Enrollment in National Pension

National Pension is a public pension that provides Basic Pension benefits due to old age, disability, and death. All residents of Japan between age 20 and 60, regardless of nationality, must enroll.

The insured persons under National Pension system are categorized into three types according to their status as follows:

All residents of Japan between age 20 and 59 who are not Category Ⅱ or Ⅲ insured persons, e.g. self-employed persons, students, agricultural, forestry and fishery workers, unemployed persons.

Workers enrolled in Employees’ Pension Insurance system (except for persons age 65 and older who are eligible to receive a pension due to old age or retirement.)

Category Ⅱ insured persons’ economically-dependent spouses between age 20 and 59 residing in Japan (excluding spouse of Category Ⅱ insured person who reached age 65 and eligible for Old-age Basic Pension.)

Notes:

• Effective April 1st, 2020 you need to reside in Japan in order to be a Category Ⅲ insured person. However, even without an address in Japan you can enroll in National Pension as Category Ⅲ insured person if you are, for example, a student studying abroad or a family member accompanying a worker detached to work in a foreign country, who is described by one of the following categories of exceptional coverage:

1. a student studying in a foreign country
2. an accompanying person of a Category Ⅱ insured person who is sent to work in a foreign country
3. a person who temporarily stays in a foreign country, for non-work-related purposes, such as sightseeing, leisure, and volunteerism
4. a person recognized as equivalent to 2, who has become an accompanying person of a detached Category Ⅱ insured person working in a foreign country
5. a person who has justifiable reasons, taking into account various conditions such as purpose of travel, to be recognized that their livelihood is Japan-related

• Persons moving into Japan must be covered by National Pension as the Category Ⅰ insured person for the period from their entry to Japan until they become Category Ⅱ or Ⅲ insured persons.
• Foreign nationals with specific visa (i.e. medical stay/long stay for sightseeing) are not subject to coverage of National Pension as Category Ⅰ or Ⅲ insured person.

When you become subject to Category Ⅰ insured person, you need to register yourself at the municipal office of your place of residence within 14 days, by submitting "Application to Enroll in National Pension as Category Ⅰ Insured Person."

When you become subject to Category Ⅱ insured person, your employer needs to enroll you in Employees’ Pension Insurance; you are automatically enrolled in National Pension, (you do not need to take extra procedure.)
For more information, see the following link.

When you become subject to Category Ⅲ insured person, you need to ask your spouse’s employer to register you at JPS branch office that covers your spouse's workplace, within 14 days, by submitting "National Pension: Application to enroll in as Category Ⅲ Insured Person."
For more information, see the following link.

The following persons can enroll in National Pension system on a voluntary basis;

1. Residents* of Japan between age 60 and 64
2. Japanese citizens between age 20 and 64 residing in a foreign country
3. Persons* born on or before April 1, 1975, age between 65 and 69 and residing in Japan who have not satisfied the minimum qualification period

* Foreign nationals with specific visa (i.e. medical stay/long stay for sightseeing) are not subject to voluntary coverage of National Pension.

If you are subject to 1. or 3. above, and wish to enroll voluntarily, you need to apply for enrollment at the municipal office of your place of residence. If you are subject to 2. above, you need to apply for enrollment at JPS branch office in charge of your latest residence in Japan. If you have never resided in Japan, you need to apply at the JPS Chiyoda Branch Office, Tokyo.