Question 1

"Not more than two years having elapsed since the day you last lost insured status under the public pension system" is listed as one of the mandatory eligibility requirements for the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment, alongside not holding Japanese nationality, having at least 6 months of coverage, not meeting the 10-year qualifying period, never having held a right to a disability pension, and not having an address in Japan.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Fewer than 2 years elapsed since the date insured status was last lost. The requirement is one of a set the page states must all be satisfied to receive the payment; the page does not separately describe what happens once two years have elapsed.

Question 2

Any Japanese pension falling due more than five years before the date you actually claim is time-barred and cannot be paid, except for amounts treated as having been deferred under the deferral (kurisage) arrangement.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Pension instalments dated more than 5 years before the date of claim. The source states such pension "cannot be received due to prescription (時効)".

Question 3

For the Specially Provided Old-age Employees' Pension (tokubetsu shikyu no rorei kosei nenkin) there is no deferral scheme, so if the claim is late, every instalment dated more than five years before the claim is lost to prescription.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Instalments dated more than 5 years before the date of claim. The source states those amounts "cannot be received due to prescription" and that because there is no deferral scheme for this pension, applicants are urged to act early.

Question 4

Accumulate at least six months of contribution or insured period before becoming eligible for the lump sum withdrawal payment.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The start of the person's paid National Pension contribution period, or the start of their Employees Pension Insurance enrollment period. At least six months must have accumulated: for National Pension, months during which premiums were actually paid, not merely enrolled but unpaid months; for Employees Pension Insurance, at least six months of combined enrollment including mutual aid association periods. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 5

Five-year prescription of pension: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The day the right arose (権利が発生してから). For individual instalments the page's table gives the first day of the month after the payment date. 5 years. The page states the basic right is extinguished by prescription after 5 years (時効によって消滅します), but also states that where the person could not apply before prescription for unavoidable reasons and files a written statement of the reason, JPS does not treat the basic right as extinguished (「やむを得ない事情により、時効完成前に請求をすることができなかった場合は、その理由を書面で申し立てていただくことにより、基本権を時効消滅させない取扱いを行っています」). For instalments (支分権): rights arising on or before 6 July 2007 extinguish automatically after 5 years under the Accounting Act; rights arising on or after 7 July 2007 do not extinguish automatically, the state must individually invoke prescription (「5年を経過しても自動的に消滅せず、国が個別に時効を援用することによって、時効消滅する」), and the page states it does not invoke it where a decision followed a record correction or where a non-invocation administrative error is recognised.

Question 6

Exempted or deferred National Pension contributions can only be paid up retrospectively (tsuino) for exemption periods falling within the ten years before the month in which the retrospective payment is approved.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Within the 10 years preceding the month the retrospective payment is approved. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 7

A non-Japanese national who leaves Japan must apply for the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment within two years of leaving Japan.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Within 2 years of leaving Japan. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 8

Apply for the lump sum withdrawal payment (dattai ichijikin) within the statutory two year time limit after leaving the public pension system.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The day the person last lost insured status under the public pension system, or, if the person still had an address in Japan on that date, the day they subsequently no longer have an address in Japan. Within two years of the applicable start date described above. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 9

Instead of taking the old-age pension at 65, receipt can be deferred to obtain an increased pension at any point from age 66 up to age 75.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Between age 66 and age 75. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 10

Lump-sum withdrawal within two years: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The day the person ceased to have an address in Japan (日本に住所を有しなくなった日). The page adds: if the person still had a Japanese address on the day insured status was lost, the 2 years run from the first day after that on which they no longer had an address in Japan. Within 2 years of the clock start. The page states that when 2 or more years have passed since the day National Pension status was last lost, the lump-sum withdrawal can no longer be applied for (脱退一時金を請求することができません).

Question 11

The Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment can only be claimed within two years of the day you lost insured status in the Japanese public pension system; if you still had a Japanese address on that day, the two years instead run from the day you ceased to have an address in Japan.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Within 2 years of losing insured status, or within 2 years of ceasing to have an address in Japan if you still had one on the date status was lost. The source states the claim may be made only within that two-year window ("2年以内に限り請求することができます"); it does not further state what happens to the money afterwards.

Question 12

A pensioner moving abroad must file the 'Registration (Change) of Address and Receiving Financial Institution for Pension Beneficiaries Residing Overseas' form by the last day of the month before last relative to the pension payment date.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. By the last day of the second month preceding the pension payment date. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 13

When claiming a Japanese pension from abroad, supporting civil-status documents must have been issued on or after the date the entitlement arose AND within six months before the date the pension claim form is submitted.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. Documents must be issued within 6 months before the claim is submitted, and on or after the entitlement date. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 14

Genkyo todoke life certificate: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The pensioner's birth month each year (JPS states it sends the form 3 months before the birth month). By the last day of the birth month, every year. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 15

For National Pension periods, if the last month for which premiums were paid is April 2021 or later, up to 60 months are counted in the calculation.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state this as a personal running clock; the page instead sets a fixed calendar cutoff of 1 April 2021, and the cap that applies depends on the last month premiums were paid or the last month of insured status relative to that date. A 60 month cap applies if the last paid or insured month is April 2021 or later; a 36 month cap applies if the last paid or insured month is March 2021 or earlier, and for Employees Pension Insurance periods before March 2021 the 36 month cap continues to apply. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 16

If exempted or deferred National Pension contributions are paid up in the third fiscal year or later counting from the fiscal year after the exemption/deferral was approved, a surcharge is added to the original contribution amount, scaled to the time elapsed.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. From the third fiscal year onward, counted from the fiscal year following approval of the exemption or deferral. The source states that an additional amount corresponding to the elapsed period is added on top of the contribution amount as it stood at the time.

Question 17

Totalisation minimum: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

Not applicable (no deadline; eligibility rule). Not applicable. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Question 18

From April 2021 the maximum number of months used to calculate the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment was raised from 36 months (3 years) to 60 months (5 years), but only where there is a contribution-paid period (National Pension) or insured period (Employees' Pension) falling in April 2021 or later.: what starts the clock and how long does it run?

Accepted Answer

The source does not state what starts the clock. April 2021 (Reiwa 3, April) onwards. the source does not state what happens if this is missed.

Japan pension deadlines for people who left

Any Japanese pension falling due more than five years before the date you actually claim is time-barred and cannot be paid, except for amounts treated as having been deferred under the deferral (kurisage) arrangement.

For the Specially Provided Old-age Employees' Pension (tokubetsu shikyu no rorei kosei nenkin) there is no deferral scheme, so if the claim is late, every instalment dated more than five years before the claim is lost to prescription.

Accumulate at least six months of contribution or insured period before becoming eligible for the lump sum withdrawal payment.

Five-year prescription of pension

Exempted or deferred National Pension contributions can only be paid up retrospectively (tsuino) for exemption periods falling within the ten years before the month in which the retrospective payment is approved.

A non-Japanese national who leaves Japan must apply for the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment within two years of leaving Japan.

Apply for the lump sum withdrawal payment (dattai ichijikin) within the statutory two year time limit after leaving the public pension system.

Instead of taking the old-age pension at 65, receipt can be deferred to obtain an increased pension at any point from age 66 up to age 75.

Lump-sum withdrawal within two years

The Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment can only be claimed within two years of the day you lost insured status in the Japanese public pension system; if you still had a Japanese address on that day, the two years instead run from the day you ceased to have an address in Japan.

A pensioner moving abroad must file the 'Registration (Change) of Address and Receiving Financial Institution for Pension Beneficiaries Residing Overseas' form by the last day of the month before last relative to the pension payment date.

When claiming a Japanese pension from abroad, supporting civil-status documents must have been issued on or after the date the entitlement arose AND within six months before the date the pension claim form is submitted.

Genkyo todoke life certificate

For National Pension periods, if the last month for which premiums were paid is April 2021 or later, up to 60 months are counted in the calculation.

If exempted or deferred National Pension contributions are paid up in the third fiscal year or later counting from the fiscal year after the exemption/deferral was approved, a surcharge is added to the original contribution amount, scaled to the time elapsed.

Totalisation minimum

From April 2021 the maximum number of months used to calculate the Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment was raised from 36 months (3 years) to 60 months (5 years), but only where there is a contribution-paid period (National Pension) or insured period (Employees' Pension) falling in April 2021 or later.