Travel Medical Insurance for Japan: Payments, Claims and the Documents to Collect

The short answer

Without Japanese public health insurance, you usually pay the clinic or hospital yourself at the time of treatment and claim the money back from your travel insurer afterwards. Some insurers can arrange direct payment, sometimes called a cashless service, but only when the insurer and the facility agree for that visit. JNTO: travel insurance in Japan

Your insurer can only pay against documents, and Japanese facilities issue them in Japanese, at the facility, usually while you are there. Collecting the right papers before you leave is most of the work.

Before traveling

Save the policy schedule, terms, assistance number and claims instructions somewhere you can reach offline. Check who is insured, dates, destination, exclusions, excess or deductible and any limits relevant to your trip. An excess is the amount you may have to pay yourself under the policy.

Ask explicitly about planned treatment, follow-up of an existing condition and any activities that might need additional cover. Do not describe an intended medical trip as an unexpected illness claim. If the answer is unclear, ask for written clarification before relying on the policy.

When arranging care

1. Contact the insurer's assistance team when practical. In a medical emergency, seek emergency care first.
2. Ask whether approval or a case number is required and which providers can receive its payment guarantee.
3. Tell the facility that you are checking direct payment. Ask whether it has accepted the guarantee for this visit.
4. If you will claim later, confirm the deposit, payment method and documents before discharge when possible.

JNTO's medical-visit guidance notes that cashless conditions depend on the insurer. Do not assume every clinic accepts a foreign card or bills an insurer later.

Claims fileThe three documents insurers ask for

Receipt: 領収書 (ryōshūsho)

Proof of what you paid, issued at the payment counter. Keep the original and photograph it as a backup.

Itemised statement: 診療明細書 (shinryō meisaisho)

The breakdown behind the receipt: each examination, test, procedure and medicine. A receipt total alone does not show what was done, so insurers often ask for this. MHLW's billing rules require insured institutions that bill electronically to issue it free of charge with the receipt, unless they have a legitimate reason. If you are not given one, ask at the counter before leaving. MHLW notification 保発0305第2号

Medical certificate: 診断書 (shindansho)

A document written by the doctor stating the diagnosis, dates and what was done. It is charged separately, at a price each facility sets, and it takes time: a doctor has to write it. As one example, Osaka General Medical Center lists ¥8,260 per copy for an English certificate for insurance claims, says English documents take time, and does not translate other institutions' documents. Ask on your first visit, not your last. Osaka General Medical Center: guide for foreign patients

Receipts and itemised statements are usually printed in Japanese only. Ask your insurer whether it accepts them as they are, and whether it needs the medical certificate in English.

Keep copies before sending originals. Match the patient's name across the documents and note whom you spoke to, the date and the reference number. If a claim is declined, ask for the decision and policy clause in writing and use the insurer's review procedure.

Flying homeFit-to-fly letters

If you were treated for something that could affect flying, your airline may ask for medical clearance before you board. The airline decides what it accepts, and some airlines use their own medical form. Check your airline's medical-clearance page early, and tell the facility your flight date when you ask for a certificate.

Phrase cardWhat to ask at the counter

ChecklistBefore you leave the facility

• Receipt for every visit
• Itemised statement for every visit
• Medical certificate requested, and a plan for collecting or posting it if it is not ready
• A record of any medicines you were given
• Copies or photos of everything, kept apart from the originals
• The facility's name, address and phone number

If you have already left Japan without the documents, contact the facility's international patient desk first. Some facilities post documents only within Japan. Your insurer cannot obtain Japanese medical documents for you.

Continue planning

Read Medical emergencies in Japan and How seeing a doctor works in Japan.

Official sources checked on 24 October 2026. Certificate fees are set by each facility; the Osaka example is one hospital's published price, not a market rate. No policy, insurer or cost is recommended.

Information provided for planning purposes only. No diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or direct booking services.