英語
English-Language EditionFor Foreigners
Your National Health Insurance Guide

National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi City Hall 1F)
Phone: 047-436-2395

In Japan, everyone must enroll in public health insurance
In Japan, all residents must be enrolled in a public health insurance system of some kind so that they can receive medicalcare with peace of mind.
The National Health Insurance system is one of those medical insurance systems, and everyone enrolled contributes money
to be used for illnesses or injuries, both for themselves and for other members. It is a system that promotes mutual assistance.

Question: Do foreigners have to enroll as well?
Yes, you do.
Foreign nationals who are permitted to live in Japan for over three months (meaning foreign
nationals having a residence visa, not a tourist visa) must enroll in either National Health
Insurance (NHI) or in the health insurance system provided through their workplace.

You receive an insurance card
When you enroll in the NHI system, you receive an insurance card.
Your insurance card is just as important as your residence card, so please be sure to keep it safe and on your person.

Things you must never do
× Never lend your insurance card to others, or borrow someone else’s card.
× Never change the details of your insurance card by yourself.

If you commit these violations, you are punishable by law＜You cannot use your insurance card in the following cases＞
You cannot use your insurance card for cosmetic surgical procedures and orthodontic treatments, or in other instances
when you are not ill or injured.

What are the merits of having an insurance card?
If you present your insurance card at the hospital reception desk when you go to the hospital due to illness or injury, you only
need to pay a portion of the medical expenses (usually 30 percent) and can also receive treatment and medicine (the city pays
the remaining 70 percent).
＜For example, if your medical expenses are ¥5,000＞

When you show your insurance card

If you do not show your card…

¥5,000 + α¥1,500You pay just 30 percent

You must pay the whole cost yourself.

－ P1 －

You pay insurance premiums
Everyone enrolled in the NHI system contributes money (in the form of insurance premiums) to cover medical expenses.
This pays for your treatment and the treatment of others in cases of illness or injury. As mentioned above, this is a system ofmutual assistance.

How your insurance premiums are calculatedYour insurance premiums are the sum of a base fee and fees based on your income (salary) in Japan.

Base fee

Income-based fee

One year¥30,000 to ¥40,000

One year
Roughly 10 percent of
your incomePremium

How much are my insurance premiums?

Roughly ¥10,000 for oneyear

One year since residing inJapan

During the first year you stay in Japan, you only pay the base fee, since you had no income in Japan in the previousyear.
If your income in Japan is low, you can complete procedures at City Hall to have the base fee reduced by 70 percent,so your insurance premiums for the first year will be very low (see p. 4).

From the second year inRoughly ¥80,000 for
one yearJapan onward
Example: If you received ¥120,000 amonth at a part-time job

If your income (salary) in Japan increases, you will need to pay an income-based fee from the second year onward.
For this reason, the insurance premiums for many people increase during their second year in Japan.
For example, if you received ¥120,000 a month at a part-time job, your insurance premium will cost roughly ¥80,000
for one year.

－ P2 －How do I pay my insurance premiums?
After you complete the enrollment procedures, Funabashi City will mail an invoice/payment notice to your residence.
When the invoice/payment notice arrives, you can make payments at a bank, convenience store, etc. You must pay by the due date on yourinvoice/payment notice.
Note: From the following year, every June 15 you will be mailed a year’s worth of invoices/payment notices.
You can choose to pay your insurance premiums in a yearly lump sum or in monthly payments (ten installments between June and March).

Lump
sum
一括分
Since I might forget if I’m
paying each month, I’ll use
the lump-sum payment
notice!

Or
Paying all at once isdifficult, so I want tomake payments
every month. I’ll put it
on my calendar so I
won’t forget.

Augustportion
８月分
Julyportion
７月分
Juneportion
６月分★As a rule, the due date for each payment is at the end of the month (if the last day falls on the weekend or a public holiday, then the followingthbusiness day). Only December has a due date on the 25 , so please be sure to put it on your calendar.
★The places you can pay your premiums include banks, convenience stores, and the National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi City Hall
1F or the Funabashi Face Building, 5F, service window 6).
★If you miss your payment due date, you can no longer pay at convenience stores, so please make sure to pay on time.

How to read the payment noticeDue date: please pay by this day.

６月分

Code number: please state this number when
making inquiries.

In this month, make payments with thispayment notice.

Amount you must pay.

From the second year onward, if you forget to pay your NHI premiums, you will have to pay what isdue in a lump sum later. Making a lump-sum payment may prove difficult, so please don’t forget to
pay your NHI premiums every month.

－ P3 －Make proper income (salary) declarations
Your insurance premiums are decided partly on the basis of your previous year’s income (salary), so it is necessary todeclare your income.

Do I have to make an income declaration every year?
The company you work for reports your income (salary) to City Hall, so there is no need to make a declaration on yourown.

When is it necessary to make an income declaration?
＜When making a declaration is necessary＞① It is necessary to make a declaration for the first year that you came to Japan.
Note: When you received your first insurance card, you went through necessary procedures that included declaringthat you had no income (salary) for the previous year. If that was not the case, please complete the procedures.
You may also be able to get your insurance premiums reduced (see p. 2).
② If your company does not declare your income (salary) to City Hall and your income (salary) cannot be verified, youwill need to make an income declaration on your own.

Where do I make my income declaration?
You were living in Funabashi City on January 1
YesNoYou were living in another Japanese municipality on January 1

Declare to the Civil TaxSection using
Declaration Form

Yes
Declare at the municipality where you were living on January 1＜Declare at the Civil Tax
Section (Funabashi City Hall2F)＞

NoAfterward, Funabashi City will ask the municipality where you were living on January
1 about your income, so after you have finished making your declaration pleasecontact the National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi City Hall 1F) to inform themof this.

Use an income declaration (inquiry) form for insurance premium＜Declare at the National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi City Hall 1F)＞
Note: If you wish to make your declaration by post, we will mail you a declaration form; please call us (047-436-2395)

年度国民健康保険料所得申告（調査）書＜保険料所得申告（調査）書の記入の仕方＞［People moving to● 年1月～１２月の所得状況 ］
平成

記号番号

① 現住所
② １月１日の住所⑥ 給与収入年金収入

1234567

湊町２－１０－２５

船橋市

海外（ベトナム）

年間総収入

０円

年月日

船 橋 市 長 あて

宛名番号

③ 氏名
④ 生年月日届出日

ＨＯＡＮＮ ＴＡＩ
印
明・大・昭・平年 1 月6 日⑤ 電話番号 income declaration
080-0000-0000

１９９８ 年 4 月 1 日＊税込の総収入です＊遺族・障害・老齢福祉年金は除く＜How to fill in the form＞1 Your address in Funabashi City
2 If you were living abroad on January 1, 20●●, fill in “abroad (country name)”(Ex.) “abroad (Vietnam)”
3 Name (as written on your residence card)
収入の無かった人の生活状況（・・・の扶養、預貯金で生活 など）（備考）
4 Date of birth(Ex.) April 1, 1998
5 Phone number Note: If you own a mobile phone, enter that number
6 If you have no income in Japan from January to December of 20●●, enter “0”－ P4 －

Japan from abroadmust submit an(inquiry) form whencompleting move-inprocedures. Please
don't forget tocomplete thisprocedure.

Please consult us right away if you cannot pay on time
If you do not pay your insurance premiums…
You will incur overdue charges, adding to the amount of money you have to pay.

１

We will visit your home to prompt you for payment.
We will call your mobile phone and give you payment guidance.

２

３Your insurance card’s period of validity will be shortened.
Note: Your NHI card is usually renewed automatically every year. If you don’t pay yourinsurance premiums, however, you must go to the National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi
City Hall 1F) every four months to renew it. If you don’t renew it, you will not be able to use yourinsurance card at medical facilities.

Your bank account will be frozen, and you will be unable to use it.
In addition, your salary will be seized.

We will speak with you in your native language
A videophone translator is available who speaks in yournative language.
＜Languages and when videophone translators are available＞
English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, Thai

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vietnamese, Tagalog, French

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nepali, Hindi

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

＜ Contact ＞
National Health Insurance Section (Funabashi City Hall 1F)☎Phone: 047-436-2395 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (not including weekends and holidays)
Note: Operator speaks only in Japanese－ P5 －

Make payments via convenient bank transfer!
From the second year onward, if you forget to pay your NHI premiums, you will have to pay off the balance you owe in alump sum later.
Paying all at once may prove difficult, so please remember to pay your NHI premiums every month. We also advise you topay your premiums from a bank account.
You can apply for bank transfers by following either ① or ② below.
１Apply with a bank cash card
Even if you do not have a registered seal (such as those people in Japan typically use to set up a bank account), you
can use your bank cash card (biometric IC cash cards are not accepted) to set up automatic bank transfers to pay yourNHI premiums. Please come to the National Health Insurance Section (on the first floor of Funabashi City Hall, orservice window 6 on the fifth floor of the Funabashi Face Building) with your cash card and NHI card for procedures.
＜Banks you can use＞
Chiba Bank, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking
Corporation, Resona Bank, Chiba Kogyo Bank, Keiyo Bank, Japan Post
Bank, Chiba Shinkin Bank, Tokyo Bay Shinkin Bank
Note: The list of approved banks is subject to change.

２If you go to City Hallwith your bank cashcard, you cancomplete theprocedure to set upbank transfers
procedures.

Apply with bank transfer documents (in writing)
Prepare the three items below and complete procedures at designated Funabashi City banks (including JapanPost Bank).
1) National Health Insurance card2) Bank book3) Seal that was used when setting up your bankaccountProcedures are necessary under these circumstances◆If your address changes, you need to notify the City Hall of your new address.
When moving from Funabashi City to somewhere abroad (will no longer reside in Japan)⇒ Please return your insurance card to Funabashi City.
When moving from Funabashi City to another municipality of Japan⇒ Every municipality issues its own NHI card. Please return your insurance card to Funabashi Cityand receive a new one at your new municipality.
When moving to another address within Funabashi City⇒ Please turn in your old insurance card and receive a new one showing your new address.
◆If you enroll in health insurance at your workplace
If you enroll in insurance at your workplace, you will be unable to use your NHI card.
Complete procedures to withdraw from National Health Insurance at the National Health Insurance Section(Funabashi City Hall 1F) and please return your NHI card.
If you do not complete the proper withdrawal procedures, you will continue to be charged insurance
premiums , so please make sure to do this.
◆If you exceed your duration of stay
You cannot enroll in the National Health Insurance system unless you are a registered resident of amunicipality in Japan.
If you forget to renew your visa and stay beyond its period of validity, your resident registration in Funabashi
City will become void, and you will not be able to use your insurance card.

Please don’t forget to complete procedures.
－ P6 －発行年月：平成３０年（２０１８）９月
制作・発行：船橋市 健康福祉局 健康・高齢部 国民健康保険課
翻訳・編集：株式会社メリットファイブ
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©２０１８ 船橋市