An envelope from the Japan Pension Service contains several 国民年金保険料納付書 (National Pension contribution payment slips). The first question is which months they cover. Some slips are monthly; others are for paying several months in advance. Do not pay an advance-payment slip and the monthly slips for the same period. Also check whether you were covered by Employees’ Pension Insurance during any of those months before assuming every slip is due.
Words to find on the slips
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 国民年金保険料 | kokumin nenkin hokenryō | National Pension contribution |
| 納付書 | nōfusho | Payment slip |
| 納付期間・対象月 | nōfu kikan・taishō-zuki | Period or month covered by the payment |
| 各月 | kakugatsu | Individual monthly payment |
| 前納 | zennō | Advance payment for multiple months |
| 納付額 | nōfugaku | Amount to pay on that slip |
| 納付期限 | nōfu kigen | Due date for the contribution |
| 使用期限 | shiyō kigen | Last date that particular slip can be used, especially relevant to advance-payment slips |
| 基礎年金番号 | kiso nenkin bangō | Basic Pension Number; protect it and use it when contacting the pension office |
| 免除・納付猶予 | menjo・nōfu yūyo | Exemption or payment postponement that requires an application and review |
The Japan Pension Service (JPS) provides an explanation of the 2026 annual mailing and a sample monthly payment slip. Printed amounts and deadlines can change by year, so use your own slip for your actual payment.
Sort the papers before paying
- Read the covered months. Line up the 納付期間 on each slip. Put monthly slips in one group and 前納 slips in another. They may offer alternative ways to cover overlapping months, not separate charges to add together.
- Check your pension coverage for those months. A person newly enrolled as a Category I National Pension insured person can receive slips after registration. If you started a job with 厚生年金 (Employees’ Pension Insurance), compare the effective enrollment date with the slips. JPS explains that employers deduct Employees’ Pension contributions from salary. Ask a pension office to confirm any apparent overlap before paying it twice.
- Check the two dates separately. 納付期限 is the contribution’s due date. 使用期限 indicates when that particular payment form can be used. JPS says some advance-payment slips cannot be used after their printed use-by date, while a replacement may be possible if an eligible advance period remains. Contact a pension office for the applicable slip.
- Choose the applicable payment method. Follow JPS’s current payment-slip instructions and the options printed on the form. Keep the receipt or payment record.
If you cannot afford the payment
Do not simply set the papers aside. JPS says Category I insured persons who have difficulty paying may apply for exemption or payment postponement, subject to review. A partial exemption still requires payment of its remaining portion; otherwise JPS says that period is treated as unpaid. JPS provides English guidance and application help. Ask at the municipal National Pension counter or a pension office which procedure fits your circumstances and periods.
What to ask in Japanese
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| この納付書は何月分ですか。 | Kono nōfusho wa nan-gatsu bun desu ka? | Which month does this slip cover? |
| 前納の納付書と各月の納付書が両方あります。どちらを使えばいいですか。 | Zennō no nōfusho to kakugatsu no nōfusho ga ryōhō arimasu. Dochira o tsukaeba ii desu ka? | I have both advance and monthly slips. Which should I use? |
| この期間は厚生年金に加入しています。確認できますか。 | Kono kikan wa kōsei nenkin ni kanyū shite imasu. Kakunin dekimasu ka? | I was enrolled in Employees’ Pension for this period. Could you check? |
| 保険料の免除か納付猶予について相談したいです。 | Hokenryō no menjo ka nōfu yūyo ni tsuite sōdan shitai desu. | I would like to ask about exemption or payment postponement. |
Keep the systems separate
国民年金 is pension coverage, while 国民健康保険 is health insurance. Their payment slips may arrive around the same time but have different issuers and account records. See our health insurance premium notice guide for that separate document. If you recently changed employment, our leaving-a-job document guide and payslip guide can help you identify the dates and deductions to bring to the pension office.
JPS guidance checked in September 2026. This article helps identify fields and questions; your coverage record, exemption decision, due amount and valid payment method must be confirmed with JPS or the appropriate public counter.
