Repatriating Pension and Investment Balances at Departure

To repatriate money leaving Japan means closing a small stack of residency-tied positions in the right order: investments, pension, bank accounts, and the final wire abroad.¹ Get the order wrong and refunds have nowhere to land or claims come back rejected.

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Japan Pension Service site.

Overview

Leaving Japan permanently ends the residency that bank, brokerage, and pension accounts depend on. Brokerages restrict trading once you become a non-resident, most banks require closure at loss of residence status, and the pension lump sum only opens after your address registration ends.¹²³ This article sequences those moves so late payments still clear and filings arrive when they count.

Bank and broker non-resident rules differ by provider, so confirm your own bank and brokerage instructions before you act.²⁴³ Pension totalization choices also depend on your home country, since agreement-country workers follow social security agreement procedures rather than the lump-sum track.¹

Close Investment and Brokerage Accounts Before You Leave

Start with investments because closure takes the longest and trading freezes once non-residence begins. SBI Securities asks customers with no plan to return to close the securities general account, and holdings left without completed procedures may be sold or settled at the firm's discretion.³ Complete departure procedures by the business day before your departure date, and sell products that cannot be held as a non-resident before submitting documents.³

Start brokerage closure weeks before your flight

Closure processing takes about one to two months after documents are returned (as of 2026-09), so a last-week request cannot finish in time.⁵ Download statements and cost-basis reports before access ends.

Handle NISA holdings at departure

NISA is a Japan-resident system. At SBI Securities, a person becoming a non-resident must abolish the NISA account by submitting a departure notification before leaving.³ The only exception is narrow: persons transferred overseas by an employer, or accompanying spouses, may keep balances under prescribed continuation procedures; self-funded study, voluntary activity, or indefinite permanent departure does not qualify.³

For a permanent departure, sell holdings while still resident or transfer them to a taxable account. Gains realized inside the NISA shelter stay sheltered, while transferred holdings take a reset cost basis and lose future tax-free growth.³⁶ New contributions stop as a non-resident in every case.³

Settle taxable brokerage accounts and iDeCo

Taxable holdings face the same residency cutoff. SBI Securities limits non-resident continued holding to firm-defined products such as listed domestic and foreign stocks, investment trusts, and domestic bonds, with all other trading restricted during non-residence.³ Confirm your broker's continued-holding list before assuming any position can stay.

Specific accounts (特定口座, tokutei kōza, "designated account with broker-computed gains") are also residency-tied. On becoming a non-resident the specific account is abolished and balances move to a general account, with re-establishment possible after return.³ For iDeCo, ask your broker or plan administrator for departure instructions before you leave, since contribution and holding rules are administrator-specific.

Item	Detail	As of	Notes
SBI Securities departure deadline	Complete procedures by business day before departure	2026-093	Sell non-holdable products first
SBI Securities closure processing	1 to 2 months after document return	2026-095	Start weeks before flight
NISA continuation	Company-transfer cases only, up to five year-end under procedures	2026-093	Permanent departure must close or transfer

Figures above reflect broker-published handling current at the cited dates; confirm current figures with your brokerage before filing.

Pension: Claim the Lump Sum or Preserve the Record

The 脱退一時金 (dattai ichijikin, "lump-sum withdrawal payment") refunds part of your pension contributions after you leave Japan. JPS directs agreement-country workers to social security agreement procedures and others to the lump-sum track, with claims due within two years of leaving.⁷¹ The two pension systems are counted separately and never added together for the six-month minimum.⁸

Two pension systems mean two separate minimums

National Pension counts Category 1 contribution-paid months while Employees Pension counts its own enrollment months. Six months in one system does not combine with months in the other.⁸

Check lump-sum eligibility and the filing deadline

National Pension claimants must meet all of the following: non-Japanese nationality, non-insured status, six or more months of contribution-paid equivalent, unmet ten-year vesting, no prior pension entitlement, no Japanese address, and filing within the two-year window.⁸ Employees Pension claimants meet the mirrored set with six or more months of Employees Pension enrollment.⁸

The window runs two years from losing Japanese address. Where an address existed at loss of insured status, JPS measures from the day after the move-out date.⁸⁹ File with the Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment Claim Form (脱退一時金請求書, dattai ichijikin seikyūsho, "lump-sum withdrawal claim form") by post or through e-Gov.⁹

National Pension payouts scale with months contributed. Amounts for a final contribution month in April 2026 to March 2027 run from 53,760 JPY at 6 to 12 months to 537,600 JPY at 60 or more months (as of 2026-04; confirm current figures with the Japan Pension Service).⁸ Employees Pension payouts equal average standard remuneration during insured periods multiplied by a JPS-published rate factor, capped at 60 months with a factor of 5.5 at 60 or more months for final months on or after April 2021 (as of 2026-04).⁸ Periods ending March 2021 or earlier remain capped at 36 months.⁸

Band	National Pension amount (FY2026)	Employees Pension rate factor	As of
6 to 12 months	53,760 JPY	0.5	2026-048
24 to 30 months	215,040 JPY	2.2	2026-048
48 to 54 months	430,080 JPY	4.4	2026-048
60 or more months	537,600 JPY	5.5	2026-048

The table reflects JPS-published bands current at the cited date; confirm current figures with the Japan Pension Service before estimating your refund.

Lump sum vs totalization

Taking the lump sum permanently cancels the coverage months used for it. Those months can never again count toward a Japanese pension or be totalized under a social security agreement.⁸ Workers leaving for an agreement country should follow JPS agreement procedures that preserve cross-border totalization instead of defaulting to cash.¹

Employees Pension lump sums have income tax of 20.42 percent, including reconstruction surtax, withheld at source.¹⁰ You may reclaim the withholding by filing under Article 171 of the Income Tax Act through a 納税管理人 (nōzei kanrinin, "tax agent resident in Japan"), enclosing the Notice of Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment (Entitlement).¹⁰ National Pension lump sums are not framed the same way in NTA guidance, so confirm your system before planning the reclaim.¹⁰

Appoint your tax agent before you leave Japan

The Article 171 return must go through a tax agent in Japan with the mailed entitlement notice enclosed.¹⁰ Without an appointed agent the reclaim cannot be filed from abroad, so the withholding becomes effectively permanent.

Bank Accounts: Close, Keep, or Convert to Non-Resident Status

Most retail bank accounts are residency-tied. Notify each bank of your departure and confirm whether it permits a non-resident account or requires closure, since quietly keeping an account open risks a freeze that is hard to unlock from abroad.²⁴ Late-arriving money still needs a landing place, so decide close-everything versus keep-one based on pending inbound payments.⁶

Why most banks require closure at loss of residence

SBI Shinsei Bank states foreign citizens leaving Japan permanently must close the account before leaving. PowerFlex accounts are for Japan residents only, and non-residents cannot withdraw or send funds.²

A remaining balance at closure must transfer to another Japanese account; overseas transfer at closure is not offered.² Without a receiving account, visit a cash-handling branch by 14:30 with your seal and cash card, and allow about one hour.²

Sony Bank likewise requires permanent leavers to cancel via English online banking before changing residence status.⁴ Yen-account balances transfer only to a beneficiary account in the holder's name at a financial institution in Japan; otherwise withdraw the full balance in cash at a partner ATM first.⁴ Account opening itself is limited to Japan residents, and holders who already left without cancelling must contact the English help desk.⁴

Keep one account if late payments remain

One open account can catch final salary, landlord deposit returns, and tax-office transfers filed through a tax agent. Closing everything before those clear turns each payment into a separate cross-border problem.⁶ Any kept account still needs explicit bank approval for non-resident status.⁶

Tell the bank you are leaving in every case. Unreported departures leave interest accruals and dormancy handling to compound into later complications.⁶

Bank	Departure rule	Balance handling	As of
SBI Shinsei Bank	Close before leaving permanently	Transfer to another Japanese account only	2026-092
Sony Bank	Cancel via online banking before status change	Transfer to own-name Japan account, else cash withdrawal first	2026-094

Rules above reflect each bank's published departure pages at the cited dates; confirm current figures with your bank since non-resident policies differ by provider.

Move the Money: Wire Transfers and Compliance Checks

Outbound transfers combine an explicit fee, an FX spread against the mid-market rate, and possible intermediary or recipient-bank charges on SWIFT routes.¹¹ Comparing only the headline fee understates the cost, so compute the all-in received amount before choosing a route.¹¹ JPY funding from Japan is typically by bank transfer or debit card from your own account.¹¹

Prepare source-of-funds documentation

Larger or unusual outbound transfers trigger source-of-funds or purpose-of-transfer checks. Photo ID, residence card, My Number information, and employment or sale documents may be requested depending on provider and corridor.¹¹ Typical large-transfer documents include employment verification, property-sale contracts, or inheritance papers.⁶¹¹

Compute the all-in cost against the mid-market rate

A small fixed fee can mask the spread built into the rate, which sources describe as often the biggest hidden cost. Quote the sent-versus-received pair on the same amount across providers before confirming.¹¹

Time transfers while residence status is active

Initiate transfers while your residence card and My Number registry are still active. After surrender and deregistration, identity verification for new transfer setups becomes materially harder.¹¹ First-time verification, weekends, Japanese holidays, and recipient-bank reviews can delay arrival beyond quoted estimates.¹¹

Set up transfer conduits before the ward-office move-out. Linking the Japanese bank to the transfer service while your domestic phone number and residence card still verify avoids SMS and KYC lockout from abroad.¹¹

Departure Timeline: Coordinate Money Moves With Residence Card Surrender

Order matters more than speed. Weeks out, start brokerage closure, confirm bank non-resident rules, and set up the transfer service while verification still works.²³¹¹ File the 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke, "moving-out notification") at the ward or city office, since the move-out date anchors the pension window.⁸⁹

The following flowchart shows the sequence from weeks out to the airport.

Return the 在留カード (zairyū kādo, "residence card") to an immigration officer at the airport or seaport when leaving Japan after finishing activities.¹² Prepare the pension claim so it reaches JPS on or after the recorded move-out date; a claim received while you still hold a Japanese address cannot be accepted.⁹ If you carry cash or means of payment exceeding 1,000,000 JPY or equivalent out of Japan, declare it to Customs with a Declaration of Carrying of Means of Payment at the airport or seaport.¹³

Step	Action	Owner
Weeks out	Start brokerage closure, confirm bank rules, link transfer service	You, while resident2311
Days before	File moving-out notification; send main wires; close unneeded accounts	You, at ward office and bank82
At airport	Return residence card; declare cash over 1M JPY if carrying	You, at immigration and Customs1213
From abroad	File pension claim within 2 years; agent files Article 171 return	You and tax agent810

Good to know

File the moving-out notification before the pension claim reaches JPS

JPS cannot accept a claim received while you still have a Japanese address. The two-year window itself runs from the day after the move-out date in that case, so post the form so arrival falls on or after the recorded date.⁸⁹

Appoint a tax representative before departure to reclaim lump-sum withholding

NTA requires the Article 171 return through a tax agent in Japan with the entitlement notice enclosed. Appointing before departure is the clean route, and the 20.42 percent Employees Pension withholding is recoverable only through this filing.¹⁰

Do not quietly keep a NISA or bank account open after losing residence

Brokers restrict all trading during non-residence and may sell or settle holdings left without procedures.³ Banks limit residency-tied accounts to residents only, with SBI Shinsei blocking non-resident withdrawals and transfers.² Tell each provider you are leaving and follow its closure or conversion path.

Confirm your home bank can receive yen wires before you close everything

Pension lump sums and closing-balance wires need a verified receiving account with SWIFT or BIC details. SBI Shinsei and Sony Bank closure balances transfer only to a Japanese account, so the cross-border leg must be arranged separately before closure.²⁴ Verify the receiving details while you can still fix problems from Japan.

See also

• Wise Japan Remittance: Sending Money To and From Japan
• Multiple-Account Strategy for Foreign Residents
• My Number Reporting for Bank Accounts
• Lump-Sum Withdrawal: Pension Refund on Leaving Japan
• The New NISA (2024 Onward)
• Departure Checklist: The 90-Day Run-Up

References

Footnotes

1. Japan Pension Service. "Leave Japan" (Information by scene). Last updated 2026-03-02. https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/scene/leavejapan/index.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. SBI Shinsei Bank. "When you leave Japan permanently" (Closing your account). https://www.sbishinseibank.co.jp/english/powerflex/closing_account.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²

3. SBI Securities. 「海外出国時（非居住者）のポイント」 (Overseas departure, non-resident handling). https://site3.sbisec.co.jp/ETGate/WPLETmgR001Control?OutSide=on&burl=search_home&cat1=home&cat2=service&dir=service&file=home_non_resident.html&getFlg=on ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

4. Sony Bank. "Leaving Japan" (Cancel your account before leaving). https://sonybank.jp/en/guide/support/nonresident/01.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

5. SBI Securities. 「証券口座の閉鎖手続き」 (Securities account closure procedure; closure takes 1 to 2 months after documents are returned). https://www.sbisec.co.jp/ETGate/WPLETmgR001Control?OutSide=on&burl=search_home&cat1=home&cat2=none&dir=info&file=home_info231215_01.html&getFlg=on (limitation: verified via search index; direct fetch returned garbled encoding) ↩ ↩²

6. TaxMatch Japan by Guidly Inc. "Leaving Japan: Complete Tax and Financial Checklist for Foreign Residents" (2026-03-05). https://e-zeirishi.com/en/leaving-japan-tax-checklist-foreigners/ (limitation: tier-3 professional guidance; used only for NISA close-or-convert framing and departure sequencing, not for statutory figures) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

7. Japan Pension Service. "Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments" (English portal). Last updated 2026-04-07. https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/japanese-system/benefit/payment.html ↩

8. Japan Pension Service. 「脱退一時金の制度」. Updated 2026-04-01. https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/jukyu/seido/sonota-kyufu/dattai-ichiji/20150406.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

9. Japan Pension Service. 「脱退一時金を請求する方の手続き」. https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/jukyu/tetsuduki/sonota-kyufu/20140710.html ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

10. National Tax Agency (Japan). "No.12005 For those who can receive lump-sum withdrawal payments". https://www.nta.go.jp/english/taxes/individual/12005.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

11. Expatica Japan. "Sending money out of Japan 2026: a guide for expats" (2026-07-30). https://www.expatica.com/jp/finance/money/sending-money-out-of-japan-2174223/ (limitation: tier-4 resident publisher; used only for wire cost-pattern and source-of-funds check framing) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

12. Immigration Services Agency. "Procedures for Entry/Residence" guide (PDF, 2025-04-01), section 1-4 Return of Residence Card. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001453431.pdf ↩ ↩²

13. Japan Customs. "7305 Export/Import of Means of Payment, etc. (FAQ)". https://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/keitaibetsuso/7305_e.htm ↩ ↩²