City Office Procedures/Check soonRequired

Join National Health Insurance

Eligibility, counter, premiums, and insurance card checks.

Who this is for: Residents not in employee health insurance or changing coverage
Deadline: Official guidance says report NHI eligibility gain or loss within 14 days; confirm the trigger date and documents

Do this todayAsk employer whether and when employee insurance starts

If the deadline is near or passedIf 14 days have passed, obtain proof of the previous insurance end date and contact the municipal NHI desk today. Ask about retroactive enrollment, premiums, and care already received.

Where to goEmployer HR/insurance, municipal NHI counter, pension office

health insuranceinsurance cardcity office

Official information checked: 2026-07-18Review status: Reviewed

Step-by-step guide

Follow these steps

Progress: 0/3 completed

1Confirm your case and deadlineCheck employer insurance eligibility / Check NHI enrollment rules

What to do

1Ask your employer's HR or insurance staff in writing whether you will join employee health insurance, the coverage start date, and how dependents are handled; save the reply
2If you will not join employee insurance or have lost it, open your municipality's official NHI enrollment page and check the 14-day guidance, counter, and required documents

Check before you start

Ask employer whether and when employee insurance starts
If not enrolled or after leaving work, ask the municipal NHI counter about deadline
Prepare proof that previous coverage ended

When the deadline starts

The notification is generally due within 14 days of losing employer insurance or otherwise becoming eligible. First confirm the prior coverage end date.

If the deadline is near or passed

If 14 days have passed, obtain proof of the previous insurance end date and contact the municipal NHI desk today. Ask about retroactive enrollment, premiums, and care already received.

Urgent contact

If care is needed before enrollment completes, tell the provider your insurance is being processed, keep receipts and itemized statements, and ask the NHI desk about settlement.

2Prepare the office and documentsFile the NHI enrollment notice / Confirm how to use coverage

What to do

1Take your residence card, My Number information, and proof of insurance loss to the NHI counter; obtain the eligibility start date and a filing receipt
2After enrollment, confirm whether your My Number Card is registered for health-insurance use or how to receive an eligibility confirmation document, and when either can be used

Basic items to bring

Residence card and ID
My Number evidence
Certificate of loss of health insurance or job end
Household information
Payment details

Fees

Enrollment notification itself is generally free. Premiums depend on the eligibility date, income, household, and municipality, and may be billed retroactively to the start date.

Online options

Online filing differs by municipality. Registering to use My Number as insurance proof is not the same as filing National Health Insurance enrollment.

If you cannot go

Proxy rules differ. Before visiting, confirm who may act, whether a power of attorney is needed, and which original IDs the proxy must bring.

If documents are missing

If a document is missing, do not guess or substitute it. Tell the office its exact name and ask whether you can consult first, submit it later, and where to obtain it.

3Confirm completion and the next deadlineReview the premium notice / Report loss or change of NHI

What to do

1When the premium notice arrives, check the covered period, household, due dates, and payment method; ask before the first due date about retroactive charges or payment difficulty
2When joining employee insurance, moving to another municipality, or leaving Japan, file the NHI loss or change notice, return required documents, and record the end date

Confirm at completion

Coverage start date is confirmed without an unexplained gap or overlap
Eligibility proof, premiums, and next reporting duty are understood

What you receive

Confirm the eligibility start date, insured-person data, whether your My Number Card is registered for health-insurance use or an eligibility confirmation document has been issued, and where premium notices will be sent.

Check before leaving

Before leaving, check your name, address, covered period, and procedure type, then ask about the next deadline and contact method.

Records to keep

Keep the reference number, filing date, office, copies of submitted documents, and next contact date. Save confirmation screens and emails for online filings.

Next action

Set the premium payment method. File loss of NHI coverage when joining employer insurance, moving out, or leaving Japan.

Confirm with the official office

This page cannot determine the latest form, appointment and hours, municipality-specific additions, individual review, or same-day handling. Confirm these immediately before filing.
Employment, dependents, stay period, municipality, loss date

Calculate target datesDate previous health coverage ended

These are date-counting aids. Follow the responsible authority for the trigger date, holidays, and individual exceptions.

Important cautions

Premiums, start dates, retroactive enrollment, and dependents vary by income, household, employment, and municipality
Late procedures can create retroactive premiums
If coverage changes during treatment, ask the provider and insurer