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Lump-Sum Withdrawal: When and Where to File

File the pension lump-sum claim after you stop being a resident, not before. The move-out paper and the airport card return come first; the Japan Pension Service packet goes last.12

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Japan Pension Service site. This article is general information, not tax or pension advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed tax accountant or pension advisor.

Overview​

Sequencing decides acceptance. Claim too early (while still registered) and the file fails eligibility; claim too late (past 2 years) and the right expires.34 Between those rails, expect about 6 months from filing to receipt (as of 2026-01; confirm current timelines with the Japan Pension Service).56

The diagram orders departure day through the refund. Each step unlocks the next, so run them in sequence, not in parallel.16

The 2-year window: when the clock starts​

File within 2 years of leaving Japan; municipal guidance phrases it as within 2 years of leaving or of the move-out certificate date.37 The residence-card return at the airport typically marks the status loss that opens eligibility.1

Re-entry permit holders face special timing: the claim date and deadline can arrive earlier than expected.4 Confirm the permit interaction before assuming the full 2 years applies.

The window opens at exit, not at arrival

Leaving Japan starts both eligibility and the deadline clock. Back-date nothing; the move-out certificate fixes the timeline.

The document packet​

Assemble the packet before the flight and mail it after. The core set is the claim form, a passport copy, Basic Pension Number evidence, proof of non-residence, and bank details for the international wire.51

DocumentPurposeNotes
脱退一時金請求書 (dattai ichijikin seikyuusho, "Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment Claim Form")The claim itselfEnglish version with guidance on the JPS site5
Passport copyIdentity and departure evidenceCopy the identity and exit pages51
Basic Pension Number evidenceLinks the claim to your recordPension handbook or notification1
Deleted residence record (除票, johyou, "deleted residence record")Proves no Japanese addressRequest around the 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke, "move-out notification") filing1
Bank account informationReceives the overseas wirePractitioner guidance excludes Japan Post Bank accounts; JPS designates the wire currency2

The table covers the standard packet. Confirm the current checklist on the JPS site before sealing the envelope, since form revisions move line items.

Where the claim goes​

Mail the packet to the Japan Pension Service (Foreign Services Group) by tracked international mail; the destination address is printed on the application materials and the JPS site.56 Pension offices issue the blank form in person before departure for those who prefer to collect it at a counter.57

Send from abroad after exit, not from a Japanese post box on the way out. The postmark should agree with the non-resident story the packet tells.

After filing: the 6-month wait​

Japan Pension Service review takes 3 to 6 months, and the wire plus the 脱退一時金支給決定通知書 (dattai ichijikin shikyū kettei tsūchisho, "Notice of Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment Determination") follow after approval (as of 2026-01; confirm current timelines with the Japan Pension Service).56 Practitioner timelines place the wire around 120 to 150 days after dispatch in clean cases (as of 2026-02).6

Keep the determination notice: the original attaches to the later tax-reclaim filing.56 Correspondence meanwhile proceeds in Japanese by default, and a Japan-based agent makes that exchange meaningfully easier.1

Give the wire a proper receiving account

Keep one home-country account open and confirm it accepts international wires in the currency the notice states. Closing every account before the money moves strands the payout mid-route.

Good to know​

Filing while still registered gets rejected​

Eligibility requires no Japanese address, so the 転出届 (tenshutsu todoke, "move-out notification") filing and the card return precede any valid claim.12 A packet mailed from a registered address argues against itself.

Correspondence defaults to Japanese​

Notices, corrections, and follow-up requests arrive in Japanese.1 Line up a bilingual helper or agent before departure rather than decoding pension mail from abroad under time pressure.

Docket the deadline on departure day​

The 2-year window plus months of processing punishes procrastinators twice: late filing forfeits the claim, and even timely filing pays months later.37 Calendar both the filing deadline and the expected receipt.

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. OIST Resource Center. Claiming pension withdrawal lump-sum payment. https://www.oist.jp/resource-center/pension-lump-sum-withdrawal-payment ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  2. Smiles. Lump-Sum Withdrawal Guide for Japan's Pension System. https://www.smileswallet.com/japan/how-to-claim-your-lump-sum-withdrawal-payment ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Japan Pension Service. Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments (English). https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/english/japanese-system/benefit/payment.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Private School Mutual Aid. To foreigners departing from Japan (English pamphlet, as of April 2026). https://www.pmac.shigaku.go.jp/en/pension/pension_08/detail/njr8dv0000000u1l-att/k_d_nenkin_datsuichi_pamphlet_en_2026.pdf ↩ ↩2

  5. MailMate. Japan's Pension Refund for Foreigners in 2026. https://mailmate.jp/blog/japan-pension-refund ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  6. MyKyoten. Japan Pension Lump-Sum Withdrawal: The 20.42% Tax Explained (last verified February 2026). https://mykyoten.com/guides/pension-refund-tax-20-percent-japan ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  7. City of Saitama. Pension (English). https://www.city.saitama.lg.jp/en/sc/hip-pension.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3