What every foreign mother planning to have a baby in Japan should know about costs and public expenses
There are many things you may not know about giving birth in Japan, and you may be feeling overwhelmed.
“How much money will it cost?” “Will I get any subsidies from Japan if I am a foreigner?” Like these, you may have some concerns regarding the financial burden you will have to carry.
In this section, we will introduce the costs of childbirth and the subsidy system.
Costs for childbirth in Japan
The cost of childbirth varies depending on the type of delivery, the facility used, and the region where the baby is born.
First, let’s take a look at the average cost of childbirth.
Average cost of natural childbirth
According to the “Average Cost of Childbirth (Fiscal Year 2008)” by the National Health Insurance Central Association, the national average cost of childbirth is 505,759 yen.
Breakdown of maternity expenses
Your maternity expenses include
- •Hospitalization fees
- •Extra fees for the hospital room
- •Delivery fees
- •Newborn management and care fees
- •Examination and drug fees
- •Treatment and allowance fees
- •Insurance premiums for the obstetric medical compensation system for Cerebral Palsy.
Cesarean section and other forms of delivery will cost about 100,000 yen more.
Since an abnormal delivery is an operation, public medical insurance will cover 30% of the hospitalization and operation fees. However, you will have to pay for your own meals and any extra fees (outside of what your insurance covers) of the bed during your stay.
The average cost of childbirth at different facilities
The cost of childbirth varies depending on whether the facility is a hospital, clinic, or midwifery center
・Hospital: 511,652 yen
・Clinic: 501,408 yen
・Midwifery center: 464,943 yen
Once you have decided on the facility where you will give birth, it is a good idea to check the costs first.
Pregnancy checkup
Don’t forget about the cost of antenatal checkups.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare gives the following schedule as an example for 14 antenatal checkups.
Once every four weeks from the first trimester to 23 weeks of pregnancy, once every two weeks from 24 weeks to 35 weeks of pregnancy, and once a week from 36 weeks of pregnancy until delivery.
Pregnancy checkups cost between 3,000 yen and 10,000 yen per visit, but public subsidies greatly reduce the burden on the individual. The amount of subsidy varies for each municipality. Inquire at your local municipal office to get a ticket for the subsidy.
Differences in childbirth costs by region
Even within Japan, there is a big difference in the cost of childbirth depending on the region
According to a survey by the National Health Insurance Central Association, the cost of childbirth tends to be higher in the Tokyo metropolitan area and lower in rural areas.
Average cost of childbirth by prefecture
The following is a list of two regions with high and low birth costs.
◊Areas with high birth costs
・Tokyo: 621,814 yen
・Kanagawa Prefecture: 564,174 yen
◊Low-cost areas
・Tottori Prefecture: 396,331 yen
・Kumamoto Prefecture: 415,923 yen
The difference between Tokyo and Tottori Prefecture is 225,483 yen. You can see that there is a substantial difference depending on where you live.
Will a foreigner giving birth in Japan be covered by public funds? What if you are here illegally?
All pregnant women in Japan are eligible for public expenditure
According to the Maternal and Child Health Act, which applies to all women who are pregnant in Japan, they can receive assistance regardless of their nationality or status of residence. Even if a pregnant woman is an undocumented resident without status of residence, she is still eligible for public subsidies through the standard procedures.
If you lack the ability to pay, you can consult with the local government to see what help is available. If you’re not confident enough in your Japanese to ask for help, you can use the medical interpretation service by phone or tablet. If there is anything you want to know or anything you don’t understand, you should proactively consult with your local government.
Costs subsidized by public funds
Let’s take a closer look at how much subsidies are available.
Lump-sum payment for childbirth and childcare
420,000 yen is provided for each baby.
The national average cost of childbirth was 505,759 yen, so if you subtract 420,000 yen from that, your out-of-pocket expenses will be approximately 85,759 yen.
The conditions for receiving the lump-sum payment for childbirth and childcare are as follows:
・You must have given birth at least 4 months (85 days) after conception. (Premature births, stillbirths, miscarriages, and abortions are also eligible for the payment.
Pregnancy checkup
Public subsidies are available for a total of 14 antenatal checkups.
When you report your pregnancy to your local municipal office, you will receive a consultation ticket or a subsidy ticket for the maternity checkup along with the Maternal and Child Health Handbook. You will have to pay for any remaining costs of what the subsidy can’t cover. As soon as you find out that you are pregnant, please contact your local municipal office and ask for a maternal and child health handbook and a ticket for pregnancy checkups.
There is also a system for those who are working
Maternity allowance
The allowance is paid for the period from 42 days prior to the day of delivery to 56 days after the day following the day of delivery, during which the employee is absent from work and no salary is being paid.
The amount paid is approximately two-thirds of the salary.
During the period when the maternity allowance is paid, health insurance premiums, pension insurance premiums, and unemployment insurance premiums are exempted, so a lot of your financial worries will be relieved.
If you are not eligible for the maternity allowance, please refer to the following.
・Self-employed people who are enrolled in the National Health Insurance
・Those who are dependent on their husband’s company’s health insurance.
Childcare Leave Benefit
If you are employed and enrolled in employment insurance, you can receive childcare leave benefits during your childcare leave until the child turns one year old (or until the child turns two years old if conditions are met).
The amount paid is 67% of your salary for the first 6 months of childcare leave, and 50% of your salary after 6 months.
During the childcare leave, you will be exempt from health insurance premiums and welfare pension.
Summary
As much of a blessing as it is, preparing to give birth to a child brings a whirlwind of stress and the added financial costs only makes things worse.
Fortunately in Japan, the Maternal and Child Health Act provides subsidies regardless of nationality or status of residence, so you don’t have to cover all the costs yourself. If you find out that you are pregnant, please consult with your local municipal office as soon as possible. We hope that you will be able to go through childbirth with as much peace of mind as possible by resolving any questions you may have.
This site provides an easy-to-understand explanation in many languages of what to expect raising a child in Japan until they enter elementary school.
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