National Pension procedures

1.Who joins the National Pension

Everyone living in Japan aged 20 or over and under 60 joins the National Pension (kokumin nenkin). Members are divided into the following 3 categories, depending on how they work and other factors.

The people who complete procedures at the municipal counter are mainly Category 1 insured persons. The procedure to become a Category 3 insured person is done through your spouse's employer.

2.When you turn 20

When you turn 20, you become a Category 1 insured person of the National Pension. This does not apply to people enrolled in the Employees' Pension. Within about 2 weeks of turning 20, the Japan Pension Service sends you the following documents.

• Basic Pension Number Notice (kiso nenkin bango tsuchisho)
• Notice of enrollment in the National Pension (kokumin nenkin kanyu no oshirase)
• Payment slips (nofusho) for National Pension premiums
• Guide to National Pension enrollment and premiums
• Application forms for premium exemption, payment deferral and the Special Payment Rule for Students

You will use the Basic Pension Number Notice for your whole life, for example when you claim a pension. Keep it in a safe place.

You pay premiums from the month that includes the day before your 20th birthday. Students who find it difficult to pay can apply for the Special Payment Rule for Students (gakusei nofu tokurei), and others can apply for an exemption or payment deferral (see "Premium exemptions and payment deferral" below).

3.When you leave your job or stop being your spouse's dependent

If you leave your job and the Employees' Pension, and you do not start another job right away or you become self-employed, file a notification to switch to Category 1 of the National Pension (change of category, shubetsu henko) and pay premiums.

File the notification for Category 1 at the counter of the municipality where you live within 14 days of the day after you left your job. The notification is made by you or the head of household (setainushi). You can also apply online through Mynaportal.

You also stop being a Category 3 insured person when you are no longer your spouse's dependent, for example because your income increased or you divorced, or when your spouse who is enrolled in the Employees' Pension turns 65. File the notification for Category 1 at the counter of the municipality where you live or at a pension office.

If it is difficult to pay premiums after leaving your job, you can apply for the special exemption for unemployment (see "Premium exemptions and payment deferral" below). For health insurance procedures, see the guide on National Health Insurance.

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4.Premium amounts and how to pay

The premium for Category 1 insured persons is 17,920 yen per month in fiscal 2026. The amount is reviewed every fiscal year. The deadline is the last day of the following month.

Paying in advance costs less than paying every month. To pay in advance with a payment slip, you need a payment slip for advance payment. If you do not have one, contact a pension office.

5.Premium exemptions and payment deferral

If it is difficult to pay premiums, for example because your income is low or you lost your job, you can apply for an exemption (menjo) or a payment deferral (nofu yuyo). Do not leave premiums unpaid; apply instead.

Students apply for the Special Payment Rule for Students, not for an exemption or payment deferral. There is also a special rule under which you can receive an exemption regardless of your previous year's income, if the fact that you lost your job or similar can be confirmed.

For exemption periods up to the March 2009 premium, the rates at which they are reflected are different. Statutory exemption periods from the April 2009 premium onward are calculated at one-half of the amount if paid in full.

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6.Premium exemptions for childbirth and child-rearing

When a Category 1 insured person gives birth or is raising a child up to age 1, premiums are exempted if you file a notification. There is no income limit. Exempted periods are also reflected in the amount of the Basic Old-Age Pension as if the premiums had been paid.

Notify the National Pension counter of the municipality where you live. You can also notify by mail or online. People already receiving an exemption, a payment deferral or the Special Payment Rule for Students can also notify.

You can pay the additional premium during either period. If you pay in advance by automatic bank transfer or credit card, the way the transfer works may change, so check with a pension office.

7.Voluntary enrollment after age 60 or while living abroad

As a rule, enrollment in the National Pension lasts until age 60. However, people who want to increase their pension, or who do not have enough of the period needed to receive a pension, can apply to enroll voluntarily (nin'i kanyu).

• Enrollment starts from the month you apply. You cannot enroll retroactively.
• People living in Japan pay premiums by automatic bank transfer as a rule.
• While you are enrolled voluntarily, you cannot apply for an exemption, a payment deferral or the Special Payment Rule for Students.

8.Basic Pension Number, Nenkin Teikibin and Nenkin Net

The Basic Pension Number (kiso nenkin bango) is the number used for pension procedures and inquiries. You can check it on the following, among others.

• The Basic Pension Number Notice, or the blue pension handbook (nenkin techo)
• Payment slips and receipts for National Pension premiums, and notices of the amount transferred from your account
• Notices such as your pension certificate or a pension amount revision notice
• Mynaportal and Nenkin Net

You cannot be told your Basic Pension Number by phone or email. If you lose the notice or the pension handbook, you can ask Nenkin Dial or a pension office to reissue the Basic Pension Number Notice.

On Nenkin Net you can check your own pension record, the estimated amount of your future pension and an electronic version of the Nenkin Teikibin, and you can also file notifications online. Use it by linking it to Mynaportal or by obtaining a user ID.

When you move, as a rule you do not need to notify a change of address for your pension if your My Number is linked to your Basic Pension Number. Category 1 insured persons whose numbers are not linked notify the municipal counter. Category 3 insured persons notify their spouse's employer.

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9.Receiving the Basic Old-Age Pension

If your periods of paid premiums, exemptions and similar total 10 years or more, you can receive the Basic Old-Age Pension (rorei kiso nenkin) from age 65. If you pay premiums for all 40 years from age 20 to 60, you receive the full amount.

1. 1

   The pension claim form (nenkin seikyusho) arrives

   The Japan Pension Service sends it 3 months before you reach the age at which you start receiving the pension. Check the enrollment record enclosed with it.

2. 2

   Submit it to a pension office

   From the day before your birthday at the age you start receiving the pension, submit it with the required attachments to a pension office. Depending on the conditions, you can also apply online.

3. 3

   Your pension certificate arrives

   About 1 to 2 months after you submit it, your pension certificate (nenkin shosho) and pension decision notice arrive, and payments start after that.

The pension does not start automatically; you must claim it. If more than 5 years pass from the day you became eligible, part of it may no longer be paid because of the statute of limitations. As a rule, the pension is paid on the 15th of each even-numbered month, covering the previous 2 months.