
For the national pension (kokumin nenkin, 国民年金), all of these must apply:
- You don’t have Japanese nationality and are no longer covered by a public pension.
- You paid premiums for 6 months or more. Unpaid months don’t count.
- You haven’t reached the 10 years needed for an old-age pension.
- You never had a right to a pension, such as a disability basic pension.
- You have no address in Japan, and less than 2 years have passed since you lost coverage.
Source: Japan Pension Service
The employees’ pension (kosei nenkin hoken, 厚生年金保険) rules are almost the same. You need 6 months or more of coverage in total. (Japan Pension Service)
When does the 2-year deadline start?
The clock starts when you stop having an address in Japan. If you file a moving-out notice (tenshutsu todoke, 転出届) at city hall, the 2 years start the day after your move-out date. (Japan Pension Service)
If you still had an address in Japan when your coverage ended, the 2 years start when you later leave. (Japan Pension Service) Miss the deadline and you can no longer claim.
Why does the 60-month cap matter?
The payment counts at most 60 months (5 years). Japan raised the cap from 36 to 60 months in April 2021. If your last month of coverage was March 2021 or earlier, the old 36-month cap applies. (Japan Pension Service)
Longer coverage doesn’t raise the payment beyond 60 months. Worse, every month used for the claim is erased from your record. The official example: someone with 90 months gets paid for 60, and all 90 months disappear. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
If you have been in the system for more than 5 years, think carefully before you claim. More on this below.
How much will you get?
It depends on which pension you paid into. The national pension pays a fixed amount by months. The employees’ pension depends on your salary.
National pension
For people whose last premium month falls between April 2026 and March 2027, the amount goes up in 6-month steps. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
| Months paid | Payment |
|---|---|
| 6 to 11 months | ¥53,760 |
| 60 months or more | ¥537,600 |
The claim form lists every step in between. National pension payments have no tax withheld. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Employees’ pension
The official formula is your average standard monthly remuneration multiplied by a payment rate. The rate comes from the premium rate × 1/2 × a number set by your months of coverage. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
If your last month was April 2021 or later, the rate runs from 0.5 (6 to 11 months) to 5.5 (60 months or more). (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Here is an illustration only. Say your average standard monthly remuneration was ¥300,000 and you had 60 months. The payment is ¥300,000 × 5.5 = ¥1,650,000 before tax. After 20.42% withholding (¥336,930), you receive ¥1,313,070. Your actual numbers will differ.
How do you apply?
You can apply by mail or online. You can mail the form after you leave, or send it just before you go. (Japan Pension Service)
- File a moving-out notice at city hall. This sets your move-out date. It also saves you a document later.
- Get the claim form. Download it from the Japan Pension Service English page. The September 2026 version has English and Japanese.
- Fill it in and attach the documents listed below.
- Send it. Mail it, or apply on e-Gov. Search e-Gov for 電子申請用送付書（年金給付用） and attach the form as a PDF or JPEG. (Japan Pension Service)
The mailing address is the same from inside or outside Japan: Japan Pension Service (Foreign Affairs Group), 3-5-24 Takaido-nishi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8505, Japan. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Sending it before you leave? It must arrive on or after the date your resident record is deleted. You must have no address in Japan on the day it’s received. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Leaving on a re-entry permit
Under the current rules, you can still claim after leaving on a re-entry permit if you filed a moving-out notice. This includes the special re-entry permit (minashi sainyukoku kyoka). Without that notice, you are treated as still covered by the national pension. In that case you can’t claim until the permit expires. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
What documents do you need?
The claim form lists four kinds of documents. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Copy of your passport | Pages with your name, birth date, nationality, signature, and status of residence |
| Proof you no longer live in Japan | For example, a certificate of removal from the resident register (住民票の除票). Not needed if you filed a moving-out notice before leaving |
| Proof of your bank account | The account must be in your own name |
| Pension number document | Your Basic Pension Number Notice (基礎年金番号通知書) or pension handbook (nenkin techo, 年金手帳) |
Check the claim form for which bank accounts it accepts before you close your Japanese account. For closing an account, see How to Open a Bank Account in Japan as a Foreigner.
How do you get the 20.42% tax back?
The employees’ pension part has 20.42% income tax withheld when it is paid to a non-resident. The national pension part has no withholding. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
You can get the withheld tax refunded. You file a return called 退職所得の選択課税による還付のための申告書 at the tax office for your last address in Japan. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
To file this return from abroad, you need a tax agent (nozei kanrinin, 納税管理人). The official steps:
- Name a tax agent before you leave. File the 所得税・消費税の納税管理人の届出書 at the tax office. Anyone with an address or residence in Japan can be your agent. If you already left, file it together with the refund return.
- Send the agent the original payment notice. When the money is sent, you receive a 脱退一時金支給決定通知書. Mail the original to your agent.
- The agent files the refund return at the tax office.
Source: Japan Pension Service, claim form
How much comes back depends on your situation. For questions about your own refund, ask a tax professional.
What should you weigh before claiming?
The payment is cash now, but you give up pension rights. Think about these points first.
- Your pension record is erased. All the months used for the claim disappear. This includes any months beyond 60. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
- Social security agreements. Japan has agreements with some countries. If adding that country’s periods gives you 120 months or more, you can’t claim. Once you claim, those months can’t be added under an agreement. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
- Coming back to Japan. If you might return and build up 10 years, the erased months won’t count toward that.
If someone dies after claiming but before the payment arrives, certain family members who shared their living costs can receive it. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
What changes with the 2025 pension reform?
A pension reform law passed on June 13, 2025, changes this payment. These changes are not in effect yet, and the start date has not been set. (MHLW)
| Current rules (October 2026) | After the reform takes effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Cap | 60 months (5 years) | 8 years |
| Leaving on a re-entry permit | You can claim if you filed a moving-out notice | No payment while the permit is valid |
| Start date | In effect now | A date set by cabinet order, within 4 years of the law’s publication |
Sources: MHLW, MHLW reform page
As of October 5, 2026, the Japan Pension Service still shows the 60-month cap. Check its English page before you apply. (Japan Pension Service)
FAQ
Can I claim the pension refund while I’m still in Japan?
No. You must have no address in Japan on the day the Japan Pension Service receives your claim. You can mail it before you leave if it arrives after your move-out date. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
What is the deadline for the nenkin refund?
Two years from the day you stop having an address in Japan. With a moving-out notice, that is 2 years from the day after your move-out date. (Japan Pension Service)
I worked in Japan for 7 years. How much will I get?
The payment counts only 60 months, even with 7 years of coverage. All 7 years are erased from your record. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Is the pension refund taxed?
The employees’ pension part has 20.42% withheld. The national pension part has none. You can apply for a refund of the withheld tax through a tax agent. (Japan Pension Service, claim form)
Can I apply online?
Yes. Use e-Gov’s 電子申請用送付書（年金給付用） and attach your claim form as a PDF or JPEG. (Japan Pension Service)
Does the 8-year cap apply now?
No. The reform passed in 2025, but the start date has not been set. The current cap is 60 months. (MHLW)
This article is general information, not tax or legal advice. Information is as of October 5, 2026. Rules change, so check the Japan Pension Service before you apply. Sources: Japan Pension Service (English), Japan Pension Service: eligibility, Japan Pension Service: how to apply, and MHLW.