A Japanese visa can be hard to get, but for most applicants it is not a matter of their health. However, there are exceptions for some countries where you have to take a medical exam before getting a visa to live in Japan. In most cases the need for a health check is not a visa requirement, however, but a requirement from someone else. Read on to find out more.
Tokyo Room Finder readers often ask the same question in different ways: “Do I need a medical exam to get a Japan visa?” The answer is reassuringly unglamorous: for most Japanese visa/status-of-residence categories, Japan does not impose a broad, mandatory “full medical exam” requirement as part of the standard visa process. Instead, you’ll run into (1) one major government-mandated exception (tuberculosis pre-entry screening for certain nationals), and (2) “soft requirements” from employers, schools, or programs that feel mandatory because your sponsor says they are. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) also stresses that visa requirements vary by purpose and by the Japanese diplomatic mission where you apply, so you must follow the embassy/consulate checklist for your case.
Below is the practical breakdown by visa type and situation — solo vs. family, employee vs. non-employee — and what it costs, where you can do it, and whether you’ll face it again at renewal.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) introduced Japan Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening (JPETS) to reduce the risk of imported active TB. Under JPETS, certain applicants must undergo a TB screening (chest X-ray; sputum test at a doctor’s discretion if needed) at a designated “Panel Clinic” before traveling, and obtain a TB Clearance Certificate.
JPETS applies to nationals of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, and China who intend to enter Japan and stay as mid- to long-term residents (with specific exclusions), or under Designated Activities for Digital Nomad and the spouse/child of Digital Nomad. It explicitly excludes re-entry permit holders from the screening obligation.
JPETS is nationality-based, but there’s a critical nuance: if you can prove (via residence permit or equivalent documentation) that your current place of residence is outside the target countries/regions, you can be exempt.
JPETS screening is done in the target countries at designated Panel Clinics (not “any clinic anywhere”). The official JPETS site and MHLW outline specify the Panel Clinic system and the screening flow.
MHLW states clearly:
The TB Clearance Certificate is valid for 180 days from the chest X-ray date, in principle, and you may be asked to present it even after arrival.
But there are exceptions. MHLW’s JPETS outline lists categories that are temporarily exempt, including (among others) certain JET participants, some JICA trainees, some scholarship students, certain commissioned training programs, some EPA nurses/care workers, specified skilled workers, and other designated-activity categories.
JPETS is not “harder” because you have a family — but it is multiplied. Each family member who is a covered national and entering as a mid- to long-term resident may need to do their own screening and get a certificate.
For work visas (Engineer/Specialist, Instructor, etc.), there is typically no immigration-mandated medical exam as a standard requirement. What often happens is a company-mandated medical check as part of employment compliance.
Checking the blood pressure is part of the regular health check.
Japan’s employer obligations are real: Employers must provide a medical examination at the time of employment and a periodical medical examination annually for regularly employed workers. You may see the vans parked outside office buildings, with lines of “salarymen” waiting to do the lung or stomach X-ray. That is not “for the visa” — it is ordinary occupational health compliance.
For student visas, there is typically no blanket immigration medical exam requirement, but schools frequently require health documentation for enrollment and public-health management. For example, the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech) requires newly admitted international students to submit a designated health certificate for infectious-disease control purposes. This is usually a school requirement, not a national visa rule.
Schools may require future students to take a health checkup.
For dependent or family visas, in most cases, dependents follow the same overall “no general medical exam” pattern — except where JPETS applies by nationality/entry category. But there is one exception.
JPETS explicitly names Digital Nomads (and spouse/child) as covered for the TB screening framework when applicable by nationality. (Separately, Digital Nomad schemes often emphasize proof of health insurance — important, but not the same thing as a medical exam.)
For JPETS: generally no — the process is designed as pre-entry screening at Panel Clinics in the target countries, with the TB Clearance Certificate submitted during COE/visa processes.
For employer or school health checks: often yes, and commonly done in Japan after arrival (because it’s tied to onboarding or enrollment). The exact tests, format, and timing are set by your employer/school. For school health checks, you may have to pay for it yourself; for company employees, the cost is always covered by the company.
Because most “health checks” foreign residents encounter are employer/school-driven (not visa-driven), cost is usually a sponsor issue:
For JPETS, cost variability is explicitly confirmed by MHLW (facility-dependent).
“Does the cost vary by area?”
Japanese clinics are tied to the insurance system and charge the same everywhere in Japan.
In general, renewal of a Status of Residence (extension of period of stay) is document-driven, and Immigration Services Agency materials emphasize that the required application forms and supporting documents depend on your status and activity, not a universal medical re-check.
JPETS and renewals: JPETS is framed as pre-entry screening for people who intend to enter and stay mid- to long-term, and it explicitly excludes re-entry permit holders. Once you have lived in Japan, you are assumed to be at very low risk for TBE.
If you are a solo worker
If you are moving with a family
If you are a student
If you are from a JPETS target country but live elsewhere
Stay tuned for more exciting content like this! Follow us on our social media platforms and check out our blog regularly to stay updated on the latest news, trends, and insider stories from Japan. Don’t miss out on future updates — sign up for our newsletter for exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox!
