For more information, please read the National Health Insurance Guidebook (available in English, Chinese and Korean) published by the National Health Insurance Division.
Japan has a public health insurance system, and everyone who lives here must be enrolled in some form of public health insurance.
These are programs in which members pool insurance premiums.
The pooled funds are used to cover medical expenses for illnesses or injuries, with the goal of helping members alleviate their individual financial burdens.
One type of public health insurance is National Health Insurance (NHI), which each municipality handles.

Who must join the National Health Insurance program?

Anyone who falls into categories 1. through 3. must enroll in NHI:

1. Registered residents of Shibuya City (except for those with a visa status of “designated activities” who enter Japan for the purpose of receiving medical treatment, etc.)
2. Anyone with a designated visa period of stay of three months or less but according to documentation will be staying in Japan for more than three months
3. Those with a visa status of “official” who are recognized as staying in Japan for more than three months

Note.Those who are enrolled in some other form of public health insurance in Japan or who receive public financial assistance for everyday living are not required to enroll in NHI

Required Items for Application

1. Residence card or special permanent resident certificate
2. Passport
3. If you are withdrawing from another form of public health insurance or terminating public financial assistance for everyday living, bring documentation showing the date of withdrawal or termination (such as a certificate of loss of eligibility for health insurance)
4. If your designated period of stay is for three months or less, bring documentation showing that your planned pe-riod of stay is more than three months and that you plan to live in Shibuya City
5. If your visa status is “official,” bring documentation showing that your period of employment is for more than three months and that you plan to live in Shibuya City

National Health Insurance Division, Qualification Section
Tel:03-3463-1781

Notification is required in the following cases:

The head of the household should complete the required procedures within 14 days if any of the following apply.
Numbers 1. through 4. affect the information in your residence record and require you to complete additional notification procedures.

1. A change of address within Shibuya City
2. Moving out of Shibuya City (including moving out of Japan)
3. When the name of the head of the household or an NHI member changes
4. When a child is born, or an NHI member dies
5. If an NHI member enrolls in some other form of public health insurance, or starts to receive public financial assistance for everyday living
6. If the NHI card has been lost, or is soiled and can no longer be used

Required items for application

1. NHI card
2. Residence card or special permanent resident certificate
3. Passport
4. ④ In the case of
5. ⑤ above, documentation to verify the applicant’s condition

National Health Insurance Division, Qualification Section
Tel:03-3463-1781

How NHI fees are calculated

NHI fees are calculated based on the previous year’s income on a per household basis and the head of the household is the person who incurs the obligation to pay the fees.
People who join the NHI program part way through the year pay fees from the month of enrollment while people who withdraw pay their fees up until the month prior to withdrawal.

National Health Insurance Division, Qualification Section
Tel:03-3463-1781

Paying NHI fees

1. Paying with NHI invoices
NHI invoices are sent out in June.
The fees can be paid at banks or other financial institutions, post offices, convenience stores, or at the City Office or its branch offices.
2. Paying through automatic debits from your bank account
If you have an account at a bank or other financial institution or post office, automatic debits can be used to pay NHI fees.

National Health Insurance Division, Collection Section
Tel:03-3463-1784

Summary of benefits

Under the NHI system, an NHI member pays a designated portion of the medical cost for treatment at a medical facility that accepts NHI, and Shibuya City’s NHI program covers the remainder.

Medical care fees

If you receive medical treatment without submitting your certificate due to an emergency or other unavoidable reason, or if you use equipment that your physician authorizes as necessary, such as surgical corsets, then you can apply for a reimbursement for a designated portion of the amount you paid.

Excess medical fees

When the fees paid by an NHI member to a medical facility exceed a designated amount a refund application is sent to the concerned member.
The excess medical fees are later refunded.
In addition, high medical care expenses a member pays at the counter of medical institution can be reduced by applying in advance to Shibuya City.

Other benefits

1. Lump-sum childbirth benefit
A childbirth benefit of ¥500,000 per child is provided after the birth.
With the start of the direct payment system, Shibuya City will generally pay the benefit directly to the medical institution.
If the childbirth expense is greater than the benefit amount, the NHI member must pay the difference to the medical institution.
If the childbirth expense is less than the benefit amount, however, the difference is paid to the NHI member.
Note.The payment will be ¥420,000 for children born before March 31, 2023.
2. Funeral fee
When an NHI member dies, a funeral fee subsidy of ¥70,000 is provided to the person who makes the funeral arrangements.

• Medical expenses not covered by NHI

Health checkups, cosmetic surgery, orthodontics, normal childbirth, abortions for economic reasons, and vaccinations deemed voluntary are not covered by NHI.

When injured by a third party

When an NHI member has been injured in an accident or has become ill due to the actions of a third party the medical costs should, as a rule, be paid in their entirety by the person at fault, but it is also possible to receive treatment through the NHI program.
When NHI is used in this type of instance it is mandatory to file a report.

National Health Insurance Division, Benefits Section
Tel:03-3463-1776

NHI Health Services

The following services are offered to promote and protect the health of residents enrolled in Shibuya City’s NHI program:
1. Special health checkups (for those 40 years of age and older)
2. Free health checkups
Free health checkups are provided for those who are between 18 and 39 years of age.
3. Health resort facilities
Shibuya City has contracts with lodging facilities for accommodations at discounted rates.

National Health Insurance Division, Accounting Section
Tel:03-3463-1768