Japan Health Insurance and Pension for Foreign Residents

Japan's public health insurance and public pension are two separate checks. An employer may handle both together, but they are not one optional product called “shakai hoken,” and nationality alone does not select either route. Identify the health system, pension category, responsible filer, effective date, and dated proof for each.

Where Employees' Health Insurance and Employees' Pension Insurance apply, the employer files; a worker does not simply choose National Health Insurance instead. Otherwise, ask the municipality about health insurance and the municipality or Japan Pension Service about pension.

This guide is general administrative information, not legal, immigration, tax, employment, insurance, pension, healthcare, medical, or financial advice. The responsible employer, insurer, municipality, Japan Pension Service, or agreement-country institution controls your case. Rules and service details can change.

Official sources for this guide were checked on September 23, 2026.

Quick Decision Map: Who Should You Ask First?

This table routes the question; it does not determine your coverage.

Situation	Health-insurance check	Pension check	Filer and first contact
Regular employee at a covered workplace	Employees' Health Insurance (EHI) usually follows the employer assessment	Employees' Pension Insurance (EPI), making the worker Category II	Employer or payroll files; ask for the effective date and proof
Part-time or temporary worker	Ask the employer to test both the three-quarters rule and the current five-condition route	If EPI applies, Category II; otherwise check whether Category I or another category applies	Employer first, then JPS or the municipality if the answer is unclear
Student, self-employed, unemployed, or another resident outside employer coverage	Ask whether NHI, the age-75 system, or an exception applies	A resident aged 20 to 59 who is not Category II or III is generally Category I	Municipality and JPS; a school may help but does not decide coverage
Qualifying dependent spouse of a Category II worker	The spouse's employer assesses EHI dependent recognition	Category III may apply only to a qualifying economically dependent spouse aged 20 to 59	Spouse's employer files; confirm both decisions separately
Child or another family member being assessed as an EHI dependent	The insured worker's employer assesses EHI dependent recognition	EHI dependent recognition does not make a child, parent, or other relative Category III	Insured worker's employer for EHI; JPS or municipality for any separate pension question
Resident aged 75 or older	Ask the municipality about the medical-care system for people aged 75 and older, not ordinary NHI enrollment	Age-75 medical coverage does not answer a pension-record or benefit question	Municipality for health coverage; JPS for pension records or benefits
Worker temporarily detached from an agreement country	The exact agreement may change the route	Check dual coverage, totalization, and the Certificate of Coverage separately	Home-country employer and institution, then JPS and the Japanese insurer or municipality
Person starting or leaving covered employment	Confirm the old coverage end date and the new route; a municipal NHI notice may still be required	Confirm the Category II start or end date and any Category I or III action	New or former employer, former insurer, spouse's employer if relevant, municipality, and JPS

Health Insurance And Pension Are Related—But Not The Same

Use the precise system name when you ask a question.

Term	What it means for this decision
Employees' Health Insurance (EHI)	Workplace health insurance for workers who meet the coverage rules at covered workplaces; the employer handles enrollment
National Health Insurance (NHI)	Municipal or NHI-society coverage for residents outside another applicable public medical-insurance system, subject to age, residence, assistance, and exceptions
Medical-care system for people aged 75 and older	A separate medical-insurance route; ask the municipality when approaching or reaching age 75
Employees' Pension Insurance (EPI)	Workplace pension coverage; an enrolled worker is also Category II under National Pension
National Pension Category I	Generally, residents aged 20 to 59 who are not Category II or III, including many students, self-employed people, and unemployed people
National Pension Category III	A qualifying economically dependent spouse aged 20 to 59 of a Category II person; it is not a label for every EHI dependent

Enrollment is different from the document used at a clinic. Pension enrollment is also different from an approved contribution exemption or postponement. Keep those decisions in separate rows in your records.

If You Work For A Japanese Employer

The Japan Pension Service employer-coverage page says EHI and EPI are compulsory where the workplace and worker rules apply, regardless of nationality; employer and worker cannot opt out.

Regular employees at a covered workplace generally enter EHI and EPI. A part-time or temporary worker can enter by either of these broad routes:

• their weekly hours and monthly workdays are at least three-quarters of those of a regular worker at the same workplace; or
• below that level, all five current conditions apply: at least 20 weekly hours, a term expected to last at least two months, monthly wages of at least ¥88,000 under the official test, not being a student, and work at a “specific covered workplace.” JPS defines the last condition as more than 50 workers under one corporate number for at least six months of the year, or a smaller workplace covered through the applicable agreement.

Do not self-score from hours or pay alone. Ask HR to confirm every condition and the effective date. JPS says the employer files within five days when coverage applies.

Employer and worker share salary-based contributions. The insurer, standard remuneration, bonuses, age-related items, and current rates matter, so ask for the insurer, start date, pension category, first deduction, and proof instead of relying on one percentage.

If you are still evaluating an offer, use the job-search guide's written conditions checks before treating “social insurance provided” as a complete answer.

If You Are Outside Employer Coverage

Ask your municipality which medical-insurance route applies to your actual address and circumstances. MHLW describes NHI as the public system for residents who are not enrolled in another medical-insurance system, while municipal guidance separately identifies employee insurance, the age-75 system, and public-assistance cases. A social-security agreement can also create a documented exception in some situations.

Do not reduce that to “every foreigner staying more than three months joins NHI.” Work, residence, age, assistance, and agreement documents matter.

The municipality controls the local notice, documents, deadline, premium, and payment-help process. Yokohama's English NHI page, for example, asks residents to notify the ward within 14 days when joining or leaving and lists proof of the previous or new coverage. That is a Yokohama example, not a national document list for your city.

NHI is not one national price. MHLW says municipal calculations are set locally and use household and income-related components. If you cannot pay, contact the office promptly about formal relief; do not ignore the notice.

Your Pension Category And Filer

The JPS National Pension enrollment page says residents of Japan aged 20 to 59 must generally enroll regardless of nationality, subject to the source's specific exceptions. The filing path is:

Category	Who it generally covers	Who handles the procedure
Category I	A resident aged 20 to 59 who is not Category II or III	The resident applies through the municipality, generally within 14 days after becoming Category I
Category II	A worker enrolled in EPI	The employer enrolls the worker in EPI; no separate National Pension enrollment is needed
Category III	A qualifying economically dependent spouse aged 20 to 59 of a Category II person	The spouse asks the Category II worker's employer to submit the application, generally within 14 days

Confirm the EPI effective date rather than marking pension “handled by work.” Do not label a spouse Category III merely because someone said “dependent.”

Spouses, Children, And Other Family Members

EHI dependent recognition and Category III have different boundaries. JPS reviews family relationship, residence, income, and support for EHI; age and disability can also matter. The employer reports dependent changes.

Category III is narrower: it applies to a qualifying economically dependent spouse aged 20 to 59 of a Category II person. A child, parent, or other relative recognized as an EHI dependent does not become Category III. Nor does an EHI decision by itself settle every pension question for the spouse.

Ask the employer what evidence it needs for each decision. Use it and the JPS dependent guidance, not a single income threshold copied from an old article.

Students And Residents Who Cannot Pay Pension Contributions

Student status is not an automatic National Pension exemption. A Category I student with income below the applicable limit may apply for the Special Payment System for Students, and it applies only if approved. JPS says an application generally covers up to one year and must be made again when needed.

Other residents in financial difficulty may apply for exemption or postponement. Approval, income tests, and any amount still due vary. Approved periods can reduce the future old-age pension compared with fully paid periods; JPS also permits retroactive payment under current rules.

Take the notice to the municipality or JPS; ask what applies and what remains due while it is decided. The JPS exemption and student-payment page is the official starting point.

When Employment Or Household Facts Change

Pair every health-insurance change with a pension-category check; the records do not necessarily update as one event.

Change	Contact first	Confirm and keep	Stop using or re-check
Arrival and address registration	Employer if work coverage may begin; otherwise municipality and JPS	Insurer, pension category, effective dates, filer, and receipt	Any assumption based only on nationality, school, or status of residence
Start a covered job	Employer or payroll	EHI/EPI effective date, enrollment proof, pension Category II, first deduction	Municipal NHI proof after the new coverage starts; ask the municipality how to withdraw
Change employers	Old and new employers	Old end date, new start date, any gap, insurer, and EPI record	Old eligibility proof after the old coverage ends
Leave a covered job	Former employer and insurer, then new employer, spouse's employer, or municipality	Loss-of-eligibility proof, selected health route, and Category I or III action if applicable	Old EHI proof after eligibility ends; do not assume pension changed correctly
Gain or lose dependent status	Insured worker's employer	EHI dependent decision and, for a spouse, the separate Category III decision	Old proof or pension category after the effective date
Move to another municipality	Old and new municipalities; employer if its records also change	NHI leave/join instructions where relevant, address, insurer, and receipts	Old municipality's NHI proof after eligibility ends
Turn 75	Municipality and current insurer before the birthday	New medical-system effective date and accepted proof	Previous NHI or EHI proof after the instructed end date

After leaving employer health insurance, compare only routes that may fit:

• a new employer's coverage;
• qualifying dependent coverage through a family member's employer;
• optional continued coverage through the former insurer, if eligible; or
• municipal NHI.

Deadlines can be short. Kyokai Kenpo's current optional- continuation rule requires at least two continuous months of prior eligible coverage and receipt of the application within 20 days after loss of eligibility. A health-insurance society may differ, so check the former insurer. Optional continuation does not preserve Category II pension status; ask what pension change is required.

If A Social-Security Agreement May Apply

A social-security agreement is not a citizenship-based blanket exemption. It can address two different problems:

• elimination of dual coverage: deciding which country's system applies during qualifying cross-border work; and
• totalization: combining eligible coverage periods for a future benefit test where the specific agreement permits it.

JPS lists current agreement countries and functions. Systems and totalization differ, so read the actual country page.

The JPS work-in-Japan agreement guide generally distinguishes a local hire in Japan from a temporary detachment. A person hired locally generally follows the Japanese system. A worker who remains employed by an agreement-country employer and is temporarily detached to Japan for an expected period of no more than five years may stay under that country's system if the specific agreement and facts allow it. Extensions, accompanying family, health-insurance coverage, and self-employment can differ.

Ask whether the home-country institution must issue a Certificate of Coverage, what it covers, its dates, and where to present it. Confirm the Japanese side with JPS and the insurer or municipality. A foreign insurance card alone is not proof of exemption.

Current Proof Of Health-Insurance Eligibility

All legacy health-insurance cards expired by December 1, 2025. The Digital Agency's current guidance says insured treatment now uses either:

• a My Number Card that has been registered for health-insurance use; or
• an eligibility certificate issued by the insurer for a person who does not have or has not registered a My Number Card.

A Notice of Eligibility Information shows registered insurance information; unlike an eligibility certificate, it is not generally standalone proof at reception. Ask your insurer what to carry.

Registering a My Number Card for health-insurance use does not enroll you in an insurance system. Digital Agency also warns that after a job or insurer change, the new enrollment still has to be completed. If you are comparing that function with the newer combined Residence Card/My Number Card format, use the Specified Residence Card guide; the combined card format does not decide insurance coverage either.

When eligibility ends, stop using the old proof. Ask what to return or retain, and keep the new dated confirmation.

What To Bring And What To Record

Ask the responsible office for its exact document list. Depending on the case, it may ask for some combination of:

• residence card, passport, Japanese address, and a My Number-related document where requested;
• employer enrollment or loss-of-eligibility proof, contract or payslip facts, and the new coverage effective date;
• student proof for a student-payment application;
• family-relationship, residence, income, and financial-support evidence for a dependent review; or
• a Certificate of Coverage for an agreement case.

Record the coverage, insurer, pension category, effective date, filer, receipt, accepted proof, notices and payments or relief, next change, source URL, and date checked.

Do not store a full My Number, account credentials, PINs, or identity-document images in an unsecured worksheet. For the rest of the arrival sequence, use the first-month checklist. For costs, use the moving budget guide without treating a generic estimate as your premium.

Where To Ask For An Official Answer

• Employer or spouse's employer: covered-workplace assessment, EHI/EPI enrollment, dependents, Category III filing, deductions, and dated proof.
• Your municipality: NHI, the age-75 medical system, Category I National Pension filing, local premiums, payment problems, and moving procedures.
• Japan Pension Service: EPI/EHI procedure questions, pension category, contributions, exemptions, records, and agreements. JPS publishes a current multilingual consultation page; check its current languages, hours, numbers, call charges, and topic before contacting it.
• Agreement-country institution: Certificate of Coverage and that country's part of the agreement.

If the owner is unclear, use the official-help directory for foreign residents. If you have not moved, return to the moving-to-Japan guide; insurance enrollment is not a visa route.

FAQ

Can I Choose NHI Instead Of Employer Insurance?

Not where compulsory EHI/EPI coverage applies. Ask the employer to document its assessment; ask JPS if the workplace or worker test remains unclear.

Does A Student Automatically Avoid Pension Contributions?

No. An applicable student enrolls first and may apply for the Special Payment System for Students. Postponement starts only if the application is approved.

Is Every Dependent Spouse Category III?

No. It has spouse, age, dependency, residence, and Category II conditions. Confirm it separately from EHI dependent recognition.

What Happens To Insurance And Pension When I Leave A Job?

Confirm the EHI/EPI end date, compare new-employer, dependent, continued, or NHI routes, and separately check whether pension becomes Category I or III.

Does My Country's Agreement Exempt Me From Japan's System?

No. Check the agreement, local-hire or detachment facts, covered systems, and Certificate of Coverage requirement.

Can I Use An Old Health-Insurance Card Or Proof After Changing Jobs?

No. Stop using proof from the date the old eligibility ends. Confirm the new enrollment and accepted proof with the new insurer.

What If I Cannot Pay A Premium Or Contribution Notice?

Contact the responsible municipality, insurer, or JPS promptly. Ask about a formal reduction, exemption, or postponement application and what remains due. Do not ignore the notice or assume low income cancels it automatically.

Can Omnishoku Calculate My Premium Or Decide My Category?

No. The controlling office needs facts this page cannot safely determine. Use this guide to find that office, ask focused questions, and keep dated proof.

Official Sources By Task

Task	Official source checked September 23, 2026
Employer EHI/EPI coverage, part-time tests, and filing	JPS Enrollment in Employees' Pension Insurance and Employees' Health Insurance
Categories I, II, and III and responsible filer	JPS Enrollment in National Pension
EHI dependents and Category III spouse boundary	JPS Report of Dependents
Student postponement and contribution exemption	JPS Exemption of National Pension Contributions
National NHI frame and local premium control	MHLW NHI system overview and foreign-resident NHI leaflet page
Municipal joining, leaving, and proof example	Yokohama City Joining and leaving NHI
My Number Card health-insurance use and eligibility certificates	Digital Agency Use of health insurance card in My Number Card
Agreements, detachment, and Certificate of Coverage	JPS agreements in force and systems for work in Japan
Optional continuation after Kyokai Kenpo coverage	Kyokai Kenpo current eligibility conditions
Multilingual pension and EHI/EPI consultation	JPS consultations in multiple languages

Confirm the live source and effective date again before filing, changing coverage, stopping payment, or using an eligibility document.