After living in Japan and discovering that it’s compulsory to pay into the pension system, you may have felt disappointed. But here’s some good news, once you’ve returned to your home country or wherever you may be next, you’ll be able to apply for a pension refund.
What does a pension refund entail? Well, it promises not all but a lump sum of your pension back, which is better than nothing! It’s said that the average pension refund is around 600,000 JPY, so it’s time to get moving with your application.
How do you know if you’re eligible to make a claim? Well, this all depends on the length of time you worked in Japan and will depend on your individual circumstances. Please see the basic requirements below:
✓ You are a non-Japanese citizen.
✓ You have paid into the pension system for over six months (National or Employee Pension Insurance).
✓ You have no address in Japan and are not planning to return.
✓ You have never received a pension payment in Japan.
These are the only requirements needed to make your claim. As you can see, even with six months of payment, you’re eligible for a pension refund; however, please note that the duration of time you worked is directly impacted by how much you can claim.
First things first, if you want to make a claim while you’re still in Japan but haven’t yet left the country, you will need to submit a moving-out notice to your municipal office, known as a “転出届” (tenshyutsu todoke).
Once you’ve completed this document, you can then proceed to contact the Japan Pension Service.
You’ll be asked to fill out a “脱退一時金請求書” (dattai ichi ji kin seikyū sho). This document basically calculates your lump sum amount. Once submitted, you will need a few extra documents before posting them off to the Japan Pension Service’s address, where it will take 3-6 months for them to go over your application.
If you are already living abroad, you can complete the pension refund by mail which takes 6-8 months on average for your application to be completed. Make sure you apply within 2 years of leaving Japan for the application to be valid.
✓ Passport: Make sure it’s valid, showing your departure date from Japan.
✓ Bank statements: Showing name and address with IBAN or SWIFT/BIC code.
✓ Pension Number.
It’s as simple as that. Japan’s pension refund system ensures that your pension contributions are not lost even if you don’t stay in Japan long enough to receive pension benefits. If you plan to work in Japan and want to learn more about the process don’t hesitate to call your local pension office.
