# Retiring in Japan as a foreigner: visa options and healthcare URL: https://japanhow.com/visa/visas/retire-in-japan-foreigners/ Author: JapanHow editors Updated: Oct 28, 2026 ## Summary As of October 2026 Japan has no retirement visa: the Immigration Services Agency's Designated Activities list has no retiree category. Foreigners retire here on a status they already hold, such as Permanent Resident (indefinite) or Spouse of a Japanese National, or on a long-stay tourism and recreation status that lasts at most one year. Long-stay holders cannot join National Health Insurance or the National Pension and need private medical insurance. People 75 or older move to the elderly medical system. ## Key facts - Retirement visa: None - Long-stay tourism status: Up to 1 year - Permanent Resident period: Indefinite - Elderly medical system: From age 75 **You can't retire in Japan on a retirement visa, because none exists.** The Immigration Services Agency (ISA, 出入国在留管理庁) lists no retiree category among its Designated Activities (特定活動). Foreign retirees use a status they already have, such as Permanent Resident or Spouse of a Japanese National, or a long-stay status of at most one year. All as of October 2026. ## Which visa can you use to retire in Japan? | Route | Period of stay | Fits you if | |---|---|---| | Permanent Resident (永住者) | Indefinite | You already qualify. See [PR requirements](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-japan-requirements/) | | Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等) | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months | You are married to a Japanese citizen. See [spouse visa](/visa/visas/spouse-visa-japan/) | | Long-Term Resident (定住者) | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, or a period set up to 5 years | You have a special family or historical link; ISA's page does not mention retirees | | Designated Activities, long stay for tourism and recreation (観光・保養等を目的とする長期滞在者) | One year at most | You want a stay of up to a year for tourism or recreation | These periods come from ISA's status list. **Long-Term Resident** is for people allowed to stay because of special circumstances, such as Nikkei descendants (third generation), their spouses, or some children of residents. It is not a retirement route. If you are already in Japan on another status, see [changing your status of residence](/visa/visas/change-of-status-of-residence-japan/). ## How does the long-stay tourism visa work? ISA describes the activity as staying in Japan for no more than one year for tourism or recreation, with an accompanying spouse. Renewal documents include proof of funds for your living costs, such as a bank balance certificate (預金残高証明書), and a private medical insurance certificate with a copy of the policy where requested. The insurance must cover the planned stay and include death, injury or illness during your time in Japan. For a first application, ISA may ask for your balance and 6 months of account transactions, from you or your spouse. ISA's page refers to a Ministry of Justice notice for the full conditions and does not give eligible countries. Check the current rules with ISA or your nearest Japanese embassy before you plan around this status. See also [Designated Activities explained](/visa/visas/designated-activities-visa-japan/). **What we could not confirm:** ISA's page does not say whether long-stay holders may work, and it does not give the savings amount. We left both out rather than guess. ## What health insurance can a foreign retiree get? It depends on your status. Foreign residents who stay more than 3 months must join National Health Insurance (国民健康保険), says Meguro City. But Designated Activities holders who stay for tourism or recreation, and spouses staying for the same purpose, can't join. So you need private medical insurance, which ISA also asks you to document for this status. For the normal rules, see [National Health Insurance for foreigners](/money/insurance/national-health-insurance-japan-foreigners/). At **75**, you leave National Health Insurance and join the late-stage elderly medical system (後期高齢者医療制度), per Meguro City. Care costs are a separate topic: see [long-term care insurance](/money/insurance/long-term-care-insurance-japan-foreigners/). If your Japanese is limited, see [English-speaking hospitals](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/). ## How does the pension work for foreign retirees? Foreign nationals with an address in Japan are Category 1 insured persons of the National Pension, says the Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構). People on the long-stay tourism status are excluded from coverage, so they are outside the National Pension. If you leave Japan with limited contributions, a lump-sum withdrawal payment (脱退一時金) may be possible. Conditions include no address in Japan, fewer than the 10 years needed for the old-age pension, and 6 months or more of paid insurance. See [pension refund](/money/pension/pension-refund-japan/) and [Japan's pension for foreigners](/money/pension/japan-pension-foreigners/). ## What should you check before you commit? - Which status you hold or can apply for, and its period of stay. - Whether you can join National Health Insurance on that status. - Whether you will be inside or outside the National Pension. For any decision about your individual case, ask an administrative scrivener (行政書士) or your regional immigration bureau. This guide is general information, not legal advice. More guides: [permanent residency requirements](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-japan-requirements/), [spouse visa](/visa/visas/spouse-visa-japan/), [long-term resident visa](/visa/visas/long-term-resident-visa-japan/). ## Questions people ask ### Is there a retirement visa in Japan? No. The Immigration Services Agency's list of Designated Activities has no retiree category. The closest option is a long-stay status for tourism and recreation, for a stay of no more than one year. ### Can I join National Health Insurance on the long-stay visa? No. Meguro City says Designated Activities holders who stay for tourism or recreation, and spouses staying for the same purpose, cannot join National Health Insurance. The immigration page asks for private medical insurance covering death, injury and illness in Japan. ### Do I pay into the Japanese pension on a long-stay visa? No. The Japan Pension Service excludes people on Designated Activities for long stay for tourism and similar purposes from National Pension Categories 1 and 3. ### What happens to my health insurance at 75? People 75 or older cannot join National Health Insurance because they join the late-stage elderly medical system (後期高齢者医療制度) instead, according to Meguro City. ### Can I get my pension back when I retire abroad? Possibly. A lump-sum withdrawal payment (脱退一時金) is for people with no address in Japan who haven't met the 10-year old-age pension requirement and have 6 months or more of paid pension insurance. ## Sources - [在留資格「特定活動」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026) - [在留資格「特定活動」（観光・保養等を目的とする長期滞在者及びその配偶者）](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities10.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026) - [在留資格一覧表](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/qaq5.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026) - [在留資格「定住者」](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/longtermresident.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 28, 2026) - [外国人にかかる年金制度 (2026)](https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/learn/seidosetsumei.files/gaikoku2026.pdf), Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構) (accessed Oct 28, 2026) - [外国籍のかたの国民健康保険の加入](https://www.city.meguro.tokyo.jp/kurashi/kokuho/kanyu_dattai/kanyu-gaikoku.html), Meguro City (目黒区) (accessed Oct 28, 2026)