Job Discussion Forums

Black_Beer_Man · Joined: 26 Mar 2013 Posts: 453 Location: Yokohama

Someone told me that foreigners do not get 100% of their pension contributions when they leave Japan.

Is there any truth to this?

If so, what percent of pension contributions do people get back?

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

I think it is 80%. If you do this you need someone in Japan to help, I have heard.

Maitoshi · Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 718 Location: 何処でも

I think you get back up to 3 years worth, so if you work longer than that, I don't think it's refunded.

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

What matters is the totalization agreement. It depends on your nationality.
Americans are covered, and I think UK citizens too.

Harp · Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:18 am Post subject:

Up to 3 years of pension contributions back, minus a processing fee - so it could be about 80% but I think it's a little higher than that.

Regarding UK citizens, there is a reciprocal agreement between Japan and UK but it only covers dual payments, i.e. if you pay into one system, you don't have to pay into the other (so a UK citizen in Japan only has to pay into the Japanese system, not the UK system at the same time).

However paying into the Japanese system for a UK citizen does NOT maintain your contributions in the UK, hence you can get the lump sum when you leave Japan and use this to put back into your UK pension contribution pot when you go back. A few countries have a one-pot agreement (for example Germany I believe) where you can pay into either system and all payments go toward your total pot, but these agreements are few and far between.