JAPAN NEWS



 

The government will share with local authorities information related to the nonpayment of taxes and social insurance premiums by foreign residents through the My Number identification card system, as part of efforts to strengthen screening, according to sources close to the government.

According to the outline of proposals to review policies on foreigners unveiled Wednesday, the government will also consider establishing a system requiring foreign nationals to enroll in private medical insurance before entering Japan to prevent the nonpayment of medical expenses.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed relevant ministers on Nov. 4 to promote measures preventing illegal activities by foreign nationals in order to realize a society of orderly and harmonious coexistence with them. The government will put together a basic policy on this matter by January.

According to the outline, the Immigration Services Agency starting in 2027 will be able to directly view information related to foreign nationals’ taxes and social insurance premiums, which are managed by national and local governments through the Digital Agency’s My Number system.

This indicates that the government will adopt a stance of not allowing foreign nationals who have a history of nonpayment to receive a renewal of their residency status, in an effort to reduce cases of nonpayment.

Measures will also be implemented to prevent foreigners who have no status of residence and are unqualified from receiving child-care allowances, according to the outline.

A network will be established to share information among relevant entities as early as 2027, enabling municipalities responsible for the payment of the allowances to access immigration-related information.

As there has been a succession of case of foreign visitors to Japan leaving the country with unpaid medical bills, the government will look to create a system requiring them to enroll in private medical insurance before entering the country. Relevant ministries including the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plan to begin discussions on the matter in December.

Currently, only cases where a foreigner with unpaid medical bills totaling at least ¥200,000 are reported to immigration authorities if that person tries to reenter Japan. The threshold will be lowered to ¥10,000 in April.

The government will also aim to develop a system to provide local governments — without them needing to make inquiries — with information held by the immigration agency on individuals temporarily released from detention facilities for health and other reasons. This aims to prevent their fleeing or working illegally.