Japan's Nenkin — how to reclaim your pension when returning to Vietnam

Calculating how much you paid after working in Japan for 2-5 years

Here is an idea of how much you may be able to reclaim:

Example 1: An international student for 3 years, then working part-time for another 2 years after graduation

• Years 1-3 as a student: applied for a Kokumin exemption → paid 0 yen
• Years 4-5 working: Kousei Nenkin at 9.15% of a 250k yen/month salary × 24 months = ~549,000 yen

Example 2: A Specified Skilled Worker (Tokutei Gino) for 5 years

• 5 years of Kousei Nenkin on a 250k yen/month salary: 9.15% × 60 months = ~1,372,500 yen
• Converted to VND (exchange rate 170): ~233 million VND

Example 3: An engineer for 5 years, earning 400k yen/month

• 9.15% × 400,000 × 60 months = ~2,196,000 yen = ~373 million VND

This money is held by the Japan Pension Service (JP Pension / 日本年金機構). If you return to VN and do not come back to Japan, you can reclaim contributions for up to the first 60 months through Dakkai Ichijikin.

Dakkai Ichijikin — how to reclaim your contributions

Eligibility requirements:

1. You have paid nenkin (Kokumin or Kousei) for ≥6 months
2. You are not a Japanese citizen
3. You have left Japan (no longer have a visa + have canceled your juminhyo)
4. You are not currently receiving disability nenkin / a pension from Japan
5. You submit your application within 2 years of leaving Japan

Refund amount:

• A maximum of 60 months of contributions (even if you paid for >60 months, you can only receive 60)
• Formula: average salary × a coefficient based on the number of months paid
• For 60 months: ~80% of the amount paid

The Dakkai Ichijikin process — 5 steps

Step 1: Before leaving Japan (1-2 weeks beforehand)

• Go to the kuyakusho to submit the "転出届" (tenshutsu — notification of moving out of Japan)
• Keep your residence card (you will hand it to nyukan when leaving the country)
• IMPORTANT: keep this document and obtain a copy of your juminhyo before canceling it — you will need it for the dakkai application
• Do NOT close your bank account — you will need it to receive the dakkai payment later
• Print your nenkin techo (年金手帳 — nenkin booklet), if you have one

Step 2: Prepare your documents after returning to VN

Within 6 months - 2 years after leaving Japan, prepare:

1. Dakkai Ichijikin application form (脱退一時金請求書): download it from nenkin.go.jp and fill it out in block letters
2. A copy of your passport (the photo page + the page with the final exit stamp from Japan)
3. Proof that you no longer live in Japan: a copy of your old juminhyo bearing the "除票" (jōhyō — removed from the register) stamp, or a letter from the kuyakusho
4. A copy of your nenkin techo (nenkin booklet — the 10-digit nenkin number is important)
5. Bank account information:
   • VN account: SWIFT/BIC code + account number + account holder’s name in English (without Vietnamese diacritics)
   • OR an existing Japanese account: Yuucho/Shinsei account number…

Step 3: Send the documents by post

• Address: Japan Pension Service, Foreign Affairs Office, Tokyo
• Exact address: 〒168-8505 東京都杉並区高井戸西3丁目5番24号 日本年金機構
• Send via EMS (~1,5 million VND) or regular post (slower)
• Keep the postal receipt as proof that you sent the documents

Step 4: Wait for processing (3-4 months)

• JP Pension processes the application and sends a response by email (if you include your email in the application)
• You may be asked to provide additional documents → send them afterward
• Avoid entering incorrect bank details → you may have to start the entire process again

Step 5: Receive the money

• The money is transferred to your VN or Japanese account
• You receive ~80% of the total amount paid (for up to 60 months)
• 20% tax is automatically withheld — you can claim it back in step 6

Step 6: Claiming back the 20% tax — something many people do not know

Japan automatically withholds 20% of the dakkai ichijikin as income tax (源泉徴収 — gensen chōshū). Japan and VN have a double taxation avoidance agreement, so you are entitled to claim this 20% back:

You need a representative in Japan

• Choose someone you trust who still lives in Japan (a friend, senpai, or consulting service)
• This person completes the "納税管理人届出書" (nōzei kanrinnin todokedesho — tax representative registration)
• Submit it to the tax office (税務署 — zeimusho) near your home before you leave Japan

The tax refund procedure

1. After receiving the dakkai ichijikin with 20% tax withheld → wait for JP Pension to send the confirmation document
2. Your representative in Japan submits the "源泉徴収票" (gensen choshuhyo) + tax refund application to the zeimusho
3. 2-3 months later, the tax office refunds the 20% to your representative’s Japanese bank account
4. Your representative transfers the money to VN (via Wise, SBI Remit…)

Real-life example

• Original dakkai ichijikin: 1,000,000 yen
• 20% tax withheld: 200,000 yen
• Amount you actually receive: 800,000 yen
• After claiming the tax back 2-3 months later: an additional 200,000 yen
• Final total: 1,000,000 yen = ~170 million VND

The cost of hiring a tax refund service: 10-15% of the amount reclaimed (20-30k yen). Doing it yourself is free if you have a trusted friend.

Overall timeline — 4-6 months from returning to VN

5 common mistakes when applying for dakkai ichijikin

1. Not submitting tenshutsu before flying: once you are back in VN, you have no document proving that you left Japan → the application is returned
2. Closing your Japanese bank account too early: you will not receive the dakkai payment if you listed that Japanese account on the application
3. Using different names on different documents: the passport spelling "NGUYEN THI AN" vs the application "Nguyen Thi An" → JP Pension may suspect fraud
4. Not registering a tax representative → losing the 20%: this is a substantial amount (~170-370 million VND depending on the case)
5. Forgetting the 2-year deadline: after 2 years, you can no longer claim it

Is it better than Vietnam’s nenkin?

A basic comparison:

• Japan: pay 9.15% of your salary × for many years → receive a pension from age 65, with a monthly payment of ~50-80k yen (equivalent to 8-14 million VND)
• VN: pay 8% of your salary (mandatory BHXH) → receive benefits after 20 years, at 45-75% of your average salary

Conclusion: If you stay in Japan for <20 years and then return to VN, **claiming Dakkai Ichijikin** is the only way to recover your money. If you stay in Japan for >20 years or obtain permanent residency, continue paying in and receive a Japanese pension at age 65.

Bonus tip: Japan and Vietnam have a Social Security Agreement in effect since 2018 — the period you paid into Japan’s social insurance system can be combined with your VN contributions when determining whether you have completed the 20 years required for a VN pension. If you do not want to claim Dakkai Ichijikin, you can leave the contributions in place and combine them with your VN social insurance record.

Summary

Japan’s nenkin has 2 types (Kokumin at 17,510 yen/month for international students, and Kousei at 9.15% of salary for employees). If you return to VN and do not come back to Japan, file for Dakkai Ichijikin to reclaim ~80% of your contributions (up to 60 months). 20% tax is automatically withheld → register a tax representative in Japan before leaving so you can claim it back. The overall timeline is 4-8 months, and you could receive enough to buy a small apartment in VN if you worked for 5 full years.

Read more about how to reclaim nenkin step by step, or see our guide to Kokumin Kenko Hoken health insurance — the health insurance system that comes with nenkin.

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