If a foreign worker is injured at work and returns home, what happens to the compensation?

In short: Workers' accident compensation insurance applies to any worker employed at a business in Japan, regardless of nationality or residence status. Medical, leave, and disability benefits for a work-caused injury or illness can be received even after the worker has returned home, and can be remitted to an overseas account. But claims have time limits: two years for medical and leave benefits, five years for disability and survivors' benefits. Whether it counts as a work accident is decided by the Labour Standards Inspection Office.

"Since they're a foreigner, surely they can't use workers' accident insurance," "once they've gone home, surely they can no longer receive benefits" — we often hear these worries from employers of foreign workers and from those supporting a worker who was injured and has returned home or plans to. This article sets out the key points — coverage, time limits, remittance, interpretation — so a foreign worker injured in Japan can keep receiving benefits after returning home.

Does workers' accident insurance apply to foreign workers?

It does. There is no distinction by nationality or residence status.

Workers' accident insurance applies to any worker employed at a business in Japan and paid wages, regardless of nationality. Article 3 of the Labour Standards Act provides that an employer must not discriminate over wages, working hours, or other working conditions on the basis of a worker's nationality, and the application of accident insurance rests on the same idea. Under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's handling, even a person whose residence period has expired or whose work does not match their status — a so-called undocumented worker — is covered by accident insurance benefits if the injury or illness was caused by work.

Item	Handling
Who is covered	Workers employed at a business in Japan. Nationality and residence status do not matter
Premium burden	The employer bears it in full (no worker contribution)
Person in an undocumented status	Covered if the injury or illness was caused by work
The right to benefits	Not extinguished by returning home

For the entry to procedures, such as non-enrollment in accident insurance and separating work-related from private illness, see also how the accident-insurance procedure differs from a private-illness report.

Can medical, leave, and disability benefits still be received after returning home?

They can. The right to benefits is not extinguished when the worker leaves Japan.

Accident insurance benefits are the right of the injured worker. After returning home, by registering an overseas address and account, the worker can receive benefit payments by overseas remittance. Medical benefits (treatment costs), leave benefits (compensation while unable to work), disability benefits (compensation where an after-effect remains), and survivors' benefits (compensation to survivors on death) remain available after returning home as long as the requirements are met.

However, since the worker cannot attend a Japanese medical institution after returning home, the in-kind provision of medical benefits (treatment at an accident-insurance-designated hospital) cannot be used, and claiming costs for treatment received overseas takes more preparation of documents and certificates than in Japan. For situations where whether Japan's accident insurance reaches at all is at issue — injury during an overseas business trip or overseas posting — see how accident insurance differs between an overseas business trip and an overseas posting.

Is there a time limit on accident-insurance claims (2 years / 5 years)?

There is. The time limit differs — two years or five years — by the type of benefit.

Article 42 of the Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Act sets the time limits at which the right to claim is extinguished. Because the benefits you could have claimed become time-barred as time passes after returning home, prompt procedures are the key point.

Type of benefit	Time limit	Starting point (in principle)
Medical (compensation) benefits, leave (compensation) benefits, funeral rites, nursing-care (compensation) benefits	2 years	From when each right can be exercised
Disability (compensation) benefits, survivors' (compensation) benefits	5 years	From when each right can be exercised

Leave benefits accrue day by day for each day on which no wage is received, and the two-year time limit runs from each such day. If the worker tries to claim in a lump after returning home, the oldest portions can become time-barred, so caution is needed.

How do you handle overseas remittance, interpretation, and document translation?

Receiving the benefit, preparing the claim documents, and dealing with the Labour Standards Inspection Office require preparation for remittance and language.

Situation	Preparation
Receiving the benefit	Register an overseas address and bank account to receive it by overseas remittance
Filling in the claim documents	There are certification fields for the worker, the employer, and the doctor. After returning home, the employer's cooperation is often needed
Interpretation / translation	The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes multilingual guidance on accident-insurance benefits for foreign workers (check the access date before using). A translation may be required for medical certificates and other foreign-language documents
Company cooperation	The employer is asked to cooperate with accident certification and procedures

Claims after returning home go more smoothly depending on whether the employer's certification and cooperation can be obtained. For who is in charge of what at the entry to employment, dividing whether it is the Shakai Hoken Roumushi or the Gyoseishoshi window when hiring a foreigner is also useful. Confirm the concrete procedures and required documents with the Labour Standards Inspection Office with jurisdiction over the place of injury and the latest primary sources.

Who do you consult about residence and return procedures and claims against the company?

The accident benefits themselves are handled by a Shakai Hoken Roumushi, but the surrounding procedures divide by qualification.

Matter	In charge
Claiming accident-insurance benefits; leave and disability procedures	Shakai Hoken Roumushi
Change of residence status; immigration procedures on returning home (application agency)	Gyoseishoshi
Cases that have become disputes, such as damages for breach of the company's duty of care	Attorney
Pension lump-sum withdrawal; refund of withheld tax and other tax matters	Shakai Hoken Roumushi / tax accountant

A change of residence status or immigration procedures on returning home is handled by a Gyoseishoshi (Yotsuba Gyoseishoshi Office is an entity independent of this office, engaged under a separate contract), and disputes over damages for breach of the company's duty of care are the domain of an attorney. Whether it counts as a work accident is decided by the Labour Standards Inspection Office. A foreigner returning home may be able to claim the employees' pension lump-sum withdrawal payment (requirements include: no Japanese nationality; six months or more of insured periods; not meeting the ten-year qualifying period for the old-age employees' pension; no address in Japan; and claiming within two years of the day one no longer has an address in Japan) — this is a pension scheme separate from accident insurance. For details, see how to settle the pension of a foreign employee returning home.

Frequently asked questions

Q. If a foreign worker without residence status is working and gets injured, can accident insurance be used?
A. If the injury or illness was caused by work, it is covered by accident-insurance benefits. Accident insurance applies to workers employed at a business in Japan regardless of nationality or residence status, and under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's handling, a person in a so-called undocumented status is also covered. Whether it counts as a work accident is decided by the Labour Standards Inspection Office.

Q. I have already returned home — can I still claim leave or disability benefits?
A. The right to benefits is not extinguished by returning home. However, there are time limits — two years for leave (compensation) benefits, five years for disability (compensation) and survivors' (compensation) benefits. Leave benefits run day by day for each day no wage is received, so the oldest portions can become unavailable. Confirm with the Labour Standards Inspection Office promptly.

Q. Can the benefit be received in an overseas account?
A. Yes. Register an overseas address and bank account and the benefit can be received by overseas remittance. Because filling in the claim documents and translating medical certificates take more preparation than in Japan after returning home, proceed with the employer's cooperation.

Q. Separate from the accident benefits, can I claim damages against the company?
A. Accident-insurance benefits are statutory compensation, and a claim for damages for breach of the company's duty of care can arise separately from these. However, a case that has become a dispute over damages is the domain of an attorney. The accident-benefit procedure is handled by a Shakai Hoken Roumushi and the residence and return immigration procedures by a Gyoseishoshi — the roles divide.

Sources

• Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Act, Article 42 (time limits). The right to medical compensation benefits, leave compensation benefits, funeral rites, nursing-care compensation benefits, and the like is extinguished by prescription after two years; the right to disability compensation benefits, survivors' compensation benefits, and the like after five years (e-Gov Law Search, Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance Act, Act No. 50 of 1947; accessed 3 September 2026).
• Labour Standards Act, Article 3 (equal treatment). An employer must not discriminate over wages, working hours, or other working conditions on the basis of a worker's nationality, creed, or social status. The application of accident insurance likewise does not turn on nationality or residence status (e-Gov Law Search, Labour Standards Act, Act No. 49 of 1947; accessed 3 September 2026).
• The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's handling of accident insurance for foreign workers. Accident insurance applies regardless of nationality or residence status to workers employed at a business in Japan, and a person in a so-called undocumented status is covered by benefits if the injury or illness was caused by work. The premium is borne in full by the employer. Multilingual guidance on accident-insurance benefits is also published (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; accessed 3 September 2026).
• Employees' Pension Insurance Act (lump-sum withdrawal payment). A scheme under which a person without Japanese nationality, with six months or more of employees' pension insured periods, who does not meet the ten-year qualifying period for the old-age employees' pension, can claim within two years of the day they no longer have an address in Japan. For a person whose last premium was paid on or after April 2021 (Reiwa 3), the cap on the number of months used in the calculation became 60 months (previously 36). This is a scheme separate from accident insurance (Japan Pension Service; accessed 3 September 2026).
• Whether it counts as a work accident is decided by the Labour Standards Inspection Office. Whether an individual benefit is due, the required documents, and how to obtain overseas certification require confirmation grounded in the latest primary sources (the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Labour Standards Inspection Office, etc.) and individual circumstances.

This article does not decide whom to consult. Claiming accident-insurance benefits and the leave and disability procedures are the work of a Shakai Hoken Roumushi. A change of residence status and return immigration procedures are the domain of a Gyoseishoshi, disputes over damages for breach of the duty of care are the domain of an attorney, and tax refunds and other tax matters are the domain of a tax accountant. For fees when consulting 四葉社会保険労務士事務所, see the fee schedule; for frequently asked questions, see the FAQ.

This article is general information. Whether it counts as a work accident is decided by the Labour Standards Inspection Office. Whether the system applies and individual procedures are handled by a qualified professional after a consultation, in light of the latest primary sources (the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, etc.) and individual circumstances. Written by Joji Uramatsu (Shakai Hoken Roumushi, Gyoseishoshi, Registered Real Estate Transaction Specialist).