Japan Lumpsum Pension Refund, Tax Return - YouAT LLC

Japan has "International Social Security Agreement(社会保障協定, しゃかいほしょうきょうてい)" with foreign countries (See the table below)

People whose home countries have "International Social Security Agreements" with Japan are given "Elimination of Dual Coverage". "Elimination of Dual Coverage" is an agreement that prevents people from being enrolled in two countries’ pensions at the same time, and which of pension they are to be enrolled in is decided by conditions ruled by each of agreement.

And some "Agreements" can, according to their contents, give people "Totalization of Periods of Coverage". When "Totalization of Periods Coverage" is applied, people can totalize a period they contribute to Japan’s pension with a period they will contribute (or had contributed) to their home countries’ pensions, and vice versa (*).

(*) Please note that it doesn’t mean that Japan’s pension and other countries’ pensions will be paid at once. Totalizaion of Periods of Coverage can only allow contributors of Japan’s pension to get a qualification for receiving Japan’s old age pension, and they will receive old age pension from Japanese government if they claim it after age 65, according to their contribution to Japan’s pension system.

Contents of "Agreements" vary county by country. So please understand how "Agreement" of your home county is. But we show the list of countries that have "Agreement" with Japan and have "Totalization of Periods of Coverage" in them, as of August 2018.

International Social Security Agreements (As of May 2023)

(Made from a table in Japan Pension Service’s website)

Countries to have agreements	Totalization of Periods of Coverage
Germany	Yes
United Kingdom	No
South Korea	No
USA	Yes
Belgium	Yes
France	Yes
Canada	Yes
Australia	Yes
Netherlands	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes
Spain	Yes
Ireland	Yes
Brazil	Yes
Switzerland	Yes
Hungary	Yes
India	Yes
Luxemburg	Yes
Philippines	Yes
Slovakia	Yes
People’s Republic of China	No
Finland	Yes
Sweden	Yes

Developments of agreements for countries other than above as of May 2023 are as follows:

*Italy has already signed social security agreement with Japan, but now is waiting for its implementation. When implemented, though, the agreement of Italy won’t cover above "Totalization of Periods of Coverage".

For details of agreements of each country, see this page.