Quitting a job in Japan: deadlines
Enter your last day of work, and see the dates by which you must handle your pension, health insurance and unemployment insurance after leaving a job in Japan. The deadlines follow the official pages of the pension service, the health insurance association and Hello Work.
What you handle after you leave
When you leave a company in Japan, you drop out of the company's health insurance and employees' pension. If you do not join a new employer right away, you have to take care of your pension and health insurance yourself. If you paid into employment insurance and want unemployment benefits, you also need to go to Hello Work, the public employment office. The first deadlines are short, so they are worth knowing before your last day.
| Procedure | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Enroll in the National Pension | Your city or ward office | Within 14 days from the day after your last day |
| Enroll in National Health Insurance | Your city or ward office | Within 14 days |
| Continue your employer health insurance (optional) | Japan Health Insurance Association branch, or your health insurance society | Within 20 days from the day after your last day. If you are in Kyokai Kenpo and day 20 falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day |
| Receive unemployment benefits | Hello Work | The benefit period is normally one year from the day after you leave |
For health insurance, you choose one of three: continue your employer insurance (voluntary continuation), join National Health Insurance, or become a dependent on the insurance of a family member. If you join a new employer with no gap, you do not need the pension or health insurance steps. You are enrolled through the new employer.
How to use the calculator
Enter your last day of employment. The result shows the loss date, which is the day after your last day, and the deadline for each procedure. If a deadline falls on a weekend, a holiday or the year-end closure from December 29 to January 3, the result says so, and shows the previous working day as the safe date. For the voluntary continuation, it shows the next business day that the Kyokai Kenpo accepts.
The line marked "Your employer" is not something you do yourself. If you want unemployment benefits, ask your employer for the separation notice (rishokuhyō) when you leave.
National Pension: 14 days
People aged 20 to 59 who live in Japan must be in the pension system. When you leave an employer and are not covered by another employer's pension, you become a Category I insured person of the National Pension. According to the Japan Pension Service, you have to submit the application yourself at the municipal office where you live within 14 days. If you become a dependent spouse of someone covered by their employer's pension, the procedure is different: it is made through the spouse's employer.
Health insurance: three choices
With National Health Insurance, you enrol at your city or ward office. The law sets 14 days, and the head of the household files it. The premium is set by the municipality based on the previous year's income and the number of people in the household.
With voluntary continuation, you keep your employer insurance for up to 2 years. To apply, you must have been insured for 2 months or more in a row before you left, and you must submit the form to the Kyokai Kenpo branch in your prefecture within 20 days from the day after you leave. If the 20th day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the next business day is accepted. The premium is set from your standard monthly remuneration when you left, it does not change for 2 years, and the insurance does not charge a premium for dependents. Other health insurance societies set their own rules.
The third choice is to become a dependent on a family member's insurance. Ask the insurance society of the family member.
Unemployment benefits at Hello Work
You apply at Hello Work with your separation notice and register as a job seeker. To qualify, you must have been insured for at least 12 months in total in the 2 years before you left. If you lost your job through bankruptcy or dismissal, 6 months in the previous year is enough. The period in which you can receive the benefit is normally one year, counted from the day after you leave. If you cannot work for 30 days or more because of illness, injury, pregnancy, childbirth or child care, you can apply to extend the period.
What your employer does
Your employer must report that you left to Hello Work within 10 days, counting from the day after the loss date (Employment Insurance Act Enforcement Regulation, Article 7). How long it takes for your separation notice to reach you depends on your employer, so ask for it when you leave.
How the days are counted
This page counts 14 or 20 days from your last day of employment. If your last day is March 31, your loss date is April 1, and the National Pension and National Health Insurance deadline is April 14. The voluntary continuation deadline is April 20. Offices can explain the counting differently, or skip closed days, so when in doubt, go to the counter before the deadline.
What this page leaves out
- Taxes such as resident tax, and the lump-sum withdrawal payment for people who leave Japan, are not covered.
- The rules of each health insurance society, and how long unemployment benefits last, are not covered. The number of days depends on your age, insured period and reason for leaving.
- This page explains deadlines. It is not advice on your own case. If your situation is unusual, ask the office or Hello Work.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to join the National Pension after quitting a job in Japan?
14 days. The Japan Pension Service says you must submit the enrollment application at the municipal office of your residence within 14 days. You do not need to if you join a new employer's pension right away.
How long do I have to apply for voluntary continuation of my health insurance?
20 days from the day after you leave, for the Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo). If day 20 is a weekend or holiday, the next business day is accepted. You need 2 months or more of insurance before you leave, and you can continue for up to 2 years.
What are my health insurance options after I quit?
You can continue your employer insurance (voluntary continuation), join National Health Insurance, or become a dependent on a family member's insurance.
How long do I have to claim unemployment benefits?
The benefit period is normally one year from the day after you leave your job. If you cannot work because of illness, injury, pregnancy, childbirth or child care, you can apply to extend it. Go to Hello Work soon after your separation notice arrives.
Do these rules apply to foreign residents too?
Yes. The pension and health insurance systems apply to foreign residents who live in Japan. The Japan Pension Service and the Japan Health Insurance Association both publish pages in English.
Sources
- Japan Pension Service: Enrollment in National Pension, within 14 days at the municipal office (English)
- Japan Health Insurance Association: Guidebook 2026, with the voluntarily-continued insurance within 20 days from the day after retirement (English)
- Japan Health Insurance Association: conditions for voluntary continuation, 20 days, next business day (in Japanese)
- Japan Health Insurance Association: health insurance after leaving a job, the three choices (in Japanese)
- Enforcement Regulation of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 3: 14 days (e-Gov, in Japanese)
- Hello Work: basic benefit, with the requirements and the benefit period of one year (in Japanese)
- Employment Insurance Act Enforcement Regulation, Article 7: loss report within 10 days (e-Gov, in Japanese)
- Rules differ by health insurance society and by case. Check with the office before the deadline.
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Last updated: 2026-10-04