Why On-Time Payments Matter for Permanent Residency in Japan
One of the most critical factors in Japan’s Permanent Residency (PR) application process is whether you have paid all your taxes and social security contributions on time. Even if you have no unpaid taxes or missed payments now, past late payments—even by a few days—can negatively impact your PR application.
Who Needs to Be Careful?
✅ Salaried Employees (会社員)
- If you work for a company, your taxes, pension, and health insurance are automatically deducted from your salary and paid by your employer.
- Since your employer handles payments, delays are less likely unless there was an administrative issue.
⚠️ Business Owners & Freelancers (会社経営者・個人事業主)
- You are responsible for making all payments manually, including:
- National Pension (国民年金, Kokumin Nenkin)
- National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, Kokumin Kenkō Hoken)
- Resident Tax (住民税, Jūminzei)
- National Tax (国税, Kokuzei)
- Even a minor late payment can affect your PR application.
- Solution: Set up automatic bank withdrawals (口座振替, Kōza Furikae) to avoid missing deadlines.
⚠️ People Who Changed Jobs or Were Unemployed (転職・無職期間があった人)
- If you were unemployed for a period, your company did not handle tax and pension payments.
- You must switch to National Pension and National Health Insurance and pay manually.
- Many applicants forget to register and pay on time during job transitions.
How to Check If You Paid on Time?
1. Pension Payments (年金, Nenkin) – Past 2 Years Required
✅ Where to Check:
- Visit the Japan Pension Service Office (年金事務所, Nenkin Jimusho).
- Request a payment record (納付記録, Nōfu Kiroku) with the exact payment dates.
- Key Requirement:
- Pension payments must be made by the end of the following month to be considered “on time”.
- PR applications require the past 2 years of on-time pension payments.
2. Health Insurance Payments (健康保険, Kenkō Hoken) – Past 2 Years Required
✅ Where to Check:
- If you are enrolled in Employee Health Insurance (社会保険, Shakai Hoken), request a payment certificate from your employer or the health insurance association.
- If you are enrolled in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, Kokumin Kenkō Hoken), visit your local city/ward office (市役所/区役所, Shiyakusho/Kuyakusho).
- Some municipalities provide detailed payment records, while others only confirm whether you have unpaid months.
- If you pay at a convenience store, keep all receipts.
- PR applications require the past 2 years of complete and on-time payments.
3. Resident Tax Payments (住民税, Jūminzei) – Past 5 Years Required
✅ Where to Check:
- Visit the local tax office (住民税課, Jūminzeika) at the city/ward office.
- They can confirm whether all payments were made on time, but they will not issue an official document showing payment dates.
- Company employees: Check your withholding slip (源泉徴収票, Gensen Chōshūhyō) for verification.
- PR applications require the past 5 years of on-time resident tax payments.
4. National Tax Payments (国税, Kokuzei) – Full Stay in Japan Required
✅ Where to Check:
- Visit the Tax Office (税務署, Zeimusho) for your registered address.
- They will confirm whether you have any unpaid or late taxes, but no official document is issued.
- Business Owners & Freelancers: Ensure that income tax (所得税, Shotokuzei) and consumption tax (消費税, Shōhizei) were paid on time.
- PR applications require proof of tax compliance for the entire period of your stay in Japan.
Important Notes About Checking Your Records
📌 In most cases, tax offices, pension offices, and city offices will not provide detailed payment records over the phone.
📌 If you are unable to visit in person, you can authorize an immigration lawyer (行政書士, Gyōsei Shoshi) to check your records using a proxy letter (委任状, Ininjō).
📌 If you pay taxes and insurance at a convenience store, always keep the receipts for proof.
Common Mistakes That Lead to PR Rejection
🚨 “I paid all my taxes, but my PR was rejected!”
Many applicants assume that simply paying their taxes and social insurance is enough. However, late payments count against your application, even if you eventually paid in full.
🚨 “I changed jobs and forgot to pay pension & insurance.”
When you switch jobs, your old company stops making payments immediately.
If you do not register and pay manually, you will have gaps in your record, which can result in rejection.
🚨 “I paid at a convenience store, but there’s no record!”
If you lost your payment receipts, you may not be able to prove your payments.
It’s safer to set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account.
How to Avoid Payment Issues for PR?
✔ Set up automatic bank withdrawals (口座振替, Kōza Furikae).
✔ Check your payment records before applying for PR.
✔ Keep all receipts if you pay at a convenience store.
✔ If unsure, visit your pension office, tax office, or city office for confirmation.
Need Help?
Navigating Japan’s tax and social security system can be complex. If you need assistance checking your payment history or applying for Permanent Residency, consult an expert.
📩 Contact us today:
🔗 Tanabe Immigration Office
📞 Book a consultation: Contact Form
