Pensions, Including the National Pension Plan

Those between the ages of 20 and 59 that have an address in Japan must enroll in the National Pension Plan.

The public pension system is administered by the national government and does not just benefit the elderly; it also protects the standard of living for those that have a disability, those that have lost a parent or spouse that they were financially dependent on, etc. 

The public pension system contains the National Pension Plan and employees' pension.

Contact

• Basic old age pension, lump-sum death benefit, widow's pension
• Basic disability pension
• Basic survivor's pension
  • National Health Insurance and Pension Plan Division
    (Gifu City Hall, 1F／ Tel. 058-214-2086)
  • Gifu Kita Japan Pension Service Branch Office Tel. 058-294-6364
• Employees' pension and old age welfare pension
• Disability welfare pension
• Survivor's welfare pension
• National Pension premium lump-sum withdrawal payments for short-term resident foreign nationals
• Social security agreement
  • Gifu Minami Japan Pension Service Branch Office / Tel. 058-273-6161
  • Gifu Kita Japan Pension Service Branch Office / Tel. 058-294-6364
  • Machikado Pension Consultation Center Gifu
    (exclusively for in-person consultations)
    (at Orchid Park, 2-23 Koran, Gifu City)

How the Public Pension System Works and Those Who Can Enroll

Category 1 insured persons

National Pension Plan (basic pension)

Category 2 insured persons

National Pension Plan (basic pension)

Employees' pension

Category 3 insured persons

National Pension Plan (basic pension)

*The National Pension Plan is the basis of the public pension system, and the employee's pension is one additional step above it.

• Category 1
  Self-employed people, students (20 and older), part-time workers
  Places to sign up：Gifu City Hall, any city hall branch office
• Category 2
  Full-time employees, public servants
  Places to sign up：Employer
• Category 3
  Dependent spouses of category 2 insured persons
  Places to sign up：Spouse's employer

Category 1 Insured Persons

Contact

• National Health Insurance and Pension Plan Division
  (Gifu City Hall, 1F／ Tel. 058-214-2086)
• Gifu Kita Japan Pension Service Branch Office
   Tel. 058-294-6364

Insurance premium

The insurance premium is the same throughout Japan regardless of income and is to be paid by each insured person.

Exclusions

People that meet certain conditions such as having no income or being unemployed (excluding university students)

Those under 50 can apply to have their payment exempted or deferred.

Receiving payments

People that have paid the insurance premium for 10 years or longer (at least 120 months) can begin to receive the basic old age pension when they turn 65.

*You can choose to continue to receive the pension early between the ages of 60-64 or receive it later at age 66 or older.

Lump-sum Death Benefit

When

When a category 1 insured person has passed away

Conditions

Be a category 1 insured person

• Has paid their insurance premium as a category 1 insured person for 36 months or longer.
• Has never received the basic old age pension or basic disability pension

Eligible recipients

Family members that shared the same finances with the deceased category 1 insured person

Recipient priorities

1. Spouse
2. Children
3. Parents
4. Grandchildren
5. Grandparents
6. Brothers and sisters

Widow's Pension

Eligible recipients and applicable period

To be paid to the widows of category 1 insured persons when widows are 60-64 years old.

Conditions

• Category 1 insured person
  • The husband must have paid insurance premiums as a category 1 insured person for 10 years or more* (including exempted periods) as of one day before his death.
  • Has never received the basic old age pension or the basic disability pension
• Widow of category 1 insured person
  • Has been married to her husband for 10 years or longer as of the time he passed away
  • Was financially dependent on a category 1 insured person
  • The widow has not opted to receive her basic old age pension early

*Deaths occuring before August 1, 2017 required 25 years or more

Category 2 Insured Persons

• Insurance premiums
  Employers and workers each pay half of the worker's premium at a fixed monthly rate with the premium being deducted from the employee's salary.
• Eligible recipients
  Those whose payment and exemption periods meet the required amount will be able to receive the basic old age pension and the welfare old age pension starting from when they turn 65.

Category 3 Insured Persons

• Insurance premiums
  Because payments are made through the welfare pension system, individuals don't need to make the payments on their own.
• Eligible recipients
  Those whose total enrollment and exemption periods as a category 3 insured person are 10 years or more after and including April 1, 1986 can begin to receive the basic old age pension once they become 65.

Disability Pension

Those eligible

The disability pension system is intended for those that face work restrictions due to illnesses or injuries and also applies to people that have not reached retirement age.
The following are the prerequisites necessary to met to receive both types.

Types

• Basic disability pension
• Disability welfare pension

Conditions

• Must have paid and/or been exempted for 2/3 of National Pension Plan insurance premiums for the total period enrolled up to two months before the month first examined by a doctor that identified a disability
• Must be younger than 65 during the first appointment with a doctor that identified a disability and have no remaining unpaid premiums for a one year period starting two months before the above appointment

*If the first appointment with a doctor that identified a disability is before the individual is 20 years old and enrolled in the National Pension Plan, there are no insurance premium payment requirements.

Those eligible to receive the basic disability pension

Those that have had their first doctor's appointment that identified a disability during any of the below 1.-3. periods and determined to have a level 1-2 disability

*The above first doctor's appointment specifically refers to the first appointment that a doctor/dentist examines an illness or injury that caused a disability

1. During when enrolled in the National Pension Plan
2. When not yet 20 years old (period not enrolled in the National Pension Plan)
3. Those aged 60 or above and younger than 65 (those that are not yet enrolled in the National Pension Plan and living in Japan)

Those eligible to receive the disability welfare pension

• Those with a level 1-2 disability caused by an illness or injury as defined by the basic disability pension.
• Those that were enrolled in employees' pension at the time of their first appointment with a doctor that identified a disability due to the above illness or injury.

• *This pension will be provided in addition to the basic disability pension.
• *In the case of a mild disability
  Individuals with a disability that is mild and unable to be classified as a level 2 disability will receive a level 3 disability welfare pension.

Disability allowance (lump-sum payment)

If the individual recovers from the illness or injury that caused their disability within five years of the day that they had their first doctor's appointment that identified their disability and are left with a mild disability, they may receive a disability allowance (lump sum payment) instead of the disability welfare pension.

Basic Survivor's Pension

Main requirement for deceased individuals

The deceased individual was enrolled in the basic old age pension or was eligible to receive the pension for 25 years or longer at the time of their death.

Requirements to receive the basic survivor's pension

Further requirements for deceased individuals

Has paid 2/3 or more of all insurance premiums until one day before their death (exempted periods also count)

*If passed away before April 1, 2026
If the deceased individual was under 65 at the time of their death, eligible recipients can receive the pension if there are no overdue premiums due for a one year period starting two months before the day before they died.

Eligible recipients

Those financially dependent on the deceased person as described in 1. or 2. below

1. Spouse with a child that has yet to reach the last day of the academic year (March 31) that they turn 18 in or only said child(ren)
2. Deceased person's spouse with a child under 20 years old that has a disability or only said child(ren).

Survivor's Welfare Pension

Requirements for deceased individuals

1. The insured person has passed away or if they have passed away within five years of their first appointment to get treated for an injury or illness while insured
   Has paid 2/3 or more of all insurance premiums until one day before their death (exempted periods also count)
   *If passed away before April 1, 2026
   If the deceased individual was under 65 at the time of their death, eligible recipients can receive the pension if there are no overdue premiums due for a one year period starting two months before the day before they died.
2. The deceased person is eligible to receive the old age welfare pension for 25 years or longer at their time of death
3. The deceased person was eligible to receive a level 1-2 disability welfare (mutual aid) pension

Eligible recipients

Those who were financially dependent on the deceased individual and who one of the following terms applies to

1. The wife of the deceased individual
   *If childless and younger than 30
   You can receive the pension for five years
2. Children or grandchildren
   *Limited to the following 
   • Those that have yet to pass the March 31 of the school year that they turn 18 years old in
   • Those younger than 20 years old that receive a level 1-2 disability pension
     *Spouse or child(ren) of the deceased
     You can also receive the basic survivor's pension as well
3. Husbands that are 55 or older
   You can receive the pension starting after you turn 60. Only husbands receiving the basic survivor's pension can also receive the survivor's welfare pension.
4. Parents, grandparents
   (eligible to begin receiving starting from 60 years old)

*Order of recipient priority

1. Wife of the deceased that has a child (children)
2. Children of the deceased
3. Wife of the deceased that is childless
4. Husband
5. Parents
6. Grandchildren
7. Grandparents

National Pension Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payments for Short-Term Resident Foreign Nationals

You can apply for a National Pension lump-sum withdrawal payment within two years from the day that you moved out of Japan.
Those eligible to receive the lump-sum withdrawal payment must have each of the following terms (1.-5.) apply to them.

1. Does not have Japanese nationality
2. Has paid National Pension Plan insurance premiums for 6 months or longer
3. No longer enrolled in the National Pension Plan or employee's pension insurance
4. Has moved out of Japan
5. Entitled to less than 10 years of pension payments
   *To those entitled to receive pension payments for 10 years or longer
   (to those that have a right to receive the basic old age pension)

You are unable to receive the lump-sum payment, but you can receive Japan's basic old age pension in the future.

Social Security Agreements

These agreements were reached with other countries in order to avoid people having to pay into two separate public pension systems.

Purpose

• To avoid having citizens pay two different public pension insurance premiums
• The following is done to ensure eligiblity to receive payments
  (calculating enrollment periods)
  (making it easier to meet required enrollment periods to receive a public pension)

If you receive the lump-sum withdrawal payment, you will be unable to use this period as time counted for Japan/your home country's public pension system.

• List of countries that have a social security agreement with Japan (in Japanese only) (External link)