How much is the Japan pension lump-sum withdrawal?
Last checked: 2026-11-06
Foreigners who leave Japan can claim up to 537,600 yen from the National Pension, or an amount based on salary from the Employees' Pension, if they were enrolled for at least 6 months and claim within 2 years. The 537,600 yen figure is for a last premium month between April 2026 and March 2027. Claiming cancels all your earlier Japanese pension periods.
Who can claim
The Japan Pension Service says you can claim after you lose your insured status and leave Japan, if all of these are true:
- You do not have Japanese nationality.
- You have at least 6 months of National Pension contributions, or at least 6 months in the Employees' Pension or a Mutual Aid system.
- You do not have an address in Japan.
- You were never eligible to receive a pension, including a disability allowance.
You must claim within 2 years of the date you no longer had an address in Japan. The English web page words this as within two years of leaving Japan. We use the wording on the claim form. If you have 120 months (10 years) or more of eligibility, you cannot claim.
National Pension amounts
The formula is the premium for the fiscal year of your last paid month, times 1/2, times the number in the table.
| Months paid | Number used | Last paid April 2026 to March 2027 | Last paid April 2025 to March 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 to under 12 | 6 | 53,760 yen | 52,530 yen |
| 12 to under 18 | 12 | 107,520 yen | 105,060 yen |
| 18 to under 24 | 18 | 161,280 yen | 157,590 yen |
| 24 to under 30 | 24 | 215,040 yen | 210,120 yen |
| 30 to under 36 | 30 | 268,800 yen | 262,650 yen |
| 36 to under 42 | 36 | 322,560 yen | 315,180 yen |
| 42 to under 48 | 42 | 376,320 yen | 367,710 yen |
| 48 to under 54 | 48 | 430,080 yen | 420,240 yen |
| 54 to under 60 | 54 | 483,840 yen | 472,770 yen |
| 60 or more | 60 | 537,600 yen | 525,300 yen |
Earlier years have their own amounts. See the claim form.
Employees' Pension amounts
If you worked for a company, the amount is your average standard remuneration times a payment rate. The average includes standard monthly pay and standard bonuses. The rates below apply if your last month was April 2021 or later.
| Months enrolled | Payment rate |
|---|---|
| 6 to under 12 | 0.5 |
| 12 to under 18 | 1.1 |
| 18 to under 24 | 1.6 |
| 24 to under 30 | 2.2 |
| 30 to under 36 | 2.7 |
| 36 to under 42 | 3.3 |
| 42 to under 48 | 3.8 |
| 48 to under 54 | 4.4 |
| 54 to under 60 | 4.9 |
| 60 or more | 5.5 |
Our own example: an average of 300,000 yen and 60 months gives 300,000 x 5.5 = 1,650,000 yen. After 20.42% withholding (336,930 yen), 1,313,070 yen would be paid.
The 60-month cap
The amount is calculated on 60 months at most. If all your periods ended by March 2021, the cap is 36 months. If you have 61 months or more and claim, you still lose every month. For example, someone with 90 months is paid for 60 and loses all 90.
Tax
For non-residents, 20.42% income tax is withheld from the Employees' Pension payment. It is not withheld from the National Pension payment. You may be able to get a refund by filing a return with the tax office for your last address in Japan. This needs a tax agent notification, which the Japan Pension Service says to file before you leave. If you did not, file it with the return. Ask the tax office about your own case. Our page on resident and non-resident tax explains the difference.
What you give up
The Japan Pension Service says that anyone who receives this payment loses all Japanese pension periods before the claim, in every case. Those months cannot then count toward an old-age pension in Japan, or be added to periods in a country with a totalization agreement. As of March 2026, it lists Germany, the USA, Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, the Philippines, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and Austria. If you may return to Japan, or you are from one of these countries, ask the pension office first.
What to send
- The Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment Claim Form.
- A copy of your passport pages showing name, date of birth, nationality, signature and status of residence.
- Proof you no longer have an address in Japan. This is not needed if you filed a Moving-out Notification before leaving.
- A document from your bank showing the bank, branch, branch location, account number and that the account is in your name.
- A document showing your Basic Pension Number.
If you claim from inside Japan, the Japan Pension Service must receive the form on or after your moving-out date. It cannot pay into Japan Post Bank. Send the claim to Japan Pension Service (Foreign Business Group), 3-5-24 Takaido-Nishi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 168-8505. The address is on the form.
Changes announced but not yet in force
An MHLW overview of the 2025 pension law says the cap will rise from five years to eight years, and that the payment will not be made to someone who leaves with a valid re-entry permit. It says this starts within four years of the law's promulgation. The current form still shows a 60-month cap, and it allows a claim after leaving with a re-entry permit if you filed a Moving-out Notification. We did not find a start date. Check again before you claim. See also special re-entry and re-entry permits. If you are staying in Japan on a low income, read about the National Pension exemption.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. For your own case, ask the Japan Pension Service or your local pension office.