Students enrolling in the Summer and Winter programs are advised to have travel insurance or other portable insurance coverage. Please note that Japanese hospitals, clinics and other health facilities will generally not accept foreign insurance policies in lieu of payment, so all fees for treatment and hospitalization must be paid in full before discharge. Students covered by foreign policies will be required to pay for all services immediately, and to wait for reimbursement later from their particular insurance scheme. This is something of a hassle - also note that as the receipts provided by Japanese health care providers will invariably be in Japanese, you would normally have trouble gaining reimbursements from the foreign policy provider. However our staff members will assist you in obtaining the documentation you need for reimbursement.

Students with student visas (Academic Year, General Course) are eligible for Japanese National Health Insurance (JNHI) and can join on arrival. Faculty and administrative staff will be available to assist you with any medical problems or questions you have, The JNHI is administered by the City government and will be funded partly by your premiums, with significant subsidies from both the national and prefectural governments. It provides full cover for medical services include dental services. The premium usually varies depending on factors such as the applicant's annual income, the number of dependents, etc. A student may apply for a reduction of the premium at the time of application, by declaring at the City Hall that they have not received any income during the previous year (as the JNHI measures income in terms of "income earned in Japan" - this isn't a problem). The maximum rate of reduction is 60%. The JNHI policy covers between 70% and 80% of the cost of general medical and dental care and hospitalization. You will receive receipts for the part payments you need to make if you require medical attention. If your expenses for one year exceed a certain level (usually 60000 yen per year) then the excess is refunded. Our staff will assist you in obtaining the insurance and any required refunds. JNHI will provide student visa holders with more extensive cover at lower costs and with less bureaucracy than any overseas health insurance provider can match.

The staff can assist you with the paperwork required to open an account, or refer you to a bank where there are multilingual staff. One option you may wish to consider if you are going to be continuing to live in Japan, but relocating from Sapporo, is the new Shinsei Bank.

If you are only going to be in Sapporo for a short course and do not need a bank account, please note that the post office ATMs accept foreign issued cashcards if they are part of the Cirrus/Plus network.

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