What is the 脱退一時金 (pension refund)?
The 脱退一時金 (dattai ichijikin) is a lump-sum withdrawal payment for foreign nationals who leave Japan. If you paid into the Japanese pension for 6 months or more, no longer have a Japanese address, and never qualified for a Japanese pension, you can claim back a portion of what you contributed. You must apply within 2 years of losing your residence.
How much pension refund will I get?
For the National Pension (国民年金), the FY2026 amounts range from ¥53,760 for 6–11 months up to ¥537,600 for 60 months, based on the ¥17,920 monthly premium. For the Employees' Pension (厚生年金), it's your average monthly salary times a rate from 0.5 (6 months) up to 5.5 (60 months) — so someone averaging ¥300,000 over 5 years gets about ¥1,650,000 before tax. Both are capped at 60 months of contributions. Our calculator estimates your figure.
What is the 2-year deadline?
You must apply for the 脱退一時金 within 2 years of the day you lose your Japanese residence (your address / 住民票). Miss that window and the refund is gone permanently. This is the single most important date when you leave — diarise it before anything else.
Why is 20.42% taken out of my refund?
The Employees' Pension (厚生年金) portion of the refund is treated as deemed retirement income, so 20.42% income tax is withheld at source — about 80% lands in your account. The National Pension (国民年金) portion is not taxed. Most people never reclaim the 20.42%, but you can get most or all of it back.
How do I reclaim the 20.42% withholding tax?
Before you leave Japan, appoint a 納税管理人 (tax representative) by filing the 納税管理人の届出書 at the tax office for your last address. After you receive the lump-sum, your representative files a final tax return using 退職所得の選択課税 the following year. Because the retirement-income deduction (¥400,000 per year of coverage, minimum ¥800,000) usually exceeds the lump-sum, most people recover nearly all of the withheld tax. You have up to 5 years to file.
What is a 納税管理人 and do I need one?
A 納税管理人 (nōzei kanrinin, tax representative) is someone still in Japan — a friend, a company, or a professional — who handles your tax matters after you leave. You appoint one by filing a form at your tax office before departure. You need one to reclaim the pension withholding tax from abroad and to handle any residence tax billed after you've gone.
Could claiming the refund be a mistake?
Yes, in one case: if your home country has a totalization agreement with Japan (Germany, the US, Canada, Australia, France and 15 others), your Japanese contribution months can count toward your home-country pension — and claiming the refund forfeits them. If you're close to a minimum qualifying period at home, keeping the credits may be worth more. The UK, South Korea, China and Italy have agreements that don't totalize, so there's nothing to lose. Check with your home pension authority before you apply.
Is the 5-year contribution cap really changing to 8 years?
A 2025 pension-reform law (published June 2025) will raise the counted-month cap from 60 months (5 years) to 96 months (8 years), and will bar claims while you hold a valid re-entry permit. But the start date is set by a future Cabinet Order within 4 years of publication, and it is NOT yet in effect as of 2026. Until it starts, the 60-month cap and current rules apply.
How much notice do I need to give my landlord?
Most Japanese leases require 1 to 2 months' written notice (解約予告) before you move out. Check your contract's 解約予告 clause now — if you give notice too late, you keep paying rent past your departure date even though you're gone.
Will I get my 敷金 deposit back?
Usually part of it. Your 敷金 (shikikin, deposit) covers unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear. Under the 原状回復 (restoration) guidelines, ordinary wear-and-tear is the landlord's responsibility — but many contracts include a cleaning fee or 敷引き (a non-refundable deduction) that comes out regardless. The 礼金 (key money) is never refundable. Keep a bank account open, as the balance can arrive weeks after you leave.
Should I sell my things or throw them away?
Sell what has resale value first — furniture in good condition, working appliances, electronics and bikes can be sold (買取), which pays you. Use cheap municipal 粗大ごみ (oversized-waste) collection for large items you can book ahead, and a paid 回収 pickup service for the last-minute remainder. The honest rule: 買取 pays you, 回収 costs you, so sell before you dispose.
What's the difference between 回収 and 買取?
買取 (kaitori) is a buyout — a company pays you for items worth reselling. 回収 (kaishū) is a paid pickup — a company hauls your things away and you pay them for the service and speed. 粗大ごみ is the cheapest disposal route but must be booked ahead. Some pickup companies also buy the good items to offset the cost.
Should I ship my belongings home or sell and rebuy?
For most furniture and appliances, shipping costs more than replacing them — and Japanese appliances often won't match your destination's voltage or plugs, and their warranties don't travel. Ship the small, high-value, irreplaceable things (documents, sentimental items, quality clothing, professional tools); sell the bulky, cheap, or voltage-bound items here and rebuy at your destination. Get a volume-based quote and compare.
Which accounts should I close, and when?
Cancel your phone (watch for 違約金 early-termination fees and unpaid handset installments), internet (return the router), utilities (schedule shut-off for your move-out date), and any subscriptions on auto-debit — about 2 weeks before you leave. But keep ONE Japanese bank account open for your pension refund and final refunds to land in. Closing every account is the most common expensive mistake.
Do I still owe residence tax after I leave?
Possibly. 住民税 (residence tax) is billed in arrears — it's assessed on the previous year's income and billed from June — so if you leave mid-year, remaining installments still come due and the bill can arrive after you've gone. A 納税管理人 can receive and pay it on your behalf. This is why appointing one before you leave matters.
What do I do at city hall and the airport?
File your 転出届 (moving-out notice) at city hall, usually within about 14 days of leaving, and settle or arrange your residence tax. On departure, surrender your 在留カード (residence card) at the airport. If you have kids in school, file the withdrawal and collect transcripts in advance; if you have pets, start export paperwork months ahead, as it has the longest lead time.