The following news was announced on November 27, 2025
The government will tighten measures against nonpayment of medical expenses by inbound foreign visitors to Japan, with the aim of lowering the amount of nonpayment information to be reflected in entry screening from the current “200,000 yen or more” to “10,000 yen or more” starting in fiscal year 2026.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun, November 27, 2025
It’s not a decision yet, but measures will be strengthened.
The Japanese government is planning to significantly strengthen measures against “unpaid medical bills of foreign visitors to Japan,” which have been increasing in recent years.
Until now, the standard amount of unpaid medical expenses affecting immigration screening was “200,000 yen or more,” but adjustments are underway to make “10,000 yen or more” subject to denial of re-entry starting in FY2026.
The number of travelers visiting medical facilities for injuries and illnesses while traveling in Japan is increasing, but there are many cases of travelers leaving the country without paying medical expenses even though they have received treatment, and medical facilities are having a problem with this.
In response, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has been consolidating unpaid information from medical institutions and sharing it with the Immigration and Immigration Control Agency. (We still do.)
Although it has not been in the news until now, travelers will not be able to come to Japan for business or pleasure if they do not pay even a small amount for medical expenses.
Why? Why is there unpaid?
Therein lies Japan’s unique medical situation.
(1) Japanese medical institutions have a culture of “treatment first”.
In many countries,
- Presentation of insurance card
- High deposit (paid in advance)
- Passport safekeeping
- Credit card pre-payment
is normal.
However, Japanese medical institutions,
culture of “saving lives is the top priority,” and treatment is given before payment is confirmed.
This is a characteristic of Japanese medical institutions.
Therefore,
– In case of emergency, do not check ID or ability to pay
– Provide the same medical care regardless of nationality
The trust that the company’s customers are the best in the world has always been a priority.
However, this system is being abused and more and more patients are returning to their home countries after receiving treatment without paying for it.
(2) Difficult to explain and easy to misunderstand in a foreign language.
In Japan, there are still many medical institutions that explain and bill medical expenses
・Insufficient foreign language support
・Documents are only in Japanese
・Payment method guidance is difficult to understand
As a result, it is easy for misunderstandings to occur, such as “I thought I could use my insurance in my home country,” “I thought I could pay later,” or “I don’t understand the bill.”
This can lead to unpaid bills.
3) Some medical institutions do not accept credit cards.
Especially in rural areas, there are still medical institutions that
・Non-card payment
・Not next day payment
As a result, there seems to be a problem of “not having enough cash → returning home without paying”.
summary
The most important thing for those planning to travel to Japan is to be aware that unpaid medical expenses will immediately affect their immigration status.
Even if the cost of treatment and medication for a visit to the hospital for a cold is small, you may not be able to make your next trip to Japan.
This affects not only tourists but also long-term residents such as foreign students and technical interns.
Illness and injury during travel are unpredictable, and unpaid medical bills can lead to serious penalties.
Before visiting Japan, be sure to purchase travel insurance with broad coverage and choose a plan that offers cashless medical services in the local area for peace of mind.
Cashless insurance is available in Japan
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