Japan to counter foreigners refusing to pay health insurance premiums

"We're preparing to start it in June 2027," health minister Kenichiro Ueno told a press conference.

Ueno also said that his ministry will strengthen measures against foreign residents who do not pay medical expenses.

The ministry will collect nonpayment information from medical institutions and share it with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

Foreigners staying in Japan for more than three months are obliged to enroll in medical insurance and other programs.

However, only 63 pct of foreign residents in 150 municipalities with available data were paying national health insurance premiums as of the end of 2024.

The overall payment rate, which covered Japanese citizens, was 93 pct.