The lump-sum withdrawal payment has a two-year filing period, but it is not safely determined from a flight date alone. Japan Pension Service rules connect the starting point to when pension coverage was lost and whether you still had an address in Japan at that time. Confirm the applicable official record before treating any date as your deadline.
Review the official Japan Pension Service information
Why “two years after departure” can be misleading
“Departure” can refer to several different events: your last day at work, the loss of pension coverage, the date you no longer had an address in Japan, or the day you travelled. Those dates may not be the same.
Japan Pension Service guidance distinguishes cases according to whether you had an address in Japan when you lost coverage. If you had an address then, the later date on which you first ceased to have an address in Japan can matter. If you did not have an address at the time coverage was lost, the coverage-loss date can matter. Your records—not a generic flight-date formula—must be checked.
In this guide, “address in Japan” refers to the address status relevant to the Japan Pension Service requirements and official records, not only where you were physically staying.
Case-based starting-point check
This flow helps identify the date to verify. It does not calculate or determine your legal deadline.
Can you confirm the last date on which you lost insured status under a Japanese public pension system?
Yes: Continue to the address-status question for that date. No or unsure: Check your official pension record or request a record-based review.
Did you still have an address in Japan on that date?
Yes: If you had an address in Japan on the coverage-loss date, confirm the first later date on which you no longer had an address in Japan. No: confirm the coverage-loss date and the address record that applied then.
Are the address or departure records unclear?
Yes: do not choose a date by estimation; request record-based review. No: retain the records that support the relevant date.
Check promptly if the date is close or may already be over 24 months
A self-reported “over 24 months” does not establish the formal starting point. Seek individual review rather than assuming that the claim is still in time or already too late.
Situations and dates to confirm
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to view all columns.
| Situation | Date to confirm | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| You had an address in Japan when coverage ended | The first later date on which you ceased to have an address in Japan | Compare coverage and address records; do not rely only on the flight date |
| You did not have an address in Japan when coverage ended | The official coverage-loss date and the address status at that time | Verify both records before counting the filing period |
| Your move-out or address status is unclear | The recorded address-loss event and related notifications | Request record-based review |
| The possible deadline is close | Every potentially relevant official date | Act promptly and use official information or individual review |
| You believe more than 24 months have passed | The formal starting point, not only elapsed time since travel | Do not self-reject before the trigger is checked |
Common mistakes
- Counting two years from the flight date without checking the formal starting point.
- Not checking the address or resident-record status that applied when coverage ended.
- Not confirming the official Employees’ Pension Insurance coverage-loss date.
- Giving up near the deadline based only on an estimate.
- Confusing the pension lump-sum filing period with a separate tax-refund procedure.
Information to prepare for a review
Organize the information you already have; do not enter or upload personal details on this article page.
- Your pension coverage record and official coverage-loss date
- Your move-out and address status
- Your departure timing
- Information about relevant past notifications
For a broader preparation list, see documents you may need for a lump-sum withdrawal claim.
If you are still preparing to leave Japan, use the before-leaving preparation checklist to organize records without assuming that the claim can already be filed.
The 6, 60 and 120-month rules answer different questions from the two-year filing deadline.
If the deadline is close or unclear
Use the Checker to identify whether the deadline starting point needs review. The Checker is preliminary and does not calculate a legal deadline. If the possible date is close, unclear, or thought to be over 24 months, request an individual review without waiting for an estimate to become certain.
Check whether your deadline needs review
Answer eight general questions without entering your name, email address, or pension number.
Start the preliminary eligibility check →Official information
Use current Japan Pension Service information to verify the rule and the records relevant to your case:
- Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments — Japan Pension Service
- Official English/Japanese application form and instructions (PDF)
This article provides general information and is not legal, tax, or pension advice. Treatment can differ according to individual facts. Eligibility and payment are determined through the Japan Pension Service’s official review of the claim and records. PenPos does not guarantee its review or acceptance of a case, eligibility, or payment.