2024.10.18
Q.
When I came to Japan, I intended to return to my country almost immediately, and I was told that I didn't have to pay into the pension system if I was going to return soon, so I didn't pay into it. Since I started enrolling in social insurance through my company, I have been paying pension premiums. Am I eligible to receive a pension?
A.
Under Japan's pension system, the system has changed since August 2017, and if you have been a member of the system for at least 10 years, you can receive an old-age pension. If you have been enrolled in social insurance through your company for more than 10 years and have paid the necessary insurance premiums, you will be paid the old-age pension. Even if your period of pension enrollment is less than 10 years, you may be able to receive the old-age pension if the period when you first came to Japan was within the period of coverage.*1 Once the pension office has confirmed when you came to Japan, please prepare your Alien Registration Card*2 issued by the Immigration Bureau.
The amount of pension you are eligible to receive depends on the number of months you have paid pension premiums. If you have not paid pension premiums for any period, the amount you are eligible to receive will be reduced.
If you are eligible for the old-age pension, you will receive a notification in a green envelope from the pension office three months before you reach pensionable age. You will not be able to receive the pension unless you submit the application documents contained in this envelope to the pension office.
Consultation phone number: 0570-05-1165 (Available in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, and Nepalese)
When making inquiries to the pension office, you will need your basic pension number. Your basic pension number is written in your pension book.
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*1 Period of coverage
This is the period that is considered as the period of pension contributions required to receive the old-age pension, even if you have not made any payments.
*2 Request for disclosure of alien registration records
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/privacy/foreigner.html
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Japan Pension Service website: https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/index.html