国民年金 Payment Slips & Exemption Notices Explained

Who receives it

Anyone registered as a resident in Japan, aged 20 to 59, who is not in a workplace pension scheme and not registered as a dependent spouse (Category 3). Nationality does not matter, so students, trainees, freelancers and people who just left a job all receive these. The first slips usually arrive when you turn 20, when you leave a company, or when you come off a spouse's coverage. If you plan to leave Japan, how your contributions are treated (脱退一時金, the lump-sum withdrawal payment, or a social security agreement with your home country) depends on your situation, ask a 年金事務所 (pension office) directly.

What to do

1. 1Check that the sender is 日本年金機構 or your city office, and confirm the name, 基礎年金番号 (basic pension number) and the months listed on the paper.
2. 2Look at each slip separately: it shows the monthly amount, the month it covers, the 納期限 (due date) and the 使用期限 (last date the convenience-store barcode works).
3. 3If you can pay, pay before the due date at a convenience store, bank, post office, by Pay-easy, or by scanning the barcode with a smartphone payment app, direct debit (口座振替) and paying several months in advance both give a discount.
4. 4If you cannot pay, do not ignore the slips: apply for 免除, 納付猶予 or 学生納付特例 at your city hall's national pension counter, at a 年金事務所, or online via マイナポータル.
5. 5Keep the receipts and the 社会保険料控除証明書 (social insurance deduction certificate) that arrives in autumn, as you need it for year-end adjustment or your tax return.

About the deadline

Each slip carries its own 納期限 (due date), typically the end of the month after the month it covers, printed on the slip itself. The 使用期限 for the barcode may be later; after that date convenience stores will refuse it, but you can still pay, call a 年金事務所 and ask them to reissue the slip. Contributions generally become time-barred two years after the due date and cannot be paid at all after that. Applications for exemption or deferral can normally be backdated up to two years and one month. If you received a decision letter, check that the approved period matches the period you applied for.

Common misunderstandings

I joined a company and I'm in 厚生年金 now, but slips still arrived. Do I pay?

There is a lag before your employer's enrolment reaches the pension records, so slips are often already in the post. Contact a 年金事務所 with proof of your enrolment date (health insurance card or enrolment notice). If you accidentally pay twice, the overpayment is refunded later.

If I just don't pay, does it count as an exemption?

No. Exemption and deferral only exist if you apply and are approved. Simply unpaid months do not count toward your pension amount and can leave you short of the requirements for disability or survivor benefits. Approved exempt months still count toward those requirements, which is exactly why applying matters when money is tight.

If my exemption is approved, will I still get the full pension later?

No. Exempt months count toward eligibility, but your future pension amount will be lower than if you had paid in full. You can pay them later through 追納 (retroactive payment) within ten years of approval, though a surcharge is added for older periods.

Does 学生納付特例 stay in place once I've been approved?

No, it must be renewed every fiscal year. A reminder postcard is often sent to people approved the previous year, but you should apply each year you are studying whether or not it arrives. If you graduate or leave school, you need to switch to a regular exemption or deferral application instead.

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• 国民健康保険 資格確認書: Japan National Health Insurance Eligibility Card Explained
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