Japan Social Security Agreements: Totalization & Dual Coverage

Regulatory & Legal Advisory: Educational & Informational Content Only

The procedures, legal frameworks, tax laws, and visa requirements described in this guide reflect official guidelines and regulatory synthesis current as of publication. Immigration policies, tax treaties, and municipal requirements change frequently. This content is for educational and planning purposes only and cannot substitute for formal legal, tax, or immigration counsel. Readers must verify current requirements directly with relevant municipal city halls, the National Tax Agency (NTA), the Japan Pension Service, official embassies, or certified professional advisors (licensed immigration lawyers, certified tax accountants / Zeirishi).

Japan has Social Security Agreements (Shakai Hosho Kyotei 社会保障協定) in force with 24 countries (as of October 2026). They do up to two things: keep a temporarily posted worker in one country’s system only, and add both countries’ contribution periods together so that a pension becomes payable.¹² Four of them (United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, China and Italy) do only the first, so your protection depends on the country, your employment arrangement and the expected length of the posting.¹³

This guide is written for people leaving Japan: corporate assignees (Chuzai-in 駐在員) and their HR teams, Japanese citizens taking local jobs abroad, and foreign residents moving on with Japanese pension credits.

The Two Pillars of Social Security Agreements: Detachment vs. Totalization

The Japan Pension Service (JPS) describes two core rules: elimination of dual coverage, and totalization of coverage periods.⁴ In Japanese law the agreements are implemented through a 2007 special-provisions act that adjusts the Employees’ Pension Insurance Act, the Health Insurance Act, the National Health Insurance Act and the National Pension Act for agreement cases.⁵

Why Dual Coverage Happens Without an Agreement

Social security generally follows the place of work, but Japanese coverage follows your Japanese employment. A seconded employee who keeps a Japanese employment contract usually remains in Employees’ Pension Insurance (Kosei Nenkin 厚生年金保険) and Japanese health insurance, while the host country also requires enrollment in its own system.⁶ The result is two sets of contributions, often for a posting too short to build any entitlement abroad.

Where a scheme is not covered by an agreement, each country applies its own law. Dual enrollment can therefore persist for some schemes (often health insurance) even in agreement countries.¹⁴

Pillar 1: Elimination of Dual Coverage (Applicable Legislation Rules)

The default rule is one system at a time: the system of the country where you work. The main exception is temporary dispatch by an employer in Japan for a period expected to be 5 years or less, in which case you stay in the Japanese system only.⁶⁷ JPS summarises the outcomes in four lines:

• Dispatch expected to last 5 years or less: Japanese system only.
• Dispatch extended beyond 5 years for unforeseen reasons: host system in principle, Japanese system if both countries agree.
• Dispatch expected from the start to exceed 5 years: host system only.
• Hired locally in the partner country: host system only.

Simultaneous work in both countries during the same period has its own rule in three agreements. Under the Japan-UK, Japan-Korea and Japan-Italy agreements, pension coverage follows the country of your primary residence (生活の本拠).⁷ Seafarers and international aircrew are subject to special rules that vary by agreement.⁶

Self-employed people follow similar 5-year logic, with gaps. The Australia, India and China agreements do not coordinate self-employed persons, and France handles self-employed exemptions case by case on application.^6891011

Pillar 2: Totalization of Coverage Periods (Kikan Tsusan)

Totalization (Kikan Tsusan 期間通算) lets partner-country periods count toward the length of coverage Japan requires before it pays a pension. It affects eligibility, not the amount: each country calculates its benefit in proportion to its own coverage periods.¹²

Only one partner country can be combined with Japan. A JPS FAQ confirms that periods from two different agreement countries cannot be added together to reach Japan’s 10-year minimum.¹³ Twenty of the 24 agreements include totalization (as of October 2026).¹³

What Agreements Do Not Do

No money moves between countries. Your Japanese contributions stay in Japan and your foreign contributions stay abroad; each country pays its own pension on its own periods.¹²

Only the public schemes listed in each agreement are coordinated. Australia’s agreement relieves dual coverage for the Superannuation Guarantee but totalizes only with the residence-based Age Pension, Canada excludes the Quebec Pension Plan, and India covers its Employees’ Provident Fund for dual-coverage relief only.¹⁸¹⁴⁹ Private corporate plans (such as US 401(k) plans or Japanese defined contribution plans) are not among the listed schemes.

Income tax is a separate matter. Social Security Agreements do not relieve income tax; tax treaties do, as covered in the guide to receiving a Japanese pension abroad.

Country Matrix: Which Countries Have Social Security Agreements with Japan?

This section sets out, for each of the 24 countries, the schemes covered, detachment limits and totalization conditions.

The 24 Agreements in Force (as of October 2026)

Table 1 shows scope and the Japanese schemes covered (as of October 2026). “Totalization + dual” means the agreement both prevents double contributions and adds periods together; “Dual only” means it prevents double contributions only.¹³¹⁵

Country	In force since	Scope	Japanese schemes covered
Germany	1 Feb 2000	Totalization + dual	Pension
United Kingdom	1 Feb 2001	Dual only	Pension
Korea	1 Apr 2005	Dual only	Pension
United States	1 Oct 2005	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Belgium	1 Jan 2007	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
France	1 Jun 2007	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Canada	1 Mar 2008	Totalization + dual	Pension
Australia	1 Jan 2009	Totalization + dual	Pension
Netherlands	1 Mar 2009	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Czech Republic	1 Jun 2009	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Spain	1 Dec 2010	Totalization + dual	Pension
Ireland	1 Dec 2010	Totalization + dual	Pension
Brazil	1 Mar 2012	Totalization + dual	Pension
Switzerland	1 Mar 2012	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Hungary	1 Jan 2014	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
India	1 Oct 2016	Totalization + dual	Pension
Luxembourg	1 Aug 2017	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance
Philippines	1 Aug 2018	Totalization + dual	Pension
Slovak Republic	1 Jul 2019	Totalization + dual	Pension
China	1 Sep 2019	Dual only	Pension
Finland	1 Feb 2022	Totalization + dual	Pension, employment insurance
Sweden	1 Jun 2022	Totalization + dual	Pension
Italy	1 Apr 2024	Dual only	Pension, employment insurance
Austria	1 Dec 2025	Totalization + dual	Pension, health insurance (see caveat), employment insurance

Table 2 summarises the detachment, extension and totalization rules from each JPS country notice page. Where JPS states only the extension add-on, the total shown is derived by adding it to the initial 5 years and is marked “derived”; it is not a figure JPS itself publishes.

Country	Detachment and extension (as of October 2026)	Totalization notes
Germany1617	First 60 calendar months exempt even if a longer posting was expected; extension up to 36 months for special circumstances (derived total 96 months); workers covered by Japanese law are also exempt from German unemployment insurance under Protocol point 10(b)18	German periods can help meet the 6-month minimum for the Japanese lump-sum payment
United Kingdom1920	5 years; extension up to 3 years for unforeseen circumstances (derived total 8)	None (dual only)
Korea1920	5 years; extension up to 3 years (derived total 8)	None (dual only)
United States2122	5 years; extension up to 3 years if unforeseeable, over 3 and up to 4 years if also needed to avoid serious hardship (derived total up to 9)	1 US credit = 3 Japanese months; at least 6 US credits needed for a totalized US benefit
Belgium23	5 years; extension in principle up to 1 year, up to 2 in special circumstances (derived total 6 to 7)	At least 1 year of Belgian coverage needed; 1 Belgian quarter = 3 Japanese months
France1024	5 years; extension in principle not allowed, up to 1 year in some cases; 1-year gap between postings; work-accident condition	1 French quarter = 3 Japanese months; some French benefits need at least 1 year
Canada14	5 years; extension up to 3 years on individual review (derived total 8)	1 CPP year = 12 Japanese months; at least 1 year of Canadian coverage or residence; OAS residence not counted for Japan
Australia8	First 5 years exempt even if longer expected; extension possible, no fixed period; self-employed not covered	Australian working-life residence counts toward Japan; Age Pension abroad needs 12 months of residence including 6 continuous
Netherlands2524	Expected 5 years or less; extension up to 1 year, request at least 1 month before the 5 years end (derived total 6); 1-year gap between postings	No Dutch minimum; residence-only Dutch periods not counted for Japan
Czech Republic26	Expected 5 years or less; extension in principle up to 3 years, case by case (derived total 8)	Czech totalization not applied if the Czech period is under 12 months
Spain27	5 years; extension up to 3 years (over 2 years needs detailed reasons; derived total 8); Spanish work-accident insurance still required	Not applied if the Spanish period is under 1 year
Ireland28	5 years; extension up to 3 years (derived total 8); work-accident gap risk	At least 52 weeks of Irish coverage; 1 Japanese month = 4.33 Irish weeks
Brazil2924	5 years; extension up to 3 years (derived total 8); 1-year gap between postings	Brazilian benefit prorated by the Brazilian share of combined periods
Switzerland30	5 years; extension up to 1 year (derived total 6)	Japanese periods count only for Swiss disability eligibility
Hungary31	Expected 5 years or less; one extension only, total 6 years (stated)	At least 1 year of Hungarian coverage; not used for Hungarian disability
India9	5 years; extension up to 3 years (derived total 8); self-employed not covered	Japanese periods may count toward the 10-year EPS minimum; EPF not totalized
Luxembourg32	5 years; no specific extension provision, very short extension possible exceptionally	Non-overlapping periods counted both ways; no minimum stated
Philippines33	5 years for employees and self-employed; extension up to 3 years (derived total 8)	Not applied if the Philippine period is under 1 year
Slovak Republic34	First 5 years exempt even if longer expected; total 8 years including extension (stated); Slovak health insurance not coordinated	Non-overlapping Japanese periods counted
China11	First 5 years exempt, no expectation test; extension in principle up to 5 years, more in special cases; self-employed, Hong Kong and Macau not covered	None (dual only)
Finland35	Up to 5 years; total 8 years including extension (stated)	1 Finnish year = 12 Japanese months
Sweden36	Up to 5 years; extension in principle not allowed	1 Swedish year = 12 Japanese months; not for the guarantee pension
Italy37	Up to 5 years; total 10 years including extension (stated)	None (dual only)
Austria38	Expected 5 years or less; total 8 years including extension (stated); Austrian sickness insurance (residence permit) and accident insurance still required	Not applied if the Austrian period is under 1 year

Several JPS country pages have not been updated for years. Many notice pages are dated March 2022 or earlier, so confirm current rules with JPS before relying on any single row (as of October 2026).¹

Agreements Signed but Not Yet in Force, and Under Negotiation

Japan and Poland signed an agreement on 15 April 2026, Japan’s 25th signed agreement. It provides for postings of 5 years or less to stay in the sending country’s pension system and for periods to be totalized; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) announcement gives no in-force date and notes that Japan needs Diet approval to conclude it.³⁹ MHLW data dated 2 June 2026 lists Poland as signed, not in force, and the JPS in-force lists checked in October 2026 do not include it.⁴⁰¹²

MHLW lists three countries under intergovernmental negotiation and one in preparatory talks (as of October 2026). The negotiating partners are Turkey, Norway and Vietnam, and Thailand is at the preparatory stage.⁴⁰ Until an agreement enters into force, both countries’ domestic laws apply in full, with no exemption and no totalization.¹

Poland is signed, not in force

No in-force date appears in the official MHLW and JPS sources cited here (as of October 2026). Until the agreement enters into force, Japanese and Polish contributions both remain due and no periods can be totalized.

Health Insurance and Employment Insurance: Which Agreements Cover Them

Only 9 agreements cover Japanese health insurance: United States, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Luxembourg and Austria (as of October 2026).¹³ No other agreement covers Japanese health insurance, including the Philippines and Slovakia agreements.¹³

Two caveats matter for assignees. Under the Austria agreement, Japanese assignees and Japan-resident self-employed workers must also join Austrian sickness insurance, which JPS links to Austrian residence permit rules, and Austrian accident insurance.³⁸ Slovakia coordinates its sickness cash benefits but not Slovak health insurance, so double health cover can arise there.³⁴

Japanese employment insurance is covered only under the Finland, Italy and Austria agreements (as of October 2026).¹³ Under a pension-only agreement, a Chuzai assignee may owe host-country health contributions while remaining in Japanese health insurance, as explained in the guide to cancelling National Health Insurance and Shakai Hoken.

Eliminating Dual Contributions: The Certificate of Coverage (Tekiyo Shomeisho)

The Certificate of Coverage (Tekiyo Shomeisho 適用証明書) turns the agreement into an actual exemption. Without it, the host country has no basis to stop collecting contributions.

What the Certificate Proves and Who Needs It

JPS issues the certificate to show that you remain covered by the Japanese system. You give it to your workplace in the partner country and show it to the authorities there on request.⁴¹⁴² China requires the original to be submitted promptly through the Chinese host employer to the local social insurance agency, and Switzerland requires a copy to go to the cantonal health insurance authority.¹¹³⁰

Nationality does not matter. A JPS FAQ states that anyone sent from a business establishment in Japan for an expected 5 years or less is treated as a temporary dispatch worker regardless of nationality.⁴³

Applying in Japan: Employer Filing at the Japan Pension Service

For employees, the Japanese employer files the Application for Issuance of a Certificate of Coverage (適用証明書交付申請書). Each agreement has its own form; self-employed people apply themselves.⁴¹⁴²⁴⁴ The application can be filed from about 6 months before work starts, and the forms ask for it in principle before the dispatch begins (as of October 2026).⁴⁵⁴⁴

Where to file depends on the scheme (as of October 2026). A JPS FAQ says Employees’ Pension applications for issue, extension or reissue are mailed to the Social Security Agreement section at JPS headquarters in Chofu, Tokyo, which takes postal applications only, while National Pension applications go to the nearest pension office.⁴⁵ The JPS procedure page also accepts filing at a pension office, and pension offices handle in-person questions.⁴¹⁴⁵

Related forms cover later changes. Extensions use the 適用証明書期間継続・延長申請書, filed in principle before the extension starts, and a lost, damaged or changed certificate is replaced with the 適用証明書再交付申請書 (as of October 2026).⁴¹⁴⁴ JPS does not publish a processing time, so build in a buffer.

If only the host system applies, for example because the posting is expected to exceed 5 years, the employer files a loss of Employees’ Pension and Health Insurance eligibility citing the agreement as the cause.⁴¹ People in National Pension or National Health Insurance report the loss at their municipality with proof of enrollment in the host system.⁴¹

Accompanying Family Members

There is no uniform rule for family members. The JPS procedure page lists employer confirmation of accompanying dependents only for France and Brazil.⁴¹ Under France, the employer notes the dependent spouse or children on its confirmation sheet; under Brazil, they are entered on the reverse of the certificate and certified by the employer.¹⁰²⁹

Other agreements state specific outcomes. Under the Netherlands agreement, a non-working spouse or children going from Japan stay under Japanese law only and are recorded on the reverse of the certificate.²⁵ Under Switzerland, the non-working spouse or child of a worker covered by Japan is exempt from Swiss social security, and the UK agreement has no special family rule.³⁰¹⁹

For most other agreements the JPS notice pages are silent on family members. Confirm their status with JPS and the host authority before departure. Whether dependents keep Japanese health insurance abroad is covered in the National Health Insurance cancellation guide.

Changes During the Posting: Early Return, Transfer, or Change of Employer

If the posting ends before the certificate’s end date, the certificate goes back to JPS. Write the actual dispatch end date (Western calendar) in the margin and send the certificate directly to the JPS Social Security Agreement section in Chofu.⁴⁶

A switch to local hire ends detachment. Once you are employed by a host-country company rather than sent by your Japanese employer, only the host system applies.⁶ The JPS pages cited here set out no procedure for changing employer mid-posting, so ask JPS before any restructuring.

The 5-Year Rule for Temporary Corporate Detachments (Chuzai)

The “5-year rule” is really an expectation rule with country exceptions. Getting it wrong at the start can mean the exemption never applied.

The Expectation Test: “Not Expected to Exceed 5 Years” at the Outset

Temporary dispatch means the posting is expected from the outset to last 5 years or less. A JPS FAQ confirms that a posting planned to exceed 5 years is not temporary, even if it actually ends within 5 years.⁴⁷ In that case the host system applies from day one.⁶⁷

Four agreements exempt the first 5 years whatever the expected length. Germany (60 calendar months), Australia, Slovakia and China cover the initial period regardless of how long the posting is expected to last.^1683411 The Finland, Sweden and Italy pages phrase the rule as “until the dispatch ends within 5 years” without a clear expectation test, so confirm treatment with JPS for those three.³⁵³⁶³⁷

The 5 years are counted in days, except under the Germany agreement. In the JPS example, a dispatch starting on 15 October 2005 reaches 5 years on 14 October 2010; Germany counts in calendar months.⁴⁸

flowchart TD
    A["Sent abroad to an agreement country"] --> B{"Still employed and sent by an employer in Japan?"}
    B -- "No: local hire or full transfer" --> H["Host-country system only"]
    B -- "Yes" --> C{"Germany, Australia, Slovakia or China?"}
    C -- "Yes" --> D["First 5 years in Japanese system (Germany: 60 months)"]
    C -- "No" --> E{"Expected at the outset to last 5 years or less?"}
    E -- "No" --> H
    E -- "Yes" --> F["Japanese system only, with Certificate of Coverage"]
    D --> G{"Posting continues beyond 5 years?"}
    F --> G
    G -- "No" --> R["Return: end of posting"]
    G -- "Yes" --> X{"Extension agreed by both countries?"}
    X -- "Yes" --> Y["Japanese system until extension ends"]
    X -- "No" --> Z["Host system, optional special voluntary Kosei Nenkin enrollment"]

Extensions Beyond 5 Years and What Happens If Refused

An extension needs an application and the agreement of both countries’ authorities. The employer (or self-employed person) applies, the maximum varies by agreement, and if the request is refused only the host system applies from the end of the initial 5 years.⁶⁷⁴²

Caps differ widely (as of October 2026). JPS states total caps of 6 years for Hungary, 8 years for Slovakia, Finland and Austria, and 10 years for Italy; for most other agreements it gives only an add-on of 1 to 3 years (see Table 2).^3134353837 Sweden and Luxembourg in principle allow no extension, Australia sets no fixed period, and China allows up to 5 more years in principle.^3632811

If you must join the host system, Japanese coverage can continue voluntarily. A special voluntary enrollment in Employees’ Pension (Tokurei Kanyu 特例加入) is available to people who must enroll abroad but want to keep building their Kosei Nenkin record.⁶⁴¹

Back-to-back postings may need a gap. The France, Netherlands and Brazil agreements require a 1-year interval between two temporary dispatches; other agreements set no fixed interval, but the two postings must not be effectively continuous.²⁴

Secondment (Zaiseki Shukko) vs. Transfer (Tenseki) vs. Local Hire (Genchi Saiyo)

Detachment assumes you are still sent by an employer in Japan. A secondment (Zaiseki Shukko 在籍出向) that keeps your Japanese employment usually fits that model.⁶⁷ A transfer of employment (Tenseki 転籍) or a local hire (Genchi Saiyo 現地採用) generally places you in the host system only, so totalization becomes the relevant protection instead.⁶

Mixed arrangements are addressed in some agreements. The Hungary and Slovakia pages cover workers who also have a host-country employer related to, or directed by, the Japanese employer, and treat them as dispatched if conditions are met.³¹³⁴ Wider package differences are covered in the guide on expat assignments versus local hiring.

Period Totalization: How Foreign Pension Credits Unlock Japanese Benefits

Totalization matters most for people with fewer than 10 years in Japan. It can turn a short Japanese record into a payable pension.

Japan’s 10-Year (120-Month) Qualifying Period

From 1 August 2017, Japan’s qualifying period (Jukyu Shikaku Kikan 受給資格期間) for an old-age pension fell from 25 years to 10 years.⁴⁹ Contribution-paid periods, exemption periods and complementary periods all count toward the 10 years.⁴⁹

Complementary periods (Gassan Taisho Kikan 合算対象期間) count for eligibility only. They help reach 10 years but add nothing to the pension amount.⁵⁰

How Totalization Works: Eligibility Totalized, Amounts Pro-Rata

Partner-country periods are added only to test whether you meet the minimum, and periods covered in both countries count once.¹² In a purely illustrative record of 6 years in Japan and 5 in a partner country, 1 of them overlapping, the combined total is 10 years, not 11. Japan would then pay a pension based on its own 6 years, and the partner country would apply its own rules to its 5 years.¹²

Fixed-amount benefits are prorated. For benefits that are not earnings-based (such as the Disability Basic Pension), JPS prorates the amount at a rate that varies by agreement.¹² The 20-year condition for the additional pension for dependents can also be met through totalization.¹²

A lump-sum withdrawal erases the periods totalization would use

Japanese periods used to calculate a Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment (Dattai Ichijikin 脱退一時金) can no longer be totalized.¹² Check totalization before claiming; the separate lump-sum withdrawal guide covers that decision.

The Reverse Direction: Japanese Periods Counting Toward the Foreign Pension

Japanese periods can also help you meet a partner country’s minimum, under that country’s own rules. Most totalizing partners require a minimum of their own coverage first, such as at least 6 US credits, 52 Irish weeks, or 1 year in Belgium, Spain, the Philippines, Hungary or Austria (see Table 2).^{21282327333138}

Each partner’s own entry rules still apply. Austria’s old-age pension, for example, needs 180 months including 84 months of paid employment (as of October 2026).³⁸ For the general US insured-status requirement, check directly with the US Social Security Administration.

Disability and Survivor Benefits Under Totalization

Totalization also works for Japanese disability and survivor pensions. Partner-country periods can count toward the requirement that contributions were paid for two-thirds of the relevant period.¹² Coverage in the partner country on the date of the first medical examination, or on the date of death, can be treated as Japanese coverage.¹²

Partner rules can be narrower. Hungary does not use Japanese periods for its disability benefits, while Switzerland uses Japanese periods only for disability eligibility.³¹³⁰

Countries with Dual-Contribution Exemption Only (UK, South Korea, China, Italy)

Four agreements stop double contributions but do not add periods together: the United Kingdom (in force 1 February 2001), Korea (1 April 2005), China (1 September 2019) and Italy (1 April 2024, signed 6 February 2009) (as of October 2026).¹³³⁷

What These Four Agreements Do and Do Not Provide

You get the detachment exemption and the Certificate of Coverage, but no totalization. Your Japanese and foreign records each stand alone against each country’s minimum.¹

Claims work differently. For UK, Korean and Chinese pensions you file directly with those countries’ institutions, and residents there claim Japanese benefits directly from JPS; for Italy, JPS does not forward Japanese records.⁵¹⁵² The UK, Korea and Italy agreements also contain the primary-residence rule for simultaneous work in both countries.⁷

Planning Implications for Short Japanese Records

Without totalization, the 10-year Japanese minimum must be met from Japanese periods alone, including any complementary periods you are entitled to.¹⁵⁰ For foreign residents with under 10 years in Japan, the lump-sum withdrawal decision becomes central; Japanese citizens can also consider voluntary National Pension enrollment abroad.

Italy has a specific note. JPS states that non-EU citizens living outside the EU, including in Japan, may be exempt from Italy’s 20-year contribution requirement if they made no contributions before 1996.³⁷

Scheme Coverage Limits

None of the four covers Japanese health insurance: the UK, Korea and China agreements are pension-only, and Italy adds employment insurance (as of October 2026).¹³

How to Apply for Totalized Pension Payouts Upon Retirement

Each country decides and pays its own benefit, but agreements let one office forward claims to the other. Receiving payments abroad is covered in the guide to receiving a Japanese pension overseas.

Where to File: Japan Pension Service or the Partner Country’s Liaison Agency

You can claim a partner-country benefit at a JPS branch office or pension consultation center in Japan. JPS acts as a mailbox and its headquarters sends your Japanese record to the partner institution, except for the UK, Korea and China, where you apply directly.⁵¹

Japanese benefits can likewise be claimed through the partner country’s institution. The same three exceptions apply: UK, Korean and Chinese residents file with JPS directly.⁵² JPS keeps a list of partner-institution websites.⁵³

Documents and Certification of Foreign Coverage Periods

When filing in Japan for a totalized Japanese pension, attach a Declaration of Period of Coverage for the partner country.⁵² For a partner-country claim filed via JPS, you do not need to supply proof of your Japanese record, because JPS headquarters forwards it.⁵¹ Keep your own copies of foreign contribution statements and your Basic Pension Number in any case.

Timing, Pension Age Differences, and Separate Payments

Each pension starts at its own country’s pensionable age and is paid separately.¹² Ages differ and can change: JPS notes that Sweden’s earliest starting age is rising (63 in 2023, 64 in 2026), and the Philippine old-age pension starts at 65 (60 if retired) with 10 years of coverage (as of October 2026).³⁶³³

Step-by-Step Administrative Procedure & Timeline

There are two tracks: Track A for a corporate assignee keeping Japanese coverage, and Track B for anyone moving with pension credits.

Step	Timing	Who acts
Track A: corporate assignee (Chuzai)
Confirm the agreement is in force, which schemes it covers, the expected posting length and any family rules	T-6 months	Employer HR, worker
File the Certificate of Coverage application (window opens about 6 months ahead)41	T-6 to T-3 months	Employer (self-employed: the person)
If the posting is expected to exceed 5 years (outside Germany, Australia, Slovakia and China), file loss of Japanese coverage instead41	Before departure	Employer, municipality
Receive the certificate; give copies to the host employer and authority; arrange host health or accident cover if the agreement does not cover it	T-1 month to arrival	Employer, worker
Present the certificate as host rules require (China originals via host employer; Switzerland copy to canton)1130	On arrival	Worker, host employer
Apply for an extension where permitted (Netherlands: at least 1 month before the 5 years end)25	Before year 5	Employer, JPS, foreign institution
On early return, annotate and send the certificate to JPS in Chofu46	At posting end	Employer
Track B: moving with credits or retiring
Note your Basic Pension Number and obtain a copy of your Japanese contribution record by post or at a pension office	Before leaving Japan	Worker, JPS
Keep all foreign contribution records and statements	Throughout	Worker
Foreign residents: check totalization before any lump-sum withdrawal claim12	Before claiming	Worker
File the pension claim in the country of residence or with JPS (UK, Korea, China: directly)5152	At pensionable age	Worker, JPS, foreign institution

Japanese Citizens vs. Foreign Residents: Critical Distinctions

The agreements apply regardless of nationality, but Japan’s domestic rules on overseas periods do not. That difference decides how much you depend on totalization.

Japanese citizens get credit for time abroad even without an agreement. Overseas residence periods between ages 20 and under 60 count as complementary periods: from April 1986, those in which you did not voluntarily enroll in National Pension, and before April 1986, periods of overseas residence.⁵⁰ Voluntary enrollment (Nin’i Kanyu 任意加入) adds to the amount, as explained in the guide to voluntary National Pension enrollment for Japanese citizens abroad.

Foreign residents who later naturalize or obtain Permanent Residence also gain complementary periods. For people who acquired Japanese nationality or Permanent Residence on or after 1 May 1961, overseas residence periods before that acquisition, between ages 20 and under 60, are complementary periods.⁵⁰ Other foreign nationals rely on totalization with one of the 20 totalizing countries, and a lump-sum withdrawal permanently removes the periods totalization would use.¹¹²

Point	Japanese citizens	Foreign residents
Overseas time counts toward 10 years without an agreement	Yes, as complementary periods (ages 20 to under 60)50	Only pre-acquisition periods for those who later naturalize or obtain Permanent Residence50
Totalization available	Yes, with one of 20 countries113	Yes, with one of 20 countries113
Lump-sum withdrawal option	Not applicable	Yes, but it erases the periods totalization would use12
Voluntary National Pension enrollment while abroad	Available (see the voluntary enrollment guide)	See the voluntary enrollment guide
Certificate of Coverage when posted from Japan	Eligible	Eligible on the same terms43

Some country pages mention nationality-related points. The Belgium and Switzerland pages note that earlier restrictions on paying pensions to non-nationals abroad no longer apply in agreement cases.²³³⁰ The JPS pages cited here state no limit for third-country nationals, but if you hold neither country’s nationality, confirm your position with JPS.

Foreign residents should also check how a long posting affects their residence status, as covered in the guide to departure rules for Japanese citizens and foreign residents.

Common Pitfalls & Regulatory Compliance Risks

• Assuming all 24 agreements totalize. The UK, Korea, China and Italy agreements do not.¹
• Assuming the agreement covers health insurance. Only 9 do; Austria still requires Austrian sickness and accident insurance, and Slovak health insurance is not coordinated (as of October 2026).¹³⁸³⁴
• Leaving before the certificate arrives. No processing time is published, so file as early as the 6-month window allows.⁴¹
• Planning a posting over 5 years and still claiming detachment. It is not temporary, except for the first 5 years under the Germany, Australia, Slovakia and China agreements.^471683411
• Missing the extension request. Extensions need both countries’ agreement, and some agreements allow little or none.⁶
• Ignoring work-accident cover. The Ireland, Brazil, Hungary and Luxembourg pages warn that a worker covered by Japan may have no mandatory accident cover in either country; France requires Japanese special overseas accident enrollment, and Spain requires Spanish accident insurance.^282931321027
• Converting to local hire without realising detachment ends. Local hire means the host system only.⁶
• Combining two partner countries. Only one partner country’s periods can be added to Japan’s.¹³
• Taking the lump-sum withdrawal before checking totalization. The withdrawn periods cannot be totalized later.¹²
• Relying on the Poland agreement. It is signed but not in force (as of October 2026).³⁹⁴⁰
• Assuming private plans or income tax are covered. Only listed public schemes are coordinated, and tax treaties are separate.¹

See also

Pension and social security

• Receiving Your Japanese Pension Overseas: Expat & Retiree Guide: claiming and receiving your Japanese pension from abroad once totalization has made it payable.
• Dattai Ichijikin: Japan Pension Lump-Sum & 20.42% Tax Refund: the lump-sum withdrawal for departing foreign residents, a decision to weigh against totalization first.
• Voluntary National Pension for Japanese Citizens Living Abroad: how Japanese citizens can keep building their pension record while living abroad.

Japan exit procedures

• Leaving Japan: Cancel National Health Insurance & Shakai Hoken: ending or keeping Japanese health cover, which most agreements do not coordinate.

Foundations and frameworks

• Temporary Absence vs. Emigration from Japan: Tax & Legal Status: how a fixed-term posting and a permanent move differ in Japanese tax and legal status.

References & Official Sources

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Important Cross-Border Mobility & Compliance Notice

All information presented in this reference publication is compiled from official government authorities, bilateral treaties, and statutory regulations. Cross-border tax obligations, visa eligibilities, pension disbursements, and residency classifications vary significantly based on individual citizenship, financial circumstances, and length of stay. Always seek professional advice from certified tax accountants (Zeirishi), licensed immigration specialists, or competent administrative authorities before taking irrevocable administrative or financial actions.

Footnotes

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