What You Need to Know
About Social Security Systems for Foreigners in Japan
Foreigners who move to Japan are required to enroll in four social security systems
: medical insurance, pension, employment insurance, and worker’s accident compensation insurance.
For foreigners who immigrate to Japan, the social security system is one of the important issues.
When working in Japan, enrollment in social insurance is mandatory, but it can help avoid risks such as illness or injury.
In addition, it is important to take appropriate measures regarding the pension system when considering future retirement lifestyle planning.
This article provides an explanation of the social security system, discusses its issues and introduces websites with personal experiences.
I would be happy if we could assist highly-skilled foreign individuals considering immigration to Japan in making their decision.
Public health insurance
Foreign residents in Japan who have a valid work visa are required to enroll in public health insurance just like Japanese citizens. There are two types of public health insurance available: company health insurance or national health insurance.
Company health insurance
Foreigners who are employed by a company in Japan are required to enroll in both health insurance and employee pension insurance.
The employee pension insurance is bundled together with the health insurance, so if a foreigner does not enroll in employee pension insurance, they cannot enroll in health insurance.
It should be noted that the employee pension system is not very attractive for foreign workers, but the health insurance is subsidized by the employer, which can provide a sense of value.
Conditions of enrollment
In order to be eligible for company health insurance, the worker must be a full-time employee.
Or, in the case of part-time employees, they must not be students and earn at least 80,000 yen per month if employed by a company with 101 or more employees, or they may be eligible for long-term employment.
For more information, please refer to this page( Japan Pension Service).
Burden cost
For example, if a worker earns 200,000 yen（$2,000) per month, he would pay approximately 30,000 yen($300) per month for all social security systems (pension, health insurance, and employment insurance) if he is employed by a company.
National health insurance
If you are self-employed and your monthly income is 200,000 yen（$2,000)in Tokyo, you will have to pay about 35,000 yen($350) out of pocket for all social security obligations, including pension, health insurance, and employment insurance.
However, the actual amount may vary as the national health insurance and national pension insurance premiums depend on the income. It is also important to consider the high cost of living in Tokyo.
Unenrolled in Japan’s Social Security System? Here’s what to do.
If you are employed by a company but not enrolled in Japan’s social security system, there are several steps you can take to address the situation( Japan Pension Service):
- Contact your employer First, contact your employer to confirm why you are not enrolled in the social security system. Since enrolling is mandatory by law, it’s important to understand why your employer is not enrolling you and take appropriate action.
- Consult with the Labor Standards Inspection Office If your employer’s reasons for not enrolling you are unclear or if you are unable to resolve the issue through communication with them, consult with the Labor Standards Inspection Office. They are responsible for protecting the rights of workers under the law and can intervene to ensure that your employer enrolls you in the social security system.