Poland-Japan Social Security Agreement: What It Changes
Short answer: As of 17 Oct 2026 the Poland-Japan social security agreement is not yet in force. It will add up insurance periods, allow pensions to be paid abroad and avoid double contributions.
Poland and Japan have signed their first bilateral social security agreement, and the Polish parliament has approved its ratification. If you have worked in Japan, plan to move there, or work in Poland for a Japanese employer, it can change how your pension rights and contributions are handled. As of 17 October 2026 the agreement is not yet in force: the ratification law is published, but the treaty starts only after the formal steps in both countries are finished.
What happened and when
The agreement was signed in Tokyo on 15 April 2026, in the presence of the prime ministers of both countries, according to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. The Ministry says Poland started the idea in response to the needs of the Polish community in Japan, and that talks resumed in 2021 and ran through six rounds.
The government sent the ratification bill to the Sejm on 13 July 2026, according to the government's emigration and return portal Powroty. The Act of 18 September 2026 on the ratification of the agreement was published in the Journal of Laws on 13 October 2026 (item 1326). It consents to the President ratifying the agreement and takes effect 14 days after publication. Bankier, citing PAP, reported on 10 October that President Karol Nawrocki signed the law.
What the agreement is for
According to the Ministry, the agreement should make access to benefits easier, increase protection for workers and avoid paying contributions twice. Powroty lists five areas:
- Adding up insurance periods. Today an institution looks only at insurance periods in its own country. Under the agreement, periods in Poland and Japan can be added together to decide whether you qualify for a pension. Powroty gives the example of 8 years in Japan and 20 years in Poland counting together. Each country still pays only for the periods under its own law.
- Paying a Polish pension in Japan. A person living in Japan will be able to receive a Polish pension or disability pension without having a bank account in Poland, according to Powroty.
- No double contributions during a temporary posting. A worker sent by a Polish employer to Japan, or a self-employed person, would continue under Polish insurance for a set period, with contributions paid in Poland only.
- One legislation rule. A working person is insured in one of the two countries, not both.
- Equal treatment. People covered get the same treatment as citizens of the country, so an office cannot refuse a benefit only because of nationality.
It is not only for Polish and Japanese citizens
Powroty says that entitlement depends on being subject to one country's social insurance system, not on citizenship. A person of another nationality who is posted from a Polish employer to Japan would be covered, for example. Bankier cites about 3,000 Polish citizens living and working in Japan and about 600 Japanese citizens in Poland.
* Photos: Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo (CC0) and Shinjuku skyline (CC0, Jason Goh via Pixabay), both Wikimedia Commons, illustrative.
Which benefits are covered
On the Polish side, Powroty lists old-age pensions, disability pensions, survivors' pensions, work accident benefits, lump-sum compensation and funeral grants. Bankier, citing PAP, adds that the Polish farmers' social insurance is covered as well. On the Japanese side the agreement covers the national pension and the employees' pension insurance, with some limits set in Article 2(1) of the agreement, which Powroty advises checking before you apply.
What it does not cover
Powroty lists what is outside the agreement: the public health care system, other benefits paid from the Japanese budget, and part of the Japanese work accident benefits. Bankier, citing PAP, stresses that the agreement is not a migration treaty: it does not set rules for residence in Poland or for taking up work in Poland by Japanese citizens.
What to do now
Nothing changes until the agreement enters into force. Keep records of your insurance periods in both countries, because you will need proof of them when you apply. Watch the websites of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and of ZUS for the start date.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Poland-Japan social security agreement in force?
Not yet, as of 17 October 2026. It was signed on 15 April 2026 and the ratification law was published on 13 October 2026, but the agreement starts only after the formal steps in both countries are completed.
Will my Japanese and Polish work years count together?
Under the agreement, yes, for deciding whether you meet the minimum conditions for a pension. Each country still pays only for the periods under its own law.
Does the agreement cover health insurance?
No. According to Powroty, the public health care system is outside the agreement.
