Japan plans to enroll all foreigners who have recently moved to the country into its public pension program by October 2024, aiming to strengthen requirements and strengthen the foundation for long-term social stability, according to a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency in Tokyo.
Passengers check in at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, April 28, 2022. Photo: Kyodo/VNA
According to government figures, there are more than 3 million foreigners living in Japan, a number that is expected to continue to increase. Enrolling in the pension program will provide an economic foundation for foreigners to continue living in Japan in their old age.
Currently, people aged 20 to 59 residing in Japan must enroll in the national pension system regardless of nationality. Foreigners moving to Japan are given an explanation when they register their address at their local government office, but some fail to enroll despite the requirement.
A 2019 survey found that 4.4 percent of foreigners living in Japan were not enrolled in the system, compared with 0.1 percent of Japanese people of the same age. This number is believed to include international students and self-employed people, as well as technical interns whose workplaces have not enrolled them in the workers' pension system.
Japan's Ministry of Health , Labor and Welfare will revise the Japan Pension Service system and collect data from the national resident register to access information on new immigrants to the country. Those who cannot confirm their eligibility for pensions will be asked to register in the system. If there is no response, the Pension Service will automatically register them. Along with measures for new immigrants, Japanese authorities aim to have everyone in the country register. Those who do not register will not be able to receive benefits when they turn 65, while the same goes for people with disabilities. The foreign population in Japan is growing. According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, the number is expected to reach 4.2 million in 2030 and 7.29 million in 2050.
Foreign workers in Japan will also be enrolled in the public pension system. For countries that have signed a social security agreement with Japan, foreigners who plan to work in Japan for less than five years will be exempt. This group will continue to pay public pension insurance premiums in their home country. In 2019, the government required everyone aged 20 or older, regardless of nationality, living in Japan to enroll in the public pension system.
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