Search Icon
Menu Icon
Menu Close icon

What foreigners should know about Japan's social insurance: Health Insurance, Pension Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance explained.

update date
This site introduces products through an affiliate program.
About Social Insurance in Japan

Social insurance is an indispensable system for working in Japan to prepare for risks such as injury and illness. Most employees of Japanese companies are required to join the social insurance system, but foreign nationals may have many questions such as, "Do I have to join the system, too? For foreign nationals, there may be many questions such as, "Do I have to join the social insurance system?

Therefore, in this article, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner information about the Japanese social insurance system, procedures, conditions, and precautions related to enrollment, for foreigners who wish to work in Japan. It is a very important system, so please refer to this article to deepen your understanding.

▼Goandup Picks Click here for recommended articles!

【 Foreigners Must See 】 What is Japanese Social Insurance?

Social insurance is the collective term for five types of insurance: health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance (welfare pension insurance), workers' accident compensation insurance, and unemployment insurance. Of these, "health insurance," "pension insurance," and "long-term care insurance" are referred to as social insurance in the narrow sense.

It is a system to prepare for all kinds of risks that may occur in daily life, and protects the life of the insured by providing benefits in the event of an emergency. It is an indispensable system for foreign residents in Japan to work and live with peace of mind.

Features of Japanese Social Insurance - Differences from Social Insurance Overseas

The main features of Japanese social insurance are,medical insurance for the whole nationThis is based on the idea that This is a system that requires all citizens to be covered by some form of public health insurance, with the goal of eliminating those who are unable to receive necessary medical services for financial reasons.

Japanese health insurance also covers dependents of the insured person, called family medical care expenses. If you are covered by your company's health insurance, your dependents do not have to pay insurance premiums and can use the same insurance card as the insured person to visit medical institutions.

On the other hand, overseas social insurance varies greatly from country to country in terms of enrollment requirements, insurance eligibility, and benefits. For example, the U.S. does not have a universal health insurance system, and public insurance coverage is limited to the elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals, while others are required to purchase private medical insurance.

Thus, it can be said that Japan's social insurance system is unique in that it functions as a safety net to protect the health and livelihood of its citizens.

What is Japanese health insurance?

There are two main types of health insurance in Japan: National Health Insurance and Employee's Health Insurance. National Health Insurance is for people who are not covered by workplace health insurance, while Employee's Health Insurance is for company employees and their family members.

When you purchase health insurance, you pay only 30% of the cost of medical treatment for illness or injury. The remaining 70% will be paid by the insurance, thus reducing the burden of expensive medical expenses.

In addition, when they are absent from work due to illness or injury, if they meet certain requirements, they are entitled to receive injury and illness benefits and other support in terms of their daily lives.

To learn more about health insurance in Japan, please also see the following articles.
▶︎ What are the types of health insurance in Japan? Explanation of coverage and how to enroll

What is Japanese Pension Insurance?

Pension insurance in Japan is divided into two types: National Pension Insurance and Employees' Pension Insurance. The National Pension Plan is for all persons between the ages of 20 and 60, and premiums must be paid. On the other hand, the Employees' Pension Insurance is a pension system for company employees and their spouses.

By purchasing a pension insurance policy, an old-age pension that guarantees a person's life in old age, a disability pension that can be received when a person becomes disabled, and a survivor's pension that is received by the surviving family members when the member dies are provided.

The major advantage of annuity insurance is that you can pay premiums while working and prepare for the future.

What is Long-Term Care Insurance in Japan?

Long-term care insurance is a system to support people throughout society who require long-term care due to illnesses resulting from physical and mental changes that occur with aging, and who need nursing care for bathing, eating, and other needs.

Long-term care insurance, which is purchased by people aged 40 and over, is a system that provides partial support for the cost of home help services received at home or admission to a long-term care facility if a person aged 65 or over becomes in need of nursing care or assistance.

Although long-term care insurance is compulsory, it is an important system that reduces the burden on family members and allows them to receive the support they need while preserving their dignity when long-term care becomes necessary.

Can foreigners join the Japanese social insurance system?

You may be wondering if foreigners working in Japan can also join the social insurance system. As it turns out, foreigners who obtain residence status and work in Japan are required to join the social insurance system in the same way as Japanese nationals.

What are the requirements for social insurance?

If the company is a social insurance-eligible business, the conditions for enrollment in social insurance are as follows

  • Permanently employed
  • More than 3/4 of the regular employees' scheduled working hours per week
  • More than 3/4 of the regular employees in terms of the number of working days per month

This means that, in principle, if you are employed on a full-time basis, you are required to join the social insurance system. In addition, if you meet the conditions, you are obliged to join even if you work part-time or part time.

Remember that health insurance, long-term care insurance, and pension insurance are combined, so the procedures must be completed together.

Enrollment Conditions for Part-Time Workers

Even in the case of short-time workers who do not meet the aforementioned enrollment conditions, they are eligible for social insurance coverage if one of the following conditions is met.

  • More than 20 hours of work per week
  • Employment period will be more than 1 year
  • Minimum wage of 88,000 yen per month
  • Non-student
  • Must work for a company with at least 501 insured employees at any given time

Since many foreign nationals work as part-time or part-time workers, company representatives should carefully check to see if any of them meet the requirements for membership.

Requirements for Long-Term Care Insurance

Foreigners over 40 years old who are enrolled in health insurance are also required to enroll in long-term care insurance if they stay in Japan for more than three months.

The enrollment procedure for long-term care insurance is linked to the procedure for health insurance, so you are automatically enrolled in long-term care insurance from the month you turn 40 years old. It is important to understand this in advance, especially since there is no need to file a separate notification.

What are the procedures for enrolling in social insurance?

When a foreigner joins a Japanese company, the company he/she works for will basically take care of the social insurance enrollment procedures. However, it is important for foreign nationals to understand the procedures as well.

First, the company submits a "Notification of Acquisition of Health Insurance and Employees' Pension Insurance Insured Status" to the pension office within 5 days of the date of employment. With this notification, the enrollment procedures for health insurance, long-term care insurance, and pension insurance are carried out all at once.

Foreign nationals are required to provide the company with the information necessary for this notification. Specifically, this information includes the information on the resident card (status of residence, period of stay, resident card number, etc.) and passport information (passport number, issue date, etc.).

You must also submit a "Romaji Name Notification" form. Here, you should fill in the Romanized name shown on your residence card in capital letters exactly as it appears on your residence card, and submit it to the company.

A health insurance card will be issued upon completion of the social insurance enrollment procedures. You must present your health insurance card whenever you visit a hospital, so please check the contents of the card as soon as you receive it and keep it in a safe place.

If you have any questions about social insurance coverage, first check with the person in charge at the company where you work. The company is obligated to properly support the social insurance coverage of its foreign employees, so please feel free to consult with them.

Three Points to Consider When Enrolling Foreign Nationals in Social Insurance

When a foreigner enrolls in the Japanese social insurance system, the following three points should be noted.

(1) Health insurance and pension insurance must be purchased as a set.

Under the Japanese social insurance system, health insurance and pension insurance must be joined as a set. Some foreigners may think that they want to join only health insurance or do not want to join pension insurance, but they are not allowed to join only one or the other.

(2) Violation of laws and regulations in the case of non-participation in insurance

Some foreign workers are reluctant to enroll in social insurance because they receive less take-home pay. However, not enrolling them in social insurance even though they meet the requirements for enrollment constitutes a violation of the law. In malicious cases, the employer may be required to pay insurance premiums retroactively for up to two years, or the employer may be imprisoned for up to six months or fined up to 500,000 yen.

The procedure also requires the submission of a "Romanized Name Notification" form.

As of October 2014, foreign nationals wishing to enroll in social insurance must submit a "Romaji Namae Notification" along with the Notification of Qualification. In the "Name in Roman alphabet" form, enter your basic pension number (the number on your pension booklet) and date of birth. You are also required to fill in your name in Roman characters exactly as it appears on your residence card in capital letters.

The Romanized name on the resident card must be the same as that on the passport. If the Romanized name on the resident card differs from that on the passport, please note that the information on the resident card must be changed first.

Since the "Romanized Name Form" is to be submitted through the company where you work, which is an applicable social insurance office, it is important to provide accurate information to the company's representative.

Serious employment support to help you realize your dream of working in Japan!

Do you want to work in Japan?
Let us "Goandup" make that dream a reality!

【 Program Features 】
✅ JLPT N3 level Japanese language acquisition
✅ Thorough preparation for the specific skills test
✅ Full support for job hunting in Japan

Business-focused one-on-one lessons will help you find a job in Japan in the shortest possible time.

【 Program Menu 】

  • Individual Japanese language lessons
    • Intensive curriculum to obtain N3, especially specialized lessons for business Japanese that can be used at work.

  • Preparation for the Specific Skills Test
    • Customized materials for specific skill tests will be used to focus on frequently asked questions and learning to pass the test.

  • Resume and CV support
    • To create resumes and CVs tailored to Japanese corporate culture, and to brush up on self-promotion and motivation for application.

  • Interview Preparation
    • Guidance on areas for improvement through mock interviews and feedback based on corporate interview scenarios. Learn interview etiquette and behavior unique to Japan.

  • career consulting
    • Provide introductions to companies that match the participant's career goals, select companies to apply to, and provide advice on the level of knowledge required by the companies to which the participant is applying.

  • Chat Support
    • In addition to one-on-one individual lessons, we also accept casual questions via DM (visa application, living support, assistance in finding a room, etc.).

If you are serious about your career in Japan, join us now!

▶︎ for more informationclick here.

We will do our best to support your success in Japan!

summary

In this issue, we have explained the Japanese social insurance system in detail for foreigners. For foreigners working in Japan, it is essential to join the social insurance system, and it is important to have a good understanding of the contents and procedures for each type of insurance.

Basically, the company you work for will take care of the procedures for enrollment in social insurance, but please note that there are some procedures you need to take yourself, such as submitting the necessary documents. Also, be aware that it is a violation of the law to avoid enrollment because you do not want to be burdened with insurance premiums.

Social insurance is an important system to prepare for illness, injury, and retirement. In order to work and live in Japan with peace of mind, foreign residents are encouraged to deepen their understanding of social insurance and properly complete the enrollment procedures.

  • Your support will help us!

  • Thank you for visiting Goandup Picks. Our mission is to provide you with more useful information to show the world what Japan has to offer.

    Your support will help us to further enhance our activities, so please support us!

  • ▶︎ Support is available atclick here!

    • Related Articles

    Goandup Picks for Expats > Lifestyle Support > Public Services and Living Infrastructure > What foreigners should know about Japan's social insurance: Health Insurance, Pension Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance explained.