Criteria and refund amounts

If you are a foreign national who has been paying into the pension scheme and you leave Japan, you are effectively discarding all your contributions, as you will not be able to receive the pension. However, if you fulfill certain conditions you are eligible to claim a lump-sum pension withdrawal payment （年金脱退一時金, nenkin dattai ichijikin）.

Major Criteria

1. You are a foreign national
2. You have paid contributions for at least 6 months
3. You have not applied to receive pension benefits in the past （such as the Disability Allowance）
4. You have already returned to your home country, and are no longer residing in Japan
5. Less than 2 years have passed since you left Japan

Refund amounts

The amount of your refund depends on which system you were enrolled in, how long you were enrolled, and when your last month of coverage was. Calculations of refund amounts can be found at the Japan Pension Office, in the English guide to the lump-sum pension withdrawal payments.

• English guide to the lump-sum pension withdrawal payments.（外部リンク）

Please note: All inquiries regarding Japan’s pension system should be referred to Japan’s Pension Office. Their English homepage can be found here.

• here（外部リンク）