EXCLUSIVE: Japan Eyes Requiring Foreign Visitors to Obtain Health Insurance

Tokyo, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is considering requiring foreign visitors to obtain private health insurance before arriving in the country, Jiji Press learned Wednesday. The move comes in line with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s request in June. According to a health ministry survey, unpaid medical costs by foreign visitors totaled some 61.35 million yen in September 2024. This suggests that unpaid medical costs exceed 700 million yen per year. The envisaged health insurance requirement would apply to users of Japan’s planned electronic travel authorization system, called JESTA, which the government aims to introduce in fiscal 2028. On Wednesday, the LDP held a meeting of its headquarters on policies related to foreign citizens and adopted interim proposals, including a review of residency status requirements and the establishment of land acquisition rules for foreigners. Yoshitaka Shindo, head of the LDP headquarters, said that the headquarters will accelerate discussions to finalize its proposals in January. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]