Leaving Japan after a long-term stay involves a specific set of administrative tasks that, if done correctly, ensure you reclaim pension contributions, close financial accounts properly, and deregister from Japanese administrative systems. Missing these steps can result in unclaimed refunds worth hundreds of thousands of yen and ongoing administrative complications from abroad.
Pension Lump-Sum Withdrawal (Dattai Ichijikin)
Foreign residents who have contributed to Japan’s Kosei Nenkin (employees’ pension) or Kokumin Nenkin (national pension) for less than 10 years are not eligible for a monthly pension upon retirement and can instead claim a lump-sum withdrawal payment (脱退一時金, dattai ichijikin) within 2 years of leaving Japan. The amount depends on total contribution months, with a maximum of approximately ¥600,000–800,000 for those who contributed at the maximum bracket for several years. How to claim: After leaving Japan (you must have departed), submit Form “Dattai Ichijikin Seikyu-sho” to the Japan Pension Service from abroad. The form is available in English on the Japan Pension Service (nenkin.go.jp) website. Important: cancel your Japan residency registration (juminhy0 removal) at the municipal office on or before your departure day — this establishes your departure date for the application. The pension payment is subject to 20.42% withholding tax; in some cases, residents can appoint a tax representative to claim a refund of this withholding through a final tax return filed after departure.
National Health Insurance and Social Insurance
Withdraw from Kokumin Kenko Hoken (national health insurance) at the municipal office on your departure day — bring your NHI card and residence card. You’ll receive a refund of any overpaid premiums. Shakai Hoken (employer-based health insurance) terminates automatically when employment ends. Ensure you receive a certificate of social insurance participation (nenkin kicho) from your employer for use in the pension lump-sum application.
Bank Accounts and Financial Matters
Japanese bank accounts can legally remain open after you leave Japan, but in practice: most banks require a domestic address and may close accounts of non-residents after notification. Options: Close accounts before departure and transfer funds home (international transfer fees apply; Japan Post Bank and most banks offer outbound international transfers). Keep a Japanese account if you have ongoing income or property — some banks (Prestia, Rakuten Bank, Sony Bank) are more internationally accessible. Japanese credit cards may continue to work abroad but are tied to a domestic address for billing — update or close as appropriate. Investment accounts (NISA, iDeCo): NISA accounts must be converted to taxable accounts or liquidated before departure; iDeCo cannot accept new contributions once you’ve deregistered from Japan, but the account remains and benefits are payable at retirement age.
Deregistering from Residence
On or before your departure day, visit your municipal ward/city office and submit a move-out notification (転出届, tenshutsutodoke) indicating you are leaving Japan. This removes your residence registration (juminhy0) and is required for the pension lump-sum application. Your My Number (individual number) remains associated with you permanently — it cannot be cancelled and is used for tax purposes if you have ongoing Japan-source income after departure. Surrender your Residence Card (zairyu card) at the airport on departure — immigration will collect it at the gate.
Tax Filing After Departure
If you earned income in Japan during the year of departure, you may need to file a final income tax return covering the period from January 1 to your departure date. File before you leave or appoint a tax representative (nouzei kanri-nin) to file on your behalf after departure. Residents who had foreign income while resident in Japan should also confirm their tax treaty position with a tax accountant — Japan has tax treaties with most countries, and departure doesn’t automatically resolve treaty questions about worldwide income reported while resident. The National Tax Agency provides English guidance for departing taxpayers at nta.go.jp.