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Did You Know? Health Insurance Used to Cover Family Living Overseas
If you’re working in Japan, you are probably enrolled in your company’s health insurance.
In the past, even family members living outside Japan could be recognized as your dependents, as long as they met certain conditions.
For example, your spouse, children, or parents living in your home country could be covered by your Japanese health insurance.
However, this system raised concerns about its financial impact on Japan’s medical insurance system.
As a result, starting from April 1, 2020, the law changed. Now, your dependents must generally reside in Japan to be covered by your health insurance.
Why Was This Rule Changed?
In 2019, Japan revised its Immigration Law to expand the acceptance of foreign workers, especially in fields that require manual labor.
By the end of 2018, there were about 1.46 million foreign workers in Japan, a 14% increase from the previous year.
With the number of foreign workers expected to rise further, Japan needed to rethink how its social security system would operate in the future.
As a result, in April 2020, the Health Insurance Act was revised to require that dependents must reside in Japan to be eligible.
Life in Japan: Make Your Daily Life Easier
If your family is now living with you in Japan, it’s important not only to take care of health insurance but also to make your daily life easier.
For example, shopping for daily essentials like medicine, skincare, and baby products can be stressful, especially when you’re busy with work and family life.
One helpful option is using the official online store of Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokarafine, called “MatsukiyoCocokara Online Store.”
Here’s why it’s great for busy workers and families:
- Earn and use MatsukiyoCocokara points online and in-store.
- Enjoy exclusive online sales and point promotions.
- Free shipping on orders over ¥1,980 (tax included).
- Easy payments with PayPay, Amazon Pay, credit cards, and more.
- Over 40,000 products available, including some not sold in stores.
- Same-day delivery in some areas through the “MatsukiyoCocokara Q” service.
Check it out and save time for what really matters: your family and your health.
Exceptions: When Family Members Living Abroad Can Still Be Covered
Not all family members living abroad are excluded. Some cases are considered exceptions where overseas residents can still be covered as dependents.
- Students studying abroad
- Family members accompanying an employee on an overseas assignment
- New family members who joined during the overseas assignment (such as a child born abroad or a spouse married abroad)
- Temporary travel abroad for non-work reasons, such as working holidays or volunteer activities
- Other cases where the person is considered to have strong ties to Japan, as judged by the insurer
If your family falls into one of these categories, they can still be recognized as your dependent, even if they are currently living outside Japan.
Living in Japan Doesn’t Always Mean Eligibility
On the other hand, even if someone lives in Japan, they may not qualify as a dependent in certain cases.
For example:
- People who entered Japan on a Medical Stay Visa, intended for those receiving treatment in Japan
- People with a Long-Stay Visa for sightseeing or relaxation, often issued to wealthy visitors for stays up to one year
These individuals cannot be enrolled as dependents, even if they reside in Japan.
National Pension Follows the Same Rule
The same residency requirement applies to the National Pension’s Category 3 insured persons (spouses of company employees, etc.) from April 2020.
The exceptions are the same as those for health insurance, meaning family members studying abroad or accompanying overseas assignments are still eligible.
Summary
Since April 2020, your family members must basically live in Japan to be recognized as dependents under your health insurance or National Pension.
While some exceptions exist for special cases like studying abroad or overseas work assignments, most overseas family members can no longer be covered.
If you’re working in Japan, take a moment to check whether your family members meet the eligibility conditions for health insurance coverage.
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