The Japan Pension Service has announced that the layout of several health insurance and employee pension insurance notification forms changed starting October 1, 2026 ^[1]. The notice, addressed to employers, lists the specific forms affected and the situations in which each is used ^[1].

Among the changed forms is the Health Insurance/Employee Pension Insurance Insured Person Qualification Acquisition Notification, along with the related Employee Pension Insurance 70-or-older Employee Applicability Notification, both submitted when an employer hires a worker ^[1]. A related Health Insurance exemption approval application for employees covered by a National Health Insurance Association is also used at the time of hiring and has the new layout ^[1].

Forms used when an employee leaves a job, including the Insured Person Qualification Loss Notification and the 70-or-older Non-Applicability Notification, are likewise affected, as is the separate Employee Pension Insurance Qualification Loss/70-or-older Applicability Notification used when an employee reaches age 70 ^[1].

The update also covers the Insured Person Category Change Notification, used when an employee's working arrangement changes while still employed, affecting their classification among regular workers, short-time workers, or those subject to a specific reduced-amount exception ^[1]. In addition, notifications used when a workplace becomes or ceases to be a "specific applicable office" or a voluntary specific applicable office, including both applicability and cancellation applications, are included in the layout change ^[1].

The Japan Pension Service says the new forms and sample entries can be downloaded from the relevant application and notification pages ^[1]. The notice does not explain the reason for the layout changes or describe any difference in the information employers must provide ^[1].

Foreign workers whose employment status is changing, or who are approaching age 70, may want to confirm with their employer or the Japan Pension Service that the correct current-layout forms are being used for any upcoming procedures ^[1]. The source notice does not provide further details on transition arrangements for forms submitted before October 2026 ^[1].

Source credit 出典：「【事業主の皆さまへ】令和8年10月から一部の届書レイアウトを変更しました」（日本年金機構）（https://www.nenkin.go.jp/oshirase/taisetu/jigyosho/2026/202610/100102.html）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the Japan Pension Service did not write or review it.