No difference between normal pensions and Kyosai for conditions to receive lump-sum withdrawal payments
Japanese pension has different systems for pensions of public servants and staff in schools. They are called “Kyosai (共済)” in total, that means “mutual aid”:
| System’s name | English translation | Who are registered | The office responsible for |
| 国家公務員共済組合 | Federation of National Public Personnel Mutual Aid | Public servants of national government, staff in national schools | Federation of National Public Personnel Mutual Aid Associations (国家公務員共済組合連合会) |
| 地方公務員共済組合 | Pension Fund for Local Government Office | Public servants of local governments, staff in schools managed by local governments | Pension Fund Association for Local Government Office (地方公務員共済組合連合会) |
| 私立学校教職員共済制度 | Mutual Aid for Private Schools of Japan | Staff in private schools | Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (日本私立学校振興・共済事業団) |
- Please also see Wikipedia’s article –> 共済組合 (Japanese language)
The conditions to receive lump-sum withdrawal payments (lump-sum pension refunds) are not different between these Kyosai systems and normal systems, Kosei Nenkin and Kokumin Nenkin. Non-Japanese persons who are registered in one of the three Kyosai systems can claim their pension refunds within 2 years after leaving Japan.
If you are a member of one of the above systems, you can claim your pension refund to the office that is responsible for it. For teachers in public and private schools, normally the claim is accepted at the schools’ management offices. For details please ask how to claim your pension refund to the management office of the school where you are employed.
If you don’t know where to claim it’s OK to JPS
But it is possible that you have a record of a registration in both Kosei Nenkin /Kokumin Nenkin and Kyosai, if you have had a record of employments by more than two employers. For such a case it is difficult to know whether you can claim your pension refund to an office of Kyosai or Japan Pension Refund (JPS, office responsible for Kokumin Nenkin / Kosei Nenkin).
Add to that please note that it is also possible that you are registered in Kosei Nenkin even if you are employed by an office of national / local government, or a public / private school.
If you don’t know whether you should claim your pension refund to Kyosai or JPS, then we recommend you to claim it to JPS. If your pension refund is paid from Kokumin Nenkin / Kosei Nenkin, then JPS will do so without any troubles. On the other hand if your pension refund is paid from Kyosai, then JPS will forward your claim forms and documents to the office responsible for your Kyosai. This process can take some months, that might make the payment late.
We YouAT LLC have carried out claims of Kyosai’s pension refunds many times. If you are employed by an office of national / local government or a public / private school, please feel free to contact us.
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