International health insurance in Japan

Yes. Any foreign national with residence of 3 months or more must enroll in NHI (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) or Shakai Hoken (Employees' Health Insurance) within 14 days of address registration. The only exception is the Designated Activities — Digital Nomad Visa, which explicitly bars NHI and instead requires private insurance with at least ¥10,000,000 per-occurrence coverage. Feather's international plans meet this floor and also work as supplementary cover for all other visa categories.

Yes. Feather's international plans exceed the ¥10,000,000 per-occurrence minimum for death, injury, and illness required by the Designated Activities — Digital Nomad Visa. For all other Japanese visas (Engineer/Specialist, HSP, Student, Working Holiday, Spouse, Long-Term Resident, PR), Feather works as supplementary private cover alongside the NHI or Shakai Hoken enrollment that's mandatory by law.

Yes — and most expats do. NHI and Shakai Hoken cover the basics with a 30% co-pay, but they don't cover normal childbirth, medevac/repatriation, psychotherapy, routine check-ups, cosmetic or orthodontic dental, or worldwide travel. They also don't guarantee access to English-speaking providers outside central Tokyo and Osaka. Feather fills these gaps, covers the 30% co-pay portion, and gives you direct access to private hospitals with English-speaking staff.

Pay your doctor or hospital, then open the Feather app, take a photo of your invoice, and submit your claim — no Japanese-language documents needed. Most claims are reviewed within a few business days and reimbursed directly to your bank account. For larger procedures at major expat hospitals (St. Luke's, NCGM, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Osaka University Hospital), direct billing is often available — confirm with the international desk before treatment.

Yes, but mostly in central Tokyo (Minato, Shibuya, Chuo wards), Osaka, and Yokohama. Reliable English-speaking facilities include St. Luke's International Hospital (JCI-accredited, 24/7), Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), and Tokiwa Medical Clinic in Osaka. Rural areas have very limited English-speaking options. The JNTO Medical Help Service runs a 24/7 multilingual hotline for emergencies and triage.

Launched in March 2024, the Designated Activities — Digital Nomad Visa lets remote workers from 49 eligible countries (US, Canada, UK, most EU, AU, NZ, SG, KR, HK) stay in Japan for up to 6 months. It's non-renewable, and you must spend 6 consecutive months outside Japan before reapplying. Requirements: gross income of at least ¥10,000,000/year (~$65,000), remote work for non-Japanese employers only, and mandatory private insurance with at least ¥10,000,000 per-occurrence coverage for death, injury, and illness. NHI enrollment is explicitly prohibited. Each dependent must hold their own ¥10M+ policy. Many basic travel policies don't meet the ¥10M floor — Feather's international plans do.