National Health Insurance in Shinjuku City for Foreign Residents: Who Joins, the 14-Day Notification, and Paying Premiums
People living in Japan, including foreign residents, join either the health insurance at their workplace or the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, "Kokuho") of the city where they live. Shinjuku City's digest for foreign residents says this is the same even if you have student insurance, life insurance, or travel insurance from a private company or a foreign organization. In Shinjuku City, foreign residents with resident registration who cannot join workplace health insurance join National Health Insurance. Different rules apply to people receiving public assistance and, generally, to people aged 75 or over.
Notify the city within 14 days of the relevant change, such as moving into Shinjuku or leaving workplace health insurance.
やさしい日本語
- 日本に住む外国人は、会社の健康保険か、住んでいる区や市の国民健康保険（国保）に入ります。
- 留学生の保険や旅行の保険に入っていても、同じです。
- 新宿区に引っ越してきたときや、会社の保険をやめたときなどから、14日以内に届け出ます。
- 生活保護を受けている人や、多くの場合75歳以上の人は、ちがう決まりになります。
Who it is for
People who join (examples)
- Self-employed people.
- People who left workplace health insurance, for example because they quit their job.
- Part-time workers who cannot join workplace health insurance.
- Foreign residents with resident registration who cannot join workplace health insurance.
Foreign residents who, in principle, cannot join
- People whose period of stay is 3 months or less.
- People whose period of stay has expired.
- People with the status of residence "Diplomat" (外交).
- People with "Designated Activities" (特定活動) issued for medical treatment, sightseeing, recreation, etc.
やさしい日本語
- 入る人（例）：自分で仕事をしている人／会社をやめて、会社の保険がなくなった人／パート・アルバイトで会社の保険に入れない人／住民登録をしていて、会社の保険に入れない外国人
- 入れない人（原則）：在留期間が3か月以下の人／在留期限が切れている人／在留資格が「外交」の人／病気の治療や観光などの「特定活動」の人
What to do
| When | Notify the city within 14 days of the relevant change, such as moving into Shinjuku or leaving workplace health insurance. |
|---|---|
| Where | The counter at Shinjuku City Office or a Branch Office (特別出張所). Some notifications can be sent by mail. |
| What to bring | Documents for your type of notification (see the table on the city page); a document showing the Individual Number (My Number) of the person notifying or the person concerned; an ID document of the person notifying; a letter of authorization (委任状) if the person notifying is not in the same household on the resident record. |
| At a hospital or clinic | If you have a My Number health insurance card (マイナ保険証), use it at the card reader. If it does not work, show your "Notice of Eligibility Information" (資格情報のお知らせ) together with your My Number Card. The notice alone is not enough. If you do not have a My Number health insurance card, you get a National Health Insurance Certificate of Eligibility (資格確認書). Show it at the hospital or clinic. |
| Paying premiums | The head of the household must pay the premiums. Pay with the payment slip sent by mail. Write your name on your mailbox so that the mail arrives. |
| Before leaving Japan or moving out of Shinjuku | Finish paying any unpaid premiums before you move. |
| Students and people new to Japan | If your salary income in Japan from January to December of the previous year was not over 1,080,000 yen, your premium may be reduced by 70% after you apply. International students must apply every year. Bring your Residence Card (在留カード), and (students only) your student ID or letter of admission. |
| Questions | Medical Insurance and Pension Division, NHI Eligibility Section (医療保険年金課 国保資格係), Shinjuku City Office Main Building 4F, Counter 8. Phone: 03-5273-4146. |
| Leaflet in other languages | The digest "国民健康保険のご案内" (English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese) is available as a PDF, and at the City Office, Branch Offices, Health Centers, city libraries, Shinjuku Multicultural Plaza, and universities and Japanese language schools in the city. |
やさしい日本語
- いつ：新宿区に引っ越してきたときや、会社の保険をやめたときなどから、14日以内に届け出ます。
- どこ：区役所か特別出張所の窓口です。郵送でできるものもあります。
- 持ち物：手続きの書類／マイナンバーがわかる書類／本人確認書類／同じ世帯でない人が行くときは委任状
- 病院で：マイナ保険証を使います。マイナ保険証がない人は「資格確認書」を見せます。
- 保険料：郵便で届く紙（納付書）で払います。郵便受けに名前を書いてください。
- 国に帰るとき・引っ越すとき：その前に、まだ払っていない保険料を払います。
- 留学生・日本に来たばかりの人：前の年の給料が1,080,000円をこえないときは、手続きをすると保険料が70％安くなることがあります。留学生は毎年手続きをします。
- 問い合わせ：医療保険年金課 国保資格係（区役所本庁舎4階8番窓口・03-5273-4146）
More about National Health Insurance
- Who joins: everyone except people who can join workplace health insurance (such as health insurance associations and National Health Insurance associations (国民健康保険組合)) and people receiving public assistance (生活保護).
- How it works: members pay money according to their income so that everyone can get medical care without worry, and medical costs are paid from it.
- Certificate of Eligibility (資格確認書): a paper given to people who do not have a My Number health insurance card. It shows your health insurance eligibility and its expiry date. Show it at the hospital or clinic.
- Where the multilingual leaflet is handed out at the City Office Main Building: the Medical Insurance and Pension Division, the Family Register and Resident Division, the City Information Center, the City Information Division, the Tax Division, and the Delinquency Measures Division.
やさしい日本語
- 会社の健康保険に入れる人と、生活保護を受けている人のほかは、国民健康保険に入ります。
- 国民健康保険は、みんなが収入に合わせてお金を出し合い、そこから病気やけがのお金を払うしくみです。
- 資格確認書には、保険の情報と使える期限が書いてあります。
Questions people ask
I am a foreign national with student insurance. Do I also need to join National Health Insurance?
Shinjuku City's "National Health Insurance Guide (Digest version)" says that foreign residents living in Japan must join either the health insurance of their workplace or the National Health Insurance of the city where they live, and that this is the same even if you have student insurance, life insurance, or travel insurance run by a private company or a foreign organization.
Are there foreign nationals who cannot join National Health Insurance?
According to Shinjuku City, foreign nationals whose period of stay is 3 months or less, whose period of stay has expired, whose status of residence is "Diplomat", or who have "Designated Activities" issued for medical treatment, sightseeing, recreation, etc. cannot, in principle, join National Health Insurance.
By when and where do I notify the city about National Health Insurance?
The city says to notify it within 14 days in these cases. Notify at the City Office or a Special Branch Office counter; some notifications can be sent by mail. A letter of authorization is needed if the person notifying is not in the same household on the resident record.
Can international students get lower premiums?
According to the digest (English part), if your salary income in Japan from January to December of the previous year was not over 1,080,000 yen, your premium may be reduced by 70% after you apply. International students and people new to Japan apply, and international students must apply every year. Bring your Residence Card and, for students, your student ID or letter of admission.
やさしい日本語
- 留学生の保険に入っていても、国民健康保険か会社の保険に入ります。
- 在留期間が3か月までの人などは、入れません。
Phrases to show at the counter
Show this card at the counter, or read it aloud.
国民健康保険に入りたいです。
I would like to join National Health Insurance.
保険料の軽減の手続きをしたいです。
I would like to apply for the premium reduction.
国に帰ります。保険料を払いたいです。
I am going back to my country. I would like to pay my premiums.
ゆっくり話してください。
Please speak slowly.
Japanese words at the counter
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 国民健康保険 | こくみんけんこうほけん | National Health Insurance |
| 保険料 | ほけんりょう | insurance premium |
| 資格確認書 | しかくかくにんしょ | NHI Certificate of Eligibility |
| 納付書 | のうふしょ | payment slip |
| 委任状 | いにんじょう | letter of authorization |
Source
Shinjuku City "あなたのくらしと国保（電子版）国保とは" (updated 2026-06-05): https://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/kenkou/hoken01_002065_00002.html
Shinjuku City "国民健康保険のご案内（ダイジェスト版）" (PDF, issued September 2026; English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese): https://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/content/000465558.pdf
Shinjuku City "国民健康保険のご案内（ダイジェスト版）を配布しています" (updated 2026-09-10): https://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/kenkou/hoken01_000001_00023.html
Last checked: 2026-10-15
Related pages: Pregnancy notification Japanese · Applying for Shinjuku nursery schools · Enrolling in Shinjuku public schools · Living in Shinjuku: consultation and daily living