Health Insurance in Japan for Tourists & Short-Term Visitors
Tourists and short-term visitors in Japan can find health insurance coverage through travel medical insurance and short-term health insurance. Short-term visitors in Japan staying over three months are required to enroll in a public health insurance scheme.
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Are you planning a visit to Japan? You will want to know what health insurance you will need for your time in the country. The insurance experts at Pacific Prime have created this guide to help foreigners stay protected while abroad in Japan.
We will explain the various health insurance options available to tourists and short-term visitors in Japan, including recommended insurance plans and additional information. Keep reading to learn about health insurance in Japan!
Health Insurance Options for Tourists and Short-Term Visitors in Japan
Travel medical insurance and short-term health insurance are the most popular options for tourists and short-term visitors in Japan. These options provide different levels of coverage and benefits. Visitors staying longer than three months will be required to enroll in a public insurance scheme.
To read more about health insurance options in Japan for foreigners, check out our article Health Insurance in Japan for Foreigners: Coverage, Costs & How to Enroll.
Travel Medical Insurance for Japan
Travel medical insurance provides health insurance coverage in addition to coverage for travel-related risks. Travel insurance is popular with tourists due to its customizable length of coverage, covering anywhere from two weeks to several months.
Travel medical insurance is an excellent option for travelers on a quick trip to Japan. Travel medical insurance includes benefits like:
- Trip cancellation and delay coverage
- Emergency medical expenses coverage
- Liability insurance
- Inpatient medical coverage
- Medical evacuation coverage
- Lost luggage and personal belongings coverage
- Lost travel documents coverage
- Rental care insurance
Travel medical insurance benefits vary across providers and plans. Tourists can use Pacific Prime’s free quote tool to compare travel insurance quotes.
Short-Term Health Insurance for Japan
Short-term health insurance plans typically offer coverage for one to 12 months, making them an excellent choice for short-term visitors in Japan. Individuals on temporary assignments, digital nomads, and other global working professionals benefit most from this short-term medical insurance.
Short-term health insurance usually offers greater levels of medical care coverage than travel medical insurance. Short-term health insurance plans offer specific medical benefits like:
- Hospitalization coverage
- Outpatient treatment
- Ambulance transportation
- Medical evacuation
- Prescribed medication
- Repatriation of remains
Short-term health insurance plans do not offer the same coverage for travel-related risks as travel insurance plans do.
Japanese Public Health Insurance
Japanese public health insurance is another option for travelers staying in Japan for over 90 days. Travelers staying in Japan for over 90 days are legally required by the Japanese government to enroll in a public health insurance scheme and can not opt out.
Premiums are paid through monthly contributions, and insured members will pay around a 20–30% copayment for their medical services. The universal health insurance system in Japan offers both citizens and noncitizens access to high-quality medical facilities.
The three health insurance schemes included in this system are:
- National Health Insurance (NHI): Provides coverage to the self-employed, the unemployed, those who work less than 30 hours a week, international students, and retired residents aged 75 or younger.
- Employment-based health insurance: Provides coverage for employees, where employers and employees share mandatory contributions.
- Health insurance for the advanced elderly: Provides coverage for individuals who are aged 75 and over.
Japanese public health insurance provides comprehensive health insurance coverage with high-quality facilities. Even if short-term visitors qualify for public health insurance, many choose to purchase supplemental private health insurance plans to extend their coverage.
Why Tourists and Short-Term Visitors Need Health Insurance in Japan
Tourists and short-term visitors in Japan need health insurance coverage to protect against medical emergencies, hospital costs, foodborne illness, and outdoor accidents. If they plan to stay longer than 90 days in the country, they will need health insurance to be legally compliant.
- Medical Emergencies and Hospital Costs: Health insurance coverage protects tourists in Japan from unexpected medical costs. Medical emergencies can occur anywhere, even while travelling, and tourists’ home health insurance plans typically do not cover them while in Japan.
- Foodborne Illness: Health insurance coverage can protect visitors from medical treatments for foodborne illness. Foodborne illness is common for travelers, and in some cases may get so severe that they will need to visit a hospital for treatment.
- Outdoor Accidents: Visitors need health insurance coverage to keep themselves protected from outdoor accidents in Japan that may occur while hiking or during other outdoor activities.
While health insurance is not required for tourists entering Japan, it is strongly recommended due to the important protection it offers.
The Best Travel and Short-Term Health Insurance Plans for Japan
The best travel and short-term health insurance for Japan is provided by international insurance companies IMG Global, Allianz Travel, and AXA. These international providers offer comprehensive and customizable benefits to tourists and short-term visitors in Japan.
To learn more about the best travel and short-term health insurance plans for Japan, read our article The Best Travel Insurance in Japan for Travelers.
IMG Global Plans for Japan
IMG Global is an international health insurance provider that offers travel medical insurance through its many plans. Whether you choose one of their Patriot Travel plans or their iTravellinsured plans, IMG Global provides customizable and comprehensive benefits for visitors in Japan.
Benefits included in IMG Global plans include:
- Medical evacuation
- High annual limits
- Inpatient and outpatient coverage
- Dental coverage
- Telehealth
- Cancel for Any Reason Riders
IMG Global also provides short-term health insurance for expats in Japan looking to stay in the country for under a year through their GlobeHopper plans. The GlobeHopper series comes in three different plan choices: GlobeHopper, GlobeHopper Platinum, and GlobeHopper MultiTrip.
The GlobeHopper plans focus on higher levels of medical insurance coverage than the travel insurance policies. GlobeHopper Platinum offers the most comprehensive levels of care, with coverage for medical evacuation, urgent care, dental care, and more.
Allianz Travel Plans for Japan
Allianz Travel is a trusted travel insurance provider for Japan that provides a variety of plans with differing levels of benefits and limits. They provide multi-trip and single-trip coverage, medical coverage, and travel-related risk coverage in their plans.
Some benefits provided by Allianz Travel are:
- Medical and emergency coverage
- Reimbursement for flight delays
- Replacement for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage
- Multilingual 24/7 customer service support
- Coverage for non-refundable costs if your trip is canceled or interrupted due to unforeseen events
Allianz Care provides short-term health insurance through its Flexicare plan. Flexicare is available in three-, six-, or nine-month plans. It covers a variety of medical costs, such as:
- Hospital visits
- Surgeries
- Prescription drugs
- Medical evacuations
- Diagnostic tests
- Cancer treatments
- Doctor visits
AXA Plans for Japan
Travelers in Japan can choose between three AXA travel insurance plans: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each of these plans offers different levels of coverage, with Platinum being the most comprehensive option and Silver providing the most basic coverage.
AXA travel insurance plans include the following benefits:
- Medical coverage
- Trip cancellation and interruption coverage
- Emergency evacuation and repatriation
- Coverage for lost or delayed baggage
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason rider (applicable only to the Platinum Plan)
AXA also provides short-term health insurance through its Foundation and Standard plans. Foundation offers travelers a more basic coverage option, while Standard is more comprehensive. AXA short-term health insurance plans are made for those staying in Japan for three to 11 months.
The benefits included with the Foundation and Standard plans are:
- Hospital charges and surgery
- Emergency services coverage
- Medical evacuation and repatriation
- Cancer treatment
- CT, PET, and MRI scans
- Optional outpatient treatments and tests
- Virtual doctor service
Tips for Choosing Your Travel Health Insurance Policy for Japan
Visitors in Japan can choose the right travel medical insurance or short-term health insurance plan by comparing policies, considering their necessary coverage, reading reviews and ratings, using an insurance broker, and considering their budget.
- Consider Necessary Coverage: Before you begin shopping for travel insurance plans, you should first consider what coverage you will need. Do you have a medical condition that may require medical support? Consider purchasing a plan with medical emergency coverage.
- Consider Your Budget: One of the determining factors of which policy you choose will be what you can afford, but don’t choose the cheapest plan simply to save money. You will want to make sure that you are being adequately protected at a price that works for you.
- Read Reviews and Ratings: When researching the best travel insurance providers, take your time to read reviews and ratings on the company. This will give you a good idea of how they treat their customers.
- Compare Policies: You should compare travel insurance policies across a variety of insurance providers so you can ensure you are getting the best deal for your money. Comparing plans can be done on your own with our free quote tool.
- Use an Insurance Broker: One of the easiest ways to simplify the process of choosing a travel insurance plan is to use a reputable insurance broker like Pacific Prime. We can help you compare plans and understand complicated insurance jargon, all for free.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How can a tourist access healthcare in Japan?
A tourist can access healthcare by visiting any clinic or hospital in Japan. Most clinics accept walk-in appointments in Japan. Visitors will need to pay for their medical services out of pocket or with health insurance that is valid in Japan.
Is healthcare free for tourists in Japan?
Healthcare is not free for tourists in Japan. Tourists in Japan will be expected to pay out of pocket for the medical care they receive at any clinic or hospital. They may use their health insurance plan to help cover their costs as long as it is accepted in Japan.
What is the best travel insurance plan for Japan?
The best travel insurance plan for Japan will depend on what you are looking for in a plan, the length of your trip, and your budget. The most recommended travel insurance providers for tourists in Japan include international companies like AXA, Allianz, and IMG Global.
Conclusion:
Tourists and short-term visitors should get travel medical insurance or short-term health insurance plans to cover them while in Japan. If a visitor is staying over 90 days in Japan, they will be required to enroll in one of the public health insurance schemes.
Are you interested in finding health insurance coverage for your short-term stay in Japan? Contact the insurance experts at Pacific Prime. We partner with a diverse range of top international health insurance providers in Japan and across the globe.
We are brokers with over 20 years of experience in providing insurance solutions to expats and digital nomads worldwide. We can help you understand insurance quotes and plans and offer our unbiased advice. If you’d like to compare plans on your own, feel free to use our free quote generator.
If you’d like to read more helpful guides for expats in Japan, check out our articles below:
- Japan Health Insurance for Digital Nomads & Remote Workers
- Health Insurance Requirements for Tourists Visiting Japan
- Cost of Living in Japan: Essential Guide for Expats
- 12 Best Places To Live In Japan For Expats
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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