Your Kokuho (health insurance) bill
A thick envelope from the city with a booklet of payment slips inside? That's your National Health Insurance bill. Here's how to read it.
What it is
If you're not covered by an employer's health insurance, you must join National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, kokumin kenkō hoken — "kokuho"). The city calculates your yearly premium from last year's income and splits it into 8–10 instalments called 期 (ki).
How to read the slips
| 納付額 | Amount to pay for that instalment |
|---|---|
| 納期限 | Due date — often written in era years (令和8年 = 2026) |
| 第◯期 | Instalment number — pay them in order, one slip each |
Common mistake: paying the wrong slip. Each slip is for one instalment — don't pay the whole booklet at once unless you use the annual (一括) slip.
How to pay
- Any convenience store — hand over the slip, pay cash, keep the stamped receipt (領収書)
- Bank or post office counter
- Barcode apps: PayPay・LINE Pay・au PAY 請求書払い
- Auto-debit (口座振替) — apply once, never think about it again
If it's too expensive
Premiums are income-based. If your income dropped, or you just arrived (first-year premiums can be surprisingly high after your first full tax year), ask the kokuho counter about reduction (減免). Cities have real discretion here.
In 2026, enrollment is being enforced
Ward offices are actively matching registered foreign residents against insurance rolls. Ignoring enrollment doesn't erase premiums — they're billed retroactively when you do enroll.
Photograph it and Kakete tells you the amount, the deadline and exactly what to do — in your language, free.
Scan your letter →