Pension

What does the Agreement on Social Security between Belgium and Japan mean for me?

The Agreement on Social Security between Belgium and Japan entered into force on January 1st 2007. It provides that, in certain cases, a Belgian or Japanese employee working in the other country remain affiliated and contribute only to the social security system of their country of origin.
 

General rule

As a rule, if you are employed in Japan, you should contribute to social security in Japan. Similarly, if you are employed in Belgium, you should contribute to social security in Belgium.
 

Specific rules

The agreement that entered into force on January 1st, 2007, allows in certain cases to waive the general rule:

• When a Japanese company temporarily seconds a Japanese employee to Belgium (for a maximum of five years) he or she will no longer have to pay social security contributions in Belgium. During his secondment in Belgium, the employee will only pay contributions in Japan and he will therefore only be subject to the Japanese social security system. 
   
• For Belgian employees who are temporarily (for a maximum of five years) seconded by their Belgium-based employer to Japan, the same rules will be applied by the Japanese authorities. 
   
• Japanese employees who have paid or will pay social security contributions in Belgium keep their retirement benefits rights. When they reach retirement age, they will be entitled to an old age or survivors’ pension from the National Pension Office (Belgium), regardless of whether they reside in Belgium or not. 
   
• Belgian employees who were not seconded and who have paid social security contributions in Japan, can keep their pension rights as long as they contributed for the minimum number of years foreseen in the Japanese regulation (see Q&A).

Pensions

You will find information in Japanese for Japanese nationals who contributed to the Belgian social security and can claim a pension in Belgium here. (In Japanese)
 

If you have any questions about the payment of your pension (example: delay, loss, theft of cheques, etc.) you should contact the National Pensions Office, South Tower, 1060 Brussels (www.onprvp.fgov.be / tel: 011-32-2-529-3002 /contactcenter.nl@rvp.fgov.be). If you do not master the national languages, please use the English language in your contacts with the National Pensions Office.

For queries regarding payment of public sector pensions

Pensioendienst voor de overheidssector 
Victor Hortaplein 40 bus 30 
B-1060 Brussel 
België 
Website: http://pdos.fgov.be/pdos/news/index.htm
E-mail: ccpay@pdos.fgov.be
Tel.: +11 32 78 15 1765

For complaints regarding the operation and service of the Pension Services (the allocation, the amount, the payment of your Belgian pension), you should contact the Service:

Ombudsdienst Pensioenen 
WTC III Bd - Simon Bolivar 30, bus 5 
B-1000 Brussel 
BELGIUM 
Website: mediateurpensions.be
plainte@mediateurpensions.be