Hi everyone,
I’m seeking some advice regarding National Pension (Kokumin Nenkin) payments. Here is my situation:
Arrival: I moved to Japan in August 2025 for a new job.
Income: I currently earn 200k yen/month, but my 2024 income in Japan was zero (I wasn't in the country yet)
Status: I am currently 4 months late on my payments (August, September, October, November). I just received a large envelope with a bunch of slips, including a 6-month prepayment slip for ~104k yen.
Visa: I’m on a work visa and worried that being "late" will hurt my future renewals.
My questions:
Am I eligible for the Full Exemption (Menjo) for these months since my 2024 Japanese income was zero?
Does my current salary (200k/mo) disqualify me, or is it strictly based on last year's Japanese tax records?
If I apply for the exemption now at City Hall, will the "late" status for the past 4 months be cleared/legally covered? I don't want to pay the 104k yen bulk bill if I'm legally entitled to an exemption.
How does an approved exemption look to Immigration compared to just paying the bills late?
by Own_Data_4971