The new rules for tourists in Japan’s crackdown on unpaid medical bills

• Japan is planning to tighten immigration rules to address the issue of foreign tourists leaving without paying their medical bills.
• The new policy may require tourists to obtain private medical insurance and allow immigration authorities to screen visitors for a history of unpaid bills.
• The government’s upcoming annual economic and fiscal policy review will address insurance coverage for foreign visitors.
• A survey of 5,500 medical institutions in Japan found that 0.8 per cent of foreign visitors did not pay their medical bills in September 2024, resulting in approximately 61.35m Yen (£316,000) in unpaid costs.
• A survey by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2024 found that nearly 30 per cent of visitors did not have insurance while in Japan.

IN FULL

Japan is considering a major change to rules for foreign visitors