I’ve been employed by a Japanese company with a proper work visa for some years, and in that time my wife (Japanese)/daughters (dual US/Japanese citizens) and I have been insured through my Japanese employer in Japan’s healthcare system. We have established local doctors and clinics we like and hope to maintain.
I am considering a job offer/transition that would lead to US employment and SOFA status while still living here, in kind requiring me to “renounce”s or “turn in” my Japanese residency. If all that happens, is there any way for a non-resident, non-japanese living in Japan to enroll/re-enroll in Japan’s healthcare system so that we can keep our insurance cards and keep using the same local clinics?
Alternatively or perhaps easier… Could my Japanese wife “cover” me as her spouse if i don’t have a visa/residency?
Is our local city hall the right place to inquire and get consultation on these kinds of matters, or are there alternative/better places more familiar with healthcare coverage & SOFA nuances?
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With SOFA you’ll lose access to NHI.
Your wife wouldn’t be able to “cover you” while on SOFA status. You’d need to be on a spouse visa at least to be eligible for NHI at that point.
If your wife is Japanese why not just.. Be on a spouse visa in the first place? If you want to be on a SOFA status you’re going to have to be prepared to lose NHI. There’s really not much you can do about that afaik. Also going to SOFA resets your PR timer too btw if you were working towards that.
So what you’re saying is that you don’t want to pay taxes in Japan anymore, but you still want to reap the benefits of the social system.