What travel insurance do I need for Japan?

For Japan you’ll need a ‘Worldwide excluding the USA and Canada’ policy to save on US premiums and to help make sure it includes high enough limits for emergency medical treatment and medical repatriation. This is only the case with annual multi-trip policies, though, and a single-trip policy will require you to declare every country you plan on visiting on the same trip.

How to find the right travel insurance for Japan?

By using a specialist travel insurance comparison site, like PayingTooMuch, you can compare cover based on you and your needs for your trip to Japan. You’ll need to know which countries you’re visiting, any information about pre-existing medical conditions, what you plan on doing while you’re travelling and what sort of cancellation cover you might need.

Is it worth getting travel insurance to go to Japan?

Travel insurance can save you a lot of money in medical costs as well as other things, like cancellation, baggage loss or personal liability. The UK government advises that you take out travel insurance before travelling to Japan.

Japan is just one part of my holiday. Does travel insurance cover all my destinations?

If you’re travelling to multiple destinations, you can get an annual multi-trip policy or a single-trip policy, depending on how you plan to do it. With annual multi-trip cover, you’ll need to select the region you’ll be travelling to or around, and this will have you covered for multiple trips throughout the year in that area. For single-trip cover, you will need to name all the countries you’ll be visiting during one trip to be fully covered.

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Key things to know about travel insurance for Asia

Essential Medical Cover: While not legally required for entry, insurance is vital as visitors are 100% responsible for high medical costs. As of April 2026, unpaid bills over ¥10,000 can result in future re-entry bans.¹

Tailored Policy Selection: Make sure your policy covers "Worldwide excluding USA/Canada" to save on premiums, and add specific riders for high-risk activities like skiing in Hokkaido or hiking Mount Fuji.

Logistical Support: Beyond medical bills, comprehensive cover protects against expensive air ambulance repatriation (which can exceed £30,000) and provides 24/7 translation services to help navigate the Japanese healthcare system.

Claims & Compliance: To ensure a successful claim, you must declare pre-existing conditions, keep all original itemised receipts, and obtain official police reports.

Travel insurance for Japan at a glance

When you’re comparing travel insurance policies for Japan, it’s important to remember that it usually falls under the ‘Worldwide excluding the USA/Canada’ category. This means, unless you have a multi-leg flight with a stopover in North America, you can avoid paying the higher premiums that are linked with the high cost of US healthcare. You can also benefit from a high medical cost limit, which is needed to cover Japan’s advanced and expensive medical care.

Once you've got your travel insurance sorted, you’re more likely to be able to enjoy what Japan has to offer, including:

The Shinkansen – Japan's network of ‘bullet trains’ with top speeds ranging from 177 mph to 199 mph. This means you can travel between Tokyo and Osaka, a distance of 320 miles, in just over 2 hours.
PokéPark Kanto – The world’s first permanent outdoor Pokémon theme park. You can "discover" over 600 life-sized Pokémon in their natural habitats while using AR-integrated technology.
Akihabara Electric Town – If you love technology and anime, this is the place for you. Multi-storey retailers packed with cutting-edge tech sit alongside neon-lit hubs for anime, manga, and rare collectibles.
Mount Fuji – A UNESCO World Heritage site that stands at over 3,700 m tall and is a global symbol of Japan’s identity.
Todai-ji Temple (Nara) – Home to the "Daibutsu" (Great Buddha), one of the largest bronze statues in the world. It serves as a landmark of 8th-century Japanese Buddhism. You can also feed the free-roaming deer throughout the town.
Fushimi Inari-taisha (Kyoto) – Founded in 711 AD, this shrine features a mesmerising path of thousands of vibrant vermilion gates that wind up the sacred Mount Inari.

PayingTooMuch can help you compare travel insurance options for your trip to Japan so that you can find the right one for you.

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Do I need travel insurance for Japan?

While it’s not a legal requirement to enter Japan, it may be a good idea to get travel insurance before you visit. This is because its healthcare system is set up so that all visitors are 100% responsible for their medical fees. Japan's medical technology is considered to be among the best in the world, and the costs reflect that.

An overnight stay in hospital can easily run into the tens of thousands of pounds, and many hospitals will require proof of funds or insurance before giving you non-life-saving treatment. Having a comprehensive travel insurance policy can help save you thousands of pounds if the following happens to you:

You get ill
You get injured
You have to cancel your trip before you leave
Your flights are disrupted

A trip to Japan, while it has the potential to be unforgettable, is generally not cheap. A two-week trip for one person can cost around £3,000 – £4,000 on average⁵. Travel insurance can help to prevent this cost from increasing.

UK passport holders can enjoy a 90-day visa-free stay; however, it’s crucial to remember that both EHIC and GHIC cards are not valid in Japan.

Also, as of April 2026, Japan has introduced stricter immigration rules: travellers with unpaid medical bills exceeding ¥10,000 (approx £47.50) may be denied re-entry to the country.¹Having travel insurance can make sure that this doesn't happen to you.

High medical costs and Japan travel insurance

We’ve made a simple comparison table below² to show an estimate of what you can expect to pay in Japan for different procedures without insurance.

Treatment	Public Hospital	International Clinic
Hospital Stay (per night)	35,000–95,000 JPY (approx. £167–£453)	55,000–155,000 JPY (approx. £261–£740)
Minor Surgery	95,000–305,000 JPY (approx. £453–£1,450)	455,000–1,250,000 JPY (approx. £2,165–£5,950)
Major Surgery	305,000–905,000 JPY (approx. £1,450–£4,300)	1,250,000–3,050,000 JPY (approx. £5,950–£14,500)
CT Scan / MRI	65,000–155,000 JPY (approx. £310–£730)	155,000–305,000 JPY (approx. £740–£1,450)

If you need to be repatriated back to the UK in an air ambulance, this can end up costing well over £30,000.³

If you don’t speak Japanese, dealing with an emergency in Japan can be even more difficult. Most insurers provide a round-the-clock helpline that offers translation services, coordinates with Japanese doctors on your behalf and confirms to the hospital that your bills are covered so treatment isn't delayed.

Cover for long-haul flight delays and cancellations

Flying directly to Japan can take between 11 and 14 hours. This can be even longer if you choose a multi-leg flight with a stopover in Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing or Helsinki. These types of flights can increase the likelihood of an unforeseen event such as:

Lost/stolen luggage when changing planes at your stopover
Missing your connecting flight
Your flight being delayed or cancelled

If you choose to fly to Japan during typhoon season (from May to October), the chances of your trip being disrupted can increase significantly.

Having a comprehensive travel insurance policy can help make sure that you’re able to be compensated for these problems.

Travelling with medication to Japan

Japan has some very strict rules around certain types of medication, so while you may have been prescribed these medications by a Doctor in the UK, they may be considered a controlled narcotic in Japan.

This means that you’re likely to need to apply for a ‘Narcotic Import Certificate from the Japanese Narcotics Control Department’ to prove that this has been prescribed for your use in the UK – you’ll need to supply a prescription and a doctor’s letter more than 14 days before you’re due to arrive in Japan.

This also means that you’re likely to find it difficult to get a prescription while you’re in Japan.

Make sure you do your own research based on your medical needs and chat to your Doctor before you travel to make sure you’ve got everything you need.

Travel insurance for Natural Disasters in Japan

Typhoons and earthquakes are common in Japan. It is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world. Making sure that you have comprehensive travel insurance for natural disasters can help to avoid your having to pay more for alternative accommodation, repatriation, or evacuation.

Choosing the right policy for your trip

The right travel insurance policy for your trip to Japan depends a lot on what type of trip you’ve planned. We’ve put some examples here to help:

Cultural sightseeing – If you’re coming to Japan to experience the food, culture and tourist attractions. A standard, single-trip policy would more likely be suitable for you if this is your only trip for the year.

Snowsports – Travelling to Japan to ski or snowboard in Nagano or Hokkaido? You’ll need an activity-specific add-on to make sure you’re covered

Exploring Asia – If you plan to visit numerous Asian countries in one trip, single-trip insurance may be right for you, so long as you declare all the countries you’ll be visiting. If you plan to return to the UK before going out to Asia again, then an annual multi-trip policy could be better value for you.

Discover specialist travel insurance cover

Single tripCovers you for one trip

Annual multi-tripCovers you for multiple holidays in 12 months

CruiseGives you cruise-specific cover

Winter sportsGet cover for your ski-ing holiday

Pre-existing medical conditionsCover your pre-existing conditions

What to do if you need to claim

Below are some tips on how to make a successful travel insurance claim:

Contact your insurer immediately – If you have a medical emergency, call your insurer’s 24/7 assistance line before going through with any treatments. They can sometimes pay the hospital directly, saving you from a massive upfront bill.

Keep all your receipts – You must keep every original itemised receipt and medical certificate (known as a 'shindansho'). Insurers generally will not accept photocopies for medical or medication claims.

Get a local police report – If you are claiming for theft or an accident, you must visit a Koban (police box) to file a report. A claim for stolen items is almost always rejected without an official police reference number.

Document everything: If your flight was delayed or cancelled, your insurer will likely ask you for a Proof of Delay certificate. You can get this from your airline. If you’re claiming for damaged luggage, take photos of the damage at the airport before you leave the arrivals hall.