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Retiring in Japan: Visa Routes and Realities
Retiring in Japan means holding a status of residence that lets you stay without working, because no status is granted for retirement itself.1 The status, not the size of your savings, decides whether you can stay, and the realistic routes differ sharply between long-tenure residents and newcomers arriving from abroad.1
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency of Japan site. This article is general information, not immigration, legal, or tax advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed immigration lawyer or gyōseishoshi (行政書士, administrative scrivener) for status strategy, or a licensed zeirishi (税理士, tax accountant) for cross-border pension and estate taxation.
Overview
This page is for two readers: residents already in Japan who are approaching retirement age, and people abroad who want to retire here with no Japanese status yet. It maps the residence routes first, then the systems a retiree lives inside: pension, health insurance, long-term care, housing, and end-of-life planning.
Several terms recur throughout the article.
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 在留資格 | zairyū shikaku | Status of residence1 |
| 永住者 | eijūsha | Permanent Resident (PR)1 |
| 定住者 | teijūsha | Long-Term Resident2 |
| 特定活動 | tokutei katsudō | Designated Activities1 |
| 在留カード | zairyū kādo | Residence card3 |
| 中長期在留者 | chūchōki zairyūsha | Mid- to long-term resident, the card-holding category3 |
Japan has no retirement visa
The Immigration Services Agency (ISA, 出入国在留管理庁), the government body that grants and renews statuses, publishes a list of every status of residence. That list contains no status based on retirement, pension income, or age (as of 2026-10-10, list undated; confirm current details with the Immigration Services Agency).1
Four statuses are identity-based and carry no activity restriction: 永住者 (Permanent Resident), 日本人の配偶者等 (Nihonjin no haigūsha tō, Spouse or Child of a Japanese National), 永住者の配偶者等 (Eijūsha no haigūsha tō, Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident), and 定住者 (Long-Term Resident).1 Every other status is tied to a defined activity, such as a job, a business, or study.1
Reading the list for a newcomer with savings but no family tie, the only category that allows a stay without working is a Designated Activities category for long-stay sightseeing, and it ends after 1 year in total (as of 2023-03-17).145 For the full set of statuses, see Statuses of Residence in Japan: The Complete Map.
Two starting points: already resident, or arriving from abroad
Applies to: everyone; the split below decides which later sections matter to you.
If you already hold one of the four identity-based statuses, you can stop working without changing status, because those statuses carry no activity restriction.1 If you hold an activity-based status, such as a work status or Business Manager, stopping the activity for 3 months or more without a legitimate reason is a ground for revocation under the Immigration Control Act (Article 22-4).6
Long-tenure residents often aim for PR before they stop working. In principle, PR requires 10 or more years of continuous residence, including 5 or more years on a work or residence status (as of 2026-02-24).7 The revision dated 2026-10-01 keeps both periods but treats them as consideration factors (考慮要素, kōryo yōso) for filings from 2027-04-01 (as of 2026-10-01).8
A newcomer arriving with no status has three possibilities: the long-stay sightseeing category, which is temporary; Business Manager, which is a working status; or a family-based status, which requires the family tie.194 The decision tree below shows how the two starting points lead to different routes.
Residence routes that work for retirees
Each route below is a preview; the linked status articles cover the mechanics. Several more terms appear in this section.
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 経営・管理 | keiei kanri | Business Manager9 |
| 短期滞在 | tanki taizai | Temporary Visitor10 |
| 告示外特定活動 | kokujigai tokutei katsudō | Designated Activities outside the published notice11 |
| 補填資産 | hoten shisan | Supplementary assets, in the PR pension factor8 |
Permanent residency held before you stop working
Applies to: residents on a work or residence status who apply for PR while still eligible. Long-stay sightseeing holders cannot use this path (see below).
PR is the most durable route, because 永住者 has an unlimited (無期限, mukigen) period of stay and no activity requirement.1 The guideline that governs PR filings through 2027-03-31 requires, in principle, 10 or more years of continuous residence including 5 or more years on a work or residence status (as of 2026-02-24; confirm current figures with the Immigration Services Agency).7
ISA has adopted a revised PR guideline dated 2026-10-01; it is not a proposal (as of 2026-10-01).8 The table summarizes the factors most relevant to a retiree. None of them states a yen figure.
| Factor | What the revised guideline says | Applies to filings | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income (第２の４（２）) | A consideration factor: whether household income continuously reaches a level above the average income of Japanese households of the same size | From 2027-04-01; also filings made on or after the date six months before the revision date and still pending on the revision date (2026-10-01) | 2026-10-018 |
| Projected pension (第２の４（３）) | Whether your projected pension reaches what 30 years of work at that income level, with employee-pension (厚生年金, kōsei nenkin) enrollment, would yield; a shortfall may be covered by supplementary assets, with the asset benchmark set by age (lower for younger applicants) | From 2027-04-01 | 2026-10-018 |
| Japanese language (第２の５（８）) | B1-equivalent or higher under the Japanese Language Education Reference Framework (日本語教育の参照枠) as a consideration factor; exemptions include Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) route applicants and families, people with 6+ years of primary or secondary schooling in Japan, and certain PR children born in Japan | From 2027-04-01 | 2026-10-018 |
| Residence and absence (第２の５（６）) | Consideration factors: in principle 10+ years of continuous residence, including 5+ years on a work or residence status, and holding the longest period of stay available for your status; within the 10 years before applying, a single absence of half a year or more, or 2 years 6 months or more cumulatively, without reasonable cause, is in principle evaluated negatively | From 2027-04-01 | 2026-10-018 |
These factors are dated to the revision itself (as of 2026-10-01). The timing clause (第６) states that the revision applies to applications filed on or after 2027-04-01, and that the household-income item (第２の４（２）) and the public-burden item (第２の５（７）) also apply to applications filed on or after the date six months before the revision date and still pending on the revision date.8
The timing clause names only the two groups quoted above. If you plan to file between 2026-10-01 and 2027-03-31, confirm with ISA, or with a gyōseishoshi, which criteria will be applied to your application before you file.8
Reading the guideline, the projected-pension and supplementary-asset factor is the one most likely to weigh on late-career applicants with short Japanese pension records; this is an inference, not an ISA statement.8 For the route in detail, see Permanent Residency in Japan: Overview, The 10-Year Standard Path to Permanent Residency, and The Financial and Tax Criteria for Permanent Residency. Keeping PR after it is granted is covered in After Permanent Residency: Renewal, Revocation, Maintenance.
Spouse, family, and Long-Term Resident statuses
Applies to: spouses of Japanese nationals or PR holders; Nikkei and other Long-Term Resident holders.
These statuses carry no work requirement, which makes them the realistic route for a retiree married to a Japanese national or PR holder.1 日本人の配偶者等 and 永住者の配偶者等 are granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months; 定住者 for 5, 3, or 1 year, 6 months, or a period the Minister designates of up to 5 years (as of 2026-10-10, list undated).1
定住者 is residence the Minister of Justice permits for special reasons, with a designated period. ISA's examples include third-generation Nikkei (people of Japanese descent), Chinese returnees, and refugees resettled from third countries.2
The spouse route to PR is shorter than the 10-year standard, and it lengthens on 2027-04-01:
| Filings | Marriage | Continuous residence in Japan | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through 2027-03-31 | 3+ years of genuine married life | 1+ year | 2026-02-247 |
| From 2027-04-01 | 5+ years of genuine married life | 3+ years | 2026-10-018 |
Under the revised text, children of Japanese nationals, PR holders, and Special Permanent Residents need 3 or more years of continuous residence (as of 2026-10-01).8
These statuses depend on the family relationship. A spouse-status holder must notify ISA within 14 days of a divorce or the spouse's death, and not engaging in activities as a spouse for 6 months or more without a legitimate reason is a revocation ground for both spouse statuses (children excluded).126
See Spouse or Child of a Japanese National, Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident: Japan's Quasi-PR Status, and The Spouse Shortcut to Permanent Residency. What happens when the marriage ends is covered in Spouse Visa After Divorce and After-Death Procedures in Japan: The Administrative Checklist.
Business Manager: a working status, not a retirement one
Applies to: new 経営・管理 applicants from 2025-10-16; existing holders have a transition window.
Business Manager fits only a retiree who will genuinely run a business in Japan. It is an activity-based status, so not running the business for 3 months or more without a legitimate reason is a revocation ground.16
An amendment effective 2025-10-16 raised the bar substantially; figures quoted at ¥5,000,000 of capital are out of date. The requirements below come from ISA's amendment overview (as of 2025-10-16).9
| Element | Requirement | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | ¥30,000,000 or more in capital etc. (３，０００万円以上の資本金等) | 2025-10-169 |
| Staff | At least 1 full-time employee who is a Japanese national, a Special Permanent Resident, or a holder of PR, a spouse status, or Long-Term Resident | 2025-10-169 |
| Background | A doctoral, master's, or professional degree in a relevant field, or 3+ years of experience managing a business | 2025-10-169 |
| Japanese | The applicant or the full-time employee has B2-equivalent ability or higher; listed proofs include JLPT N2 or above and BJT 400 or above | 2025-10-169 |
| Business plan | Confirmation by a person with specialist management knowledge is mandatory | 2025-10-169 |
| Office | Using your home as the office is not permitted in principle | 2025-10-169 |
| Transition | Existing holders who apply to renew by 2028-10-16 are judged on business condition and the prospect of meeting the new standards, even if those standards are not yet met | 2025-10-169 |
The capital, staffing, and experience conditions together make this a founder's status rather than a way to park savings. See Business Manager Visa: Japan's Founder Status and Investor Visa Reality Check: Japan Has No Golden Visa.
The long-stay sightseeing status (concept only)
Applies to: visa-waiver nationals aged 18 or older, without children accompanying.
This is a Designated Activities (特定活動) category. Designated Activities covers "activities the Minister of Justice specially designates for the individual foreign national"; here the designated activity is sightseeing, recreation, and similar purposes, for a period not exceeding 1 year (as of 2026-10-10, ISA page undated).15
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) sets out the requirements below; confirm current requirements with MOFA or your nearest Japanese embassy, since the page was last updated in 2023 (as of 2023-03-17).4
| Item | Requirement | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | National of a visa-exempt country or region | 2023-03-174 |
| Age | 18 or older | 2023-03-174 |
| Savings | ¥30,000,000 or more in deposits and savings (yen equivalent); spouses may combine | 2023-03-174 |
| Insurance | Medical insurance covering death, injury, and illness for the whole stay, such as overseas travel insurance | 2023-03-174 |
| Period | 6 months initially; renewal at a regional immigration bureau before expiry, to a maximum of 1 year | 2023-03-174 |
| Family | An accompanying spouse who shares the residence may apply; children may not accompany | 2023-03-174 |
| Certificate of Eligibility | Optional; holding one makes visa issuance within the 5-business-day standard easier | 2023-03-174 |
ISA's page for the category also lists private medical insurance and 6 months of bank statements among the documents (as of 2026-10-10, page undated).5 Work is outside the designated activity.15
Because the period of stay exceeds 3 months and the category is not on ISA's list of exclusions, holders count as mid- to long-term residents and receive a residence card; this follows from ISA's list rather than an explicit statement.3 ISA's long-stay page also refers to presenting the residence card at renewal.5
The National Health Insurance Act enforcement rules exclude people aged 18 or older staying up to 1 year for sightseeing and recreation under this category, and their accompanying spouses (as of 2026-10-10).13 Meguro City's enrollment page, for example, lists the category among those who cannot join (as of 2025-10-01).14 The private insurance MOFA requires is the only cover, for every medical bill, for the whole stay.4
ISA publishes no PR path for this category. The current PR guideline requires 5 or more years on a work or residence status, the revision dated 2026-10-01 treats that period as a consideration factor, and this category is neither a work nor a residence status (as of 2026-10-01).78
Taken together, the status is an extended visit, not a residence base. See Designated Activities Visa for the wider Designated Activities family.
Repeated visa-waiver visits and their limits
Applies to: visa-waiver nationals entering as Temporary Visitors (短期滞在).
Japan has visa-exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions; the standard exempt stay is 90 days, with 15 days for Indonesia and Thailand and 30 days for Brunei and Qatar (as of 2025-09-01).15 Nationals of Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom may stay up to 6 months, but must apply to a regional immigration bureau for an extension beyond 90 days (as of 2025-09-01).15
Temporary Visitor status covers sightseeing, recreation, sports, family visits, and similar purposes, for 90, 30, or 15 days or a shorter designated period (as of 2026-10-10, page undated).10 Temporary Visitors are not mid- to long-term residents and receive no residence card.3
Municipal enrollment pages such as Meguro City's list Temporary Visitors among those who cannot join NHI (as of 2025-10-01).14 A string of short stays therefore leaves a retiree with no residence base and no public health cover.
Parents of residents
Applies to: parents of foreign residents, any nationality.
There is no general parent visa. The only published parent category is a Designated Activities status for a parent of a Highly Skilled Professional (HSP), or of the HSP's spouse, who comes to care for a child under 7 or support a pregnancy; conditions include HSP household income of ¥8,000,000 or more, living with the HSP, and only one parent from either side at a time (as of 2026-10-10, page undated).16
Practitioner sources treat everything else as exceptional. A column by the gyōseishoshi firm 行政書士法人第一綜合事務所 describes the HSP-parent status as a special exception rather than a general elderly-parent visa (as of 2026-06-30).17 A column by Shiodome Partners describes bringing an elderly parent with no relatives at home as handled, if at all, as 告示外特定活動 at the Minister's discretion, and generally difficult; ISA publishes no criteria for it (as of 2026-02-16).11
See Bringing Aging Parents to Japan.
Pension income and totalization
Applies to: anyone with Japanese pension coverage or foreign pension income, any nationality; treaty coverage depends on nationality.
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 老齢基礎年金 | rōrei kiso nenkin | Old-age basic pension18 |
| 受給資格期間 | jukyū shikaku kikan | Qualifying period for pension eligibility19 |
| 合算対象期間 | gassan taishō kikan | Periods counted for eligibility but not for the benefit amount19 |
| 脱退一時金 | dattai ichijikin | Lump-sum withdrawal payment20 |
| 社会保障協定 | shakai hoshō kyōtei | Social security (totalization) agreement21 |
Japanese public pension for long-tenure residents
The 老齢基礎年金 is payable from 65 to anyone with 10 or more years of qualifying periods, a threshold reduced from 25 years on 2017-08-01.18 You can claim early at 60–64 for a reduced amount, or defer to 66–75 for an increased one; the deferral cap is 70 for people born on or before 1952-04-01 or whose rights arose by 2017-03-31.18
The full annual amount from April 2026 is ¥847,300 for people born on or after 1956-04-02, and ¥844,900 for those born on or before 1956-04-01 (as of 2026-09-04; confirm current figures with the Japan Pension Service).18
The lump-sum withdrawal (脱退一時金) is for non-Japanese who lose coverage and leave Japan, claimed within 2 years of ceasing to have an address in Japan.20
Anyone who receives the lump-sum withdrawal loses all Japanese coverage periods before the claim, and those periods can no longer be totalized with another country's.19 If there is any chance you will retire in Japan, or claim a Japanese pension later, weigh this before leaving.
See Japan Pension System: Nenkin Overview, Japan Pension Vesting: The 10-Year Rule, Kokumin Nenkin: Japan National Pension, and Lump Sum or Totalization: Keeping Pension Value at Departure.
Totalization agreements and foreign pensions
Where an agreement provides totalization, coverage periods in Japan and the partner country can be combined to establish entitlement to each country's pension, subject to conditions.19 Not every agreement does this, and coverage depends on your nationality and pension history.
| Agreement type | Countries | As of |
|---|---|---|
| In force, with totalization (20) | Germany, USA, Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, Philippines, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Austria (in force from 2025-12-01) | 2025-10-272119 |
| In force, double-payment prevention only (4) | United Kingdom, South Korea, China, Italy | 2025-10-2721 |
| Signed, not in force | Poland (signed 2026-04-15; requires Diet approval; no entry-into-force date given) | 2026-04-1522 |
The Japan Pension Service (JPS) lists 24 agreements in force, and its own 2026-03 list of totalizing partners names 20 countries, consistent with 24 minus the 4 double-payment-only agreements (as of 2026-03).2119 The four double-payment-only agreements stop you paying into two systems at once, but do not combine coverage periods.21
See Totalization Agreements with Japan: What They Do, Japan Social Security Treaty Countries: The 2026 Map, US-Japan Totalization Agreement: Rules for US Persons, UK, EU, and Other Social Security Treaties with Japan, and Claiming Japanese Pension from Abroad: Cross-Border Steps.
How Japan taxes retirement income
Applies to: tax residents of any status; the non-permanent-resident category applies only to non-Japanese residents with 5 years or less of residence in the past 10.
Public pensions are taxed as miscellaneous income (雑所得, zatsu shotoku) after a public-pension deduction, and foreign pensions from systems resembling Japan's social insurance count as public pensions (公的年金等, kōteki nenkin tō).23 Japanese public pensions are withheld at 5.105% of the amount after a set deduction (as of 2026-04-01).23
A non-permanent resident (非永住者, hi-eijūsha) for tax purposes is a non-Japanese resident who had a domicile or residence in Japan for 5 years or less in total within the past 10 years. They are taxed on income other than foreign-source income, plus foreign-source income paid in or remitted to Japan; all other residents are taxed on all income, domestic and foreign.24
A foreign pension received in foreign currency is converted to yen at the TTM rate (the bank's mid-rate) on each payment date and totaled for the year; where no Japanese tax was withheld, the return shows zero withholding.25 Residents who paid foreign income tax may credit it against Japanese income tax, within limits.26
Japan maintains a list of tax treaties aimed at eliminating double taxation and preventing evasion (as of 2026-06-26).27 Which country taxes a given pension depends on the specific treaty, so check yours before assuming. See Tax Resident Classification in Japan, Foreign-Source Income Rules for Non-Permanent Residents, US-Japan Tax Treaty: Mechanics and Pitfalls, UK-Japan Tax Treaty for UK Persons Living in Japan, Australia, Canada, and EU Tax Treaties with Japan, and Form-by-Form Map: Who Files What.
Currency risk on foreign-currency income
Because a foreign pension is converted at each payment date's TTM rate, the yen amount reported for tax moves with the exchange rate.25 The same movement applies to what you can spend: a pension paid in dollars, pounds, euros, or Australian dollars buys more or less in yen as rates shift, while rent, premiums, and taxes stay fixed in yen. See Foreign-Currency Income with JPY Expenses.
Health insurance and long-term care
Applies to: mid- to long-term residents; long-stay sightseeing holders and Temporary Visitors cannot join NHI.
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 国民健康保険 | kokumin kenkō hoken | National Health Insurance (NHI)14 |
| 後期高齢者医療制度 | kōki kōreisha iryō seido | Late-Stage Elderly Medical Care System28 |
| 現役並み所得者 | gen'eki nami shotokusha | Person with working-age-level income (30% band)29 |
| 介護保険 | kaigo hoken | Long-term care insurance30 |
| 第1号被保険者 / 第2号被保険者 | dai-ichigō / dai-nigō hihokensha | Category 1 (65+) / Category 2 (40–64) insured30 |
| 特定疾病 | tokutei shippei | Specified diseases qualifying 40–64-year-olds for care30 |
| 子ども・子育て支援金 | kodomo kosodate shienkin | Child and child-rearing support levy31 |
Four ages change a retiree's position in the public systems, summarized in the timeline below and explained in the sections that follow.
National Health Insurance eligibility
Applies to: mid- to long-term residents not covered by an employee plan.
Foreign nationals staying in Japan for more than 3 months must enroll in NHI at their municipal office; eligibility follows residence, not nationality.14 Meguro City's page, for example, lists those who cannot join, including people staying 3 months or less, Temporary Visitors, people already on an employer plan, holders of a totalization-agreement certificate, long-stay sightseeing holders, and people aged 75 and over (as of 2025-10-01; confirm current details with your municipal office).14
A retiree whose spouse is still employed may therefore sit on that spouse's employee plan instead of NHI.14
From the April 2026 premium, NHI bills carry a new child and child-rearing support levy portion (子ども・子育て支援金分) alongside the medical, late-elderly support, and care portions (as of 2026-07-03).31 The levy reaches NHI retirees and people in the Late-Stage Elderly system alike.32
The Children and Families Agency (CFA) has published estimates of the levy; these are estimates, not billed amounts (as of 2025-12-26).32 The table also gives the national NHI average for orientation only.
| Item | Amount per member per month | Basis | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHI medical premium, national average | ¥7,600 (¥11,300 per household) | FY2022 actual | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, NHI | ¥200 (¥300 per household) | FY2026 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, NHI | ¥300 | FY2027 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, NHI | ¥400 | FY2028 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, Late-Stage Elderly system | ¥200 | FY2026 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, Late-Stage Elderly system | ¥250 | FY2027 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
| Support levy, Late-Stage Elderly system | ¥350 | FY2028 estimate | 2025-12-2632 |
Low-income reductions apply to the levy as they do to ordinary premiums (as of 2025-12-26).32 See Who Enrolls in National Health Insurance, NHI Premium Calculation, NHI Premium Reductions and Exemptions, and The High-Cost-Catch (Kogaku Ryoyohi) System.
Co-payment by age and the switch at 75
Applies to: all public health insurance enrollees.
Your share of medical costs at the clinic counter depends on age and, from 70, on income. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) table below is undated, so the dates reflect when it was checked (as of 2026-10-10).29
| Age | Standard | Higher income | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–69 | 30% | n/a | 2026-10-1029 |
| 70–74 | 20% | 30% (現役並み所得者) | 2026-10-1029 |
| 75+ | 10% | 20% (一定以上所得者, ittei ijō shotokusha, from 2022-10-01); 30% (現役並み所得者) | 2026-10-102928 |
The 20% band at 75+ applies where taxable income is ¥280,000 or more and pension income plus other total income is ¥2,000,000 or more for a single person, or ¥3,200,000 or more for a multi-person household; about 20% of enrollees fall in it (as of 2026-10-10, page undated).28 The transitional measure that limited the monthly outpatient increase for this band to ¥3,000 ended on 2025-09-30 (as of 2025-09-30).28
At 75, NHI ends and the Late-Stage Elderly Medical Care System (後期高齢者医療制度) replaces it (as of 2025-10-01).1433 The system covers people aged 75 and over, and people aged 65–74 with a certified disability.2834
The system is run by a prefecture-wide union (後期高齢者医療広域連合, kōki kōreisha iryō kōiki rengō) that every municipality in the prefecture joins.3433 People on an employee plan also move into it at 75.33
Kaigo hoken: premiums from 40, services from 65
Applies to: registered residents aged 40 and over, all nationalities.
Long-term care insurance (介護保険, kaigo hoken) pays for care services such as home help and residential care. Foreign nationals aged 40 or older living in Japan for more than 3 months are enrolled (as of 2024-03-28).35
Residents aged 40–64 enrolled in medical insurance are Category 2 insured and pay kaigo premiums together with their health insurance premiums.3035 Category 2 members can use services only when the need arises from one of 16 specified diseases, and receive a card only after certification.30
At 65 you become Category 1 insured and receive the insurance card automatically; you can use services once certified as needing care or support.30 Minato City's guide states that Category 1 premiums are deducted from your pension (特別徴収, tokubetsu chōshū) when the annual pension is more than ¥180,000; otherwise you pay by account transfer or payment slip (as of 2024-03-28).35
Category 1 premiums are set by each municipality for a three-year plan period. MHLW numbers FY2024–FY2026 as the 9th plan period.36 Because premiums are reviewed every 3 years, the next period begins in April 2027, when municipalities set premiums again.37
| Item | Monthly base premium | As of |
|---|---|---|
| National average, 9th period (FY2024–2026) | ¥6,225 | 2024-05-1436 |
| National average, 8th period (FY2021–2023) | ¥6,014 | 2024-05-1436 |
| Setagaya City base (第5段階, dai-go dankai, tier 5), FY2024–2026 | ¥6,280 (¥75,360 per year); 18 income tiers | 2026-07-0337 |
Individual premiums vary by tier, set from total income and residence-tax status, so the base figure is a reference point rather than your bill (as of 2026-07-03).37 See The Long-Term Care Insurance System (Kaigo Hoken), Care-Level Certification (Yoshien / Yokaigo), In-Home Care Services (Homon Kaigo), Day Services and Short Stays (Day Service / Short Stay), and Residential Care: Tokuyo vs. Roken vs. Yuryo Rojin Home.
English-language care and medical access
About 200,000 foreign nationals aged 65 and over lived in Japan at the end of 2022, 1.5 times the level 10 years earlier; about 1 in 180 older residents is foreign (as of 2024-03-22).38
A survey-based report by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting found that foreign elderly residents face language problems, poor understanding of kaigo services, few usable service options, and insufficient retirement savings (as of 2024-03-22).38 Care managers and facilities reported communication difficulties and a lack of usable services and information.38
The report recommends multilingual kaigo information at 65 and access to specialist interpreting.38 The report's findings of communication difficulties and few usable services point to care delivered in Japanese, with English-capable care managers and facilities scarce.38 See Finding an English-Speaking Provider.
Cost of living and housing for retirees
Budgeting on a retirement income
Applies to: national averages for households headed by someone aged 65 or over who is not working; renters and foreign retirees will differ.
The Statistics Bureau's household survey gives a reference budget for retired households (as of the 2025 annual average; confirm current figures with the Statistics Bureau of Japan).39 These are national averages for households whose head is aged 65 or over and not working (無職世帯, mushoku setai).
| Monthly average, 2025 | 65+ couple, no work | 65+ single, no work |
|---|---|---|
| Actual income | ¥254,395 | ¥131,456 |
| of which social security benefits | ¥228,614 | ¥120,212 |
| Non-consumption spending | ¥32,850 (direct tax ¥12,547; social insurance ¥20,296) | ¥12,990 (direct tax ¥7,072; social insurance ¥5,912) |
| Disposable income | ¥221,544 | ¥118,465 |
| Consumption spending | ¥263,979 | ¥148,445 |
| of which housing | ¥17,739 | ¥11,416 |
| of which health and medical | ¥17,941 | ¥8,388 |
| Monthly shortfall | ¥42,434 | ¥29,980 |
Source for all rows: the 2025 household survey summary.39 The housing line is low because 95.5% of two-or-more-person households headed by someone aged 65+ with no work own their home (as of the 2025 annual average).39 A renting retiree needs to add full rent on top.
A retiree budget also needs lines that a working budget hides: NHI and kaigo premiums, the support levy, residence tax on pension income, and medical co-payments.323640 See Cost of Living in Japan: A Starter Budget, Realistic Cost of Living: Single Resident, Three City Tiers, and The Japan Is Cheap Now Caveat.
Renting as an older foreign resident
Applies to: renters, nationwide.
An older foreign tenant faces two hurdles at once. In a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) survey of rental management firms, about 70% reported landlord reluctance toward elderly tenants and about 60% toward foreign tenants (as of the FY2021 survey, reported 2024-09-06).41
Among firms that restricted elderly tenants, 90.9% named anxiety about a death in the unit as the main reason (as of the FY2021 survey).41 A private-company internet survey of 500 people aged 65 and over who had looked for a rental, relayed in the same MLIT briefing, found that 26.8% had been refused a rental because of age, and 55% of those more than once (as of 2023-06; limitation: a private-company survey, not an MLIT survey).41
No source sets a fixed age cutoff for landlords; 65 is only that survey's sample frame.41 See Foreigner-Rejection Patterns and How to Navigate Them and UR Rentals: No Key Money, No Guarantor, No Agency Fee.
Buying a home does not buy a status
The status-of-residence list has no status based on property ownership, so buying a home gives you no right to stay (as of 2026-10-10, list undated).1 Ownership brings ongoing costs whichever status you hold.
Rural vacant houses (akiya) are plentiful: Japan had about 9.0 million vacant homes, a 13.8% vacancy rate, in the 2023 Housing and Land Survey preliminary release (as of 2024-04-30).41 See Can Foreigners Buy Property in Japan?, Property Taxes and Ongoing Costs, and Akiya: The Vacant-House Phenomenon.
End-of-life planning
Applies to: all foreign residents; inheritance-tax scope differs between holders of activity-based and identity-based statuses.
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 法の適用に関する通則法 | Hō no Tekiyō ni Kansuru Tsūsokuhō | Act on General Rules for Application of Laws42 |
| 本国法 | hongokuhō | Law of one's nationality42 |
| 一時居住者 | ichiji kyojūsha | Temporary resident, for inheritance tax43 |
| 死亡届 | shibō todoke | Death notification44 |
Wills and which law governs the estate
Under the Act on General Rules for Application of Laws, succession is governed by the deceased person's national law (Article 36), and the formation and effect of a will by the testator's national law at the time it was made (Article 37).42 Where that national law refers back to Japanese law, Japanese law applies (Article 41).42
See Wills for Foreign Residents in Japan: Types, Law, and Validity and Inheritance for Foreign Residents in Japan: Accounts, Property, and Heirs.
Inheritance tax exposure for long-tenure residents
An heir domiciled in Japan is taxed on all assets, Japanese and foreign; a 一時居住者 heir is taxed only on Japanese assets unless other conditions apply, and the deceased person's status also matters.43 A 一時居住者 is a person holding an activity-based status of residence whose domicile in Japan totals 10 years or less in the 15 years before the inheritance.43
PR, spouse, and Long-Term Resident holders hold identity-based statuses, so they never qualify as 一時居住者, however few their years in Japan; this is an inference from the National Tax Agency's definition.431 See Japan Inheritance and Gift Tax for Long-Term Foreign Residents.
What happens after a death
Survivors face short deadlines. A death in Japan must be notified within 7 days of learning of it (3 months if the death occurred abroad), at the municipal office for the place of death, the registered domicile, or the filer's residence; relatives and co-residents can file.44
Relatives or co-residents must also return a deceased mid- to long-term resident's residence card to ISA within 14 days of the death or of finding the card.45 Leaving your documents, contacts, and wishes in order spares them guesswork. See When a Foreign Resident Dies in Japan: The First 14 Days, After-Death Procedures in Japan: The Administrative Checklist, and Repatriation of Remains vs. Cremation in Japan.
Retire in Japan or retire elsewhere
Who retirement in Japan tends to work for
Holders of PR, a spouse status, or Long-Term Resident can stay without working, because their statuses carry no activity restriction.1 Residents with 10 or more years of Japanese qualifying periods, or fewer combined with a totalizing partner's periods, qualify for the old-age basic pension.1819
Non-Japanese who obtain PR may also count overseas periods from April 1961 until PR was granted (only periods when they were aged 20 to 60) toward the 10-year eligibility test, though not toward the amount.19 A local support network and some Japanese ability matter too: the survey-based report on foreign elderly residents documents language barriers and isolation as recurring difficulties.38
Who it tends not to work for
Newcomers with savings but no family tie have only the long-stay sightseeing category, which ends at 1 year and carries no NHI (as of 2023-03-17 for the period and 2026-10-10 for NHI; confirm current details with MOFA and your municipal office).413 Rolling visitor stays bring no residence card, and municipal pages such as Meguro City's list Temporary Visitors as unable to join NHI (as of 2025-10-01).314
Language barriers, thin service options, social isolation, and late contact with support bodies are documented among foreign elderly residents (as of 2024-03-22).38 That weighs most on anyone needing English-language elder care in a regional area, or aging alone without a local network.
See Loneliness and the Long-Term-Resident Reality and Should You Move to Japan? An Honest Decision Guide. Residents who decide to leave can start with Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up.
Good to know
Status loss is the single largest risk
A spouse-based status depends on the marriage. You must notify ISA within 14 days of a divorce or the spouse's death, and 6 months without activity as a spouse is a revocation ground.126
PR can be revoked too. Grounds added under Immigration Control Act Article 22-4(1)(viii) and (ix) include failing to meet Immigration Act obligations, willful non-payment of taxes and public insurance charges, and imprisonment for specified crimes; in principle ISA changes the status ex officio, for example to Long-Term Resident, rather than removing the person.46 ISA's revocation guideline begins operation on 2027-04-01 (as of 2026-10; confirm current details with the Immigration Services Agency).47
Long absences can end any status. A special re-entry permit (みなし再入国許可, minashi sainyūkoku kyoka) is valid for 1 year from departure, or until the status expires if sooner; a regular re-entry permit is valid for up to 5 years within the period of stay (6 years for Special Permanent Residents).4849 See Re-entry Permits and the Special Re-entry Rule and After Permanent Residency: Renewal, Revocation, Maintenance.
Residence tax arrives a year after the income
Residence tax is levied on people domiciled in the municipality on January 1, based on the previous year's income.40 A retiree who stops working still receives a bill the following year for the last year of salary.
Pension income can also create residence tax. For residents aged 65 or over on April 1 who receive an old-age pension of ¥180,000 a year or more, residence tax is deducted from the pension (as of 2026-06-25).50
Scams that target older residents
Fraud aimed at older people is a standing risk in Japan, and a foreign retiree who reads Japanese with difficulty may find it harder to spot. The National Police Agency publishes annual figures for special fraud (特殊詐欺, tokushu sagi) and for SNS-based investment and romance fraud; its 2025 summary does not break victims down by age.51
Treat any unsolicited call or message that asks for a transfer, cash, or an investment as suspect until you have checked it with someone you trust. See Fraud and Scams Targeting Residents.
Rules here move on a government schedule
Most of the figures in this article belong to a revision cycle. The revised PR guideline dated 2026-10-01 applies mostly from 2027-04-01 (as of 2026-10-01).8 Business Manager rules changed on 2025-10-16, with a transition to 2028-10-16 (as of 2025-10-16).9
Kaigo premiums are reset every 3 years by each municipality, and the current plan period ends in March 2027 (as of 2026-07-03).3637 CFA estimates that the child-support levy for NHI members will double between FY2026 and FY2028, from ¥200 to ¥400 per member per month; these are estimates (as of 2025-12-26).32
Totalization coverage depends on nationality: 24 agreements are in force, 4 of them double-payment-only, and Poland's is signed but not in force (as of 2026-04-15).2122 Date every figure you rely on and check it before acting; for who handles which kind of case, see Bengoshi, Gyoseishoshi, Shiho-shoshi, and Zeirishi: Who Does What.
See also
- Claiming Japanese Pension from Abroad: Cross-Border Steps
- Care-Level Certification (Yoshien / Yokaigo)
- How Residence Tax Is Calculated
- Loneliness and the Long-Term-Resident Reality
- Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up
- Investor Visa Reality Check: Japan Has No Golden Visa