Social insurance for foreigners? Health Insurance, Pension Insurance, and Long-Term Care Insurance Explained
Social insurance to cover risks such as injury and illness.
Most employees of Japanese companies are required to join this social insurance program.
However, many people may have questions such as, "Are foreigners obliged to join?" and "How do I go about the procedures?" and "How do I apply for it?
In this article, we will explain the social insurance for foreigners.
It is a very important system, so please refer to this article for a better understanding.
We also recommend the following articles if you are interested in learning more about health insurance in Japan.
What are the types of health insurance in Japan? Explanation of coverage and how to enroll
What is Social Insurance?
Social insurance is the collective name for five types of insurance: health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance (welfare pension insurance), workers' accident compensation insurance, and unemployment insurance.
Three of these, health insurance, pension insurance, and long-term care insurance, are referred to as social insurance in the narrow sense.
This system is designed to protect the lives of the insured by providing benefits in the event of any risk that may lurk in their lives.
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In addition to this, GTN has a generous amount of support for international visitors.
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Can foreigners join the Japanese social insurance system?
You may be wondering if foreigners working in Japan are also eligible for social insurance.
In conclusion, foreigners who obtain residence status and work in Japan are required to join the social insurance system just like Japanese nationals.
Keep in mind that health insurance, long-term care insurance, and pension insurance are combined and must be purchased together.
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 if you are employed as a full-time employee, you are required to join the social insurance system. If you meet the conditions, you are obliged to join even if you are a part-time or casual worker.
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
Persons in charge of companies with a large number of short-time workers should keep checking to see if any of them meet the conditions for enrollment.
Requirements for Long-Term Care Insurance
Foreign employees who have been in Japan for more than three months and are 40 years of age or older must enroll in long-term care insurance.
Long-term care insurance is linked to the health insurance procedure, so you are automatically enrolled in long-term care insurance from the month you turn 40.
Please keep in mind that there is no particular need to notify us.
What are the procedures for enrolling in social insurance?
To enroll in health insurance and pension insurance, submit a "Notification of Acquisition of Health Insurance and Employee Pension Insurance Insured Status" to the pension office with jurisdiction over the location of the company within 5 days.
You can submit your application by bringing it to the counter, submitting it electronically, or mailing it to us, so please choose the method you prefer.
The enrollment procedures for health insurance, long-term care insurance, and pension insurance can be completed at the same time with this single notification of eligibility.
However, if you are a foreigner, you must also submit the "Romanized Name Notification" as well, so do not forget to do so.
Points to keep in mind when a foreigner enrolls in social insurance
The following two points should be noted when a foreigner enrolls in social insurance.
- Health insurance and pension insurance must be purchased as a set.
- Violation of laws and regulations if not insured
- The procedure also requires the submission of a "Romanized Name Notification" form.
Let us explain one by one.
Health insurance and pension insurance must be purchased as a set.
Foreign nationals hired in Japan and working in Japan are required to enroll in social insurance if they meet the requirements for enrollment.
Therefore, it is not possible to purchase only one type of insurance, such as "I only want to purchase health insurance" or "I do not want to purchase pension insurance.
Remember that you must always join the set.
Violation of laws and regulations if not insured
Some foreign workers are reluctant to take out social insurance because it reduces their take-home pay.
However, please note that there are penalties for those who fail to follow the procedures even though they meet the requirements for membership.
In addition to being required to pay insurance premiums retroactively for up to two years, they may also be subject to imprisonment for up to six months or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
Be sure to join the program, as this is an act that will cause you to lose your social credibility.
The procedure also requires the submission of a "Romanized Name Notification" form.
As of October 2014, when a foreign national joins the social insurance system, he/she is required to submit a "Romaji Name Notification" along with the notification of qualification acquisition.
In addition to the subject's basic pension number and date of birth, make sure to fill in the romanized name on the residence card in capital letters.
summary
In this issue, we introduced the social insurance system for foreigners.
The procedures and conditions for enrollment are basically the same as those for Japanese nationals. However, there are additional documents to be submitted, so it is important not to forget them.
It is also a good idea to explain in detail about social insurance to foreigners working in Japan for the first time.
Please make sure that you are satisfied with the procedure.
