· Updated
By the HalfKey team
Insurance for Japan’s digital nomad visa
Your insurance needs to meet the visa requirements and cover the care you may need. Look at exclusions and existing conditions, and find out whether you would have to pay a clinic bill yourself before claiming it back.
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For Japan's digital nomad visa, you'll need private insurance that meets the application requirements for your stay. Check whether it also covers any prescriptions or treatment you expect to need; a policy can meet the visa minimum while excluding those costs.
MOFA's requirements call for insurance against death, injury or illness during the stay, with at least ¥10 million in compensation for medical treatment of injury or illness. The ¥10 million minimum applies to medical treatment; it is not a minimum for every benefit in the policy.
Documents for your visa application
Use the instructions from the Japanese embassy or consulate handling your application. MOFA lists the insurance certificate and policy summary among the supporting evidence, and also describes documents for supplementary credit-card cover.
Ask the insurer for documents showing who is covered, the start and end dates, whether the policy covers Japan and the amounts available for medical treatment and death-related benefits. If the limit is in another currency, ask the consulate what evidence it needs to assess it. Don't rely on a salesperson's general statement that the policy is “visa friendly”.
Match the dates to your itinerary and check what happens if departure is delayed or you travel elsewhere before returning. If your policy renews during the trip, check that there will be no gap in cover and ask how to show the consulate that it will cover the whole stay.
A certificate listing ¥10 million for accident treatment may leave illness cover unclear. In that case, ask for the policy sections showing illness and death-related cover, so the application includes evidence of each required benefit.
Read the policy before comparing brands
Read the version of the policy you can buy for your age, where you live and the length of your trip. A benefit table copied from another traveller may describe a different version of the insurance.
Compare the conditions most likely to affect you: pre-existing conditions, ongoing prescriptions, outpatient appointments, emergency treatment, dental care, mental-health care and pregnancy-related care where relevant. If you already need a medicine or treatment, ask whether the policy covers it and what limit applies. Give the insurer the medical details it requests and keep its answer in writing.
If a benefit you need is excluded, budget to pay for it yourself or find a policy that covers it.
Work out how you would pay at a clinic
With reimbursement, you pay the clinic first and claim the covered amount back from your insurer. With direct billing, the insurer arranges payment to the medical facility. Find out which is available in Japan, whether you need approval first and which assistance number to call. Direct billing may be limited to particular facilities.
For a worked example, suppose covered treatment costs ¥30,000 and you must pay the first ¥7,500 of that claim yourself, with no other limitation. You would pay ¥7,500 yourself and could claim the remaining ¥22,500 from the insurer. Those are illustrative amounts. If the treatment is excluded, you could have to pay the whole bill yourself. Another policy may require you to pay a different fixed amount or share of each bill.
If you must pay the clinic first, keep enough money available to do so. Our clinic guide explains which documents to bring and what to ask about payment.
Confirm cover for everyone travelling
If a spouse or child is applying with you, check the family requirements. With a family policy, ask for documents that name each applicant and show that they have the required cover.
You need private insurance for this visa. Don't assume you can use Japan’s public health insurance instead. If your residence status or circumstances will change, ask the appropriate authority about insurance eligibility and ask the insurer how the change affects the existing policy.
Keep your insurance documents handy
Save the certificate, policy wording, assistance number and claims instructions offline. Note any deadline for contacting the insurer or submitting receipts. Ask what documents a clinic should provide so you can request them at the time of treatment.
If a premium payment fails or your cover is cancelled, contact the insurer promptly to find out when cover stops and whether it can be restored. Ask the immigration authority about your circumstances if required cover is interrupted; don't assume there is a standard grace period.
Keep the version of the policy you bought, not just a link to a sales page that may change later. You can check the other application documents in our digital nomad eligibility guide.