Category III insured persons
All residents in Japan over age 20 are required to get enrolled in Japanese pensions. Kosei Nenkin (厚生年金, Employees’ pension insurance) is for persons who are employed by companies, and Kokumin Nenkin (国民年金, National pension) is for persons other than them. It is the basic rule that persons in Kokumin Nenkin needs to pay their contributions every year by themselves.
However, dependent spouses whose partners are enrolled in Kosei Nenkin are out of this rule.
Dependent spouses whose partner is enrolled in Kosei Nenkin are called “Category III insured persons [of National pension]” (国民年金の第３号被保険者 in Japanese). Category III insured persons will get a qualification to receive Japanese old age pension after they are insured over 10 years, without paying contributions by themselves (*).
(*) The status of “Category III insured persons” is granted ONLY to dependent spouses whose partner is enrolled in Kosei Nenkin. If your partner is not employed but earns independently, then you and your partner are both required to pay Kokumin Nenkin in order to receive old age pensions after age 65.
You can claim a lump-sum pension refund only for contributed periods
If you are a dependent spouse, then are you permitted to claim your lump-sum pension refund (Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments) after you leave Japan?
If you in the past had a period in that you paid Kokumin Nenkin, or if you had a period in that you were employed in a Japanese company and enrolled in Kosei Nenkin, then you can claim your lump-sum pension refund for their periods.
But if you were in Japan only as a dependent spouse of your partner, then you cannot claim it. You can claim your lump-sum pension refund only for periods in that you really pay contributions / or your employer deducts contributions from your salary. Please note that, even if you were in Japan as a dependent spouse in some periods, you can claim your lump-sum pension refund if you had periods in that you were employed or you paid contributions by yourself.
YouAT LLC gives you services for Japanese pension and tax refunds
We YouAT LLC has more than 10 year’s history to support non-Japanese employees’ “Lump-sum Withdrawal Payments”, “Old Age Pension”, and income tax refunds.
We have staff of Labor and Social Security Attorney, Administrative Scrivener, and Tax Accountant.
Please feel free to contact us for Japanese Pension and Tax Refunds!
YouAT LLC website — > www.youat-jp.com/
Email –> info@youat-jp.com