Reception and forms at a clinic or hospital in Japan

After you make an appointment, the next step is reception. In Japan, the process is usually structured and paperwork-heavy—but predictable once you know the flow.
This page explains what to bring, what happens at reception, and how to handle forms, especially if you don’t speak Japanese.

If you think it’s an emergency, call 119. If you are unsure, consider #7119 (availability varies by area).

What should I bring?

Bring what you can—these items save time and reduce stress:

ID (passport / residence card, if you have one)
Health insurance card (if you have one)
Referral letter (if you were told to get one / if visiting a large hospital)
Your current medications (or photos of labels)
Cash and/or a payment card (payment options vary by facility)

Tip: Some hospitals explicitly ask foreigners living in Japan to bring an insurance card + photo ID at registration.

What happens at reception (step-by-step)?

A typical flow looks like this:

Check in at reception (受付 / uketsuke)
Say you have an appointment, or ask if you can be seen today.
Show documents
Staff may confirm your insurance card (if applicable) and whether this is your first visit.
Fill out forms (first visit is the most paperwork)
First-time patients often fill out a registration form and a medical questionnaire (問診票 / monshin-hyō).
Wait (and sometimes a quick pre-check)
Some facilities take basic information first (e.g., temperature, blood pressure), then you wait for your name/number.
Consultation → Payment → Pharmacy
After your visit, you usually pay at the cashier and receive documents/receipts; then you may go to an in-hospital or outside pharmacy.

Tip: in some small clinics, you may be asked to remove your shoes at the entrance and change into slippers (スリッパ).
Tip: If you will pick up medicine at an outside pharmacy, you will need the prescription paper (処方箋) and you may also receive other slips. If you are unsure which document is required, show the pharmacy staff everything you received at the cashier.

What do I say at reception? (simple Japanese)

If you have an appointment

予約しています。___です。 (Yoyaku shiteimasu. ___ desu.)
I have an appointment. My name is ___.

If you don’t have an appointment

予約なしでも診てもらえますか？ (Yoyaku nashi demo mite moraemasu ka?)
= Can I be seen without an appointment?

If you don’t speak Japanese

日本語が話せません。(Nihongo ga hanasemasen)
= I cannot use Japanese.
英語でお願いできますか？ (Eigo de onegai dekimasu ka?)
= Could you support English?

Tip: If “予約しています” is not understood, you can say “アポイント (appointment) OK”— these words (“appointment” and “OK”) are widely used in katakana in Japan, so they are likely to be understood. Even if you can’t say your appointed time, “Appoint(ment), OK / My name is _” is often enough for staff to look up your booking. In Japanese, the word “appointment” is usually abbreviated into 「アポ」(appo) or 「アポイント」 (appoint), so abbreviating the “ment” included in the word “appointment” helps you to communicate easily with Japanese medical staffs. In addition, if you have a Japanese health insurance card, showing it is the fastest way to confirm your name and details.

What forms will I need to fill out?

1) Registration / first-visit form

Often includes:

Name, date of birth, address (hotel address is OK for visitors)
Phone number
Emergency contact (if available)

Some guides note that first visits require a registration form and insurance confirmation.

2) Medical questionnaire (問診票 / monshin-hyō)

Common items include:

Main symptoms + start date
Past medical history
Allergies (especially drug allergies)
Current medications
Pregnancy possibility (where relevant)

Even though formats vary, the questionnaire content is generally similar across clinics.

Copy/paste template (Japanese):

症状：＿＿＿＿
いつから：＿＿＿＿
熱：あり／なし　（最高＿＿℃）
薬アレルギー：あり（＿＿）／なし
現在飲んでいる薬：＿＿＿＿
持病：＿＿＿＿

(English Translation)
Symptoms: ____________________
Since when: ___________________
Fever: Yes / No (highest: ____ °C)
Drug allergies: Yes (________) / No
Current medications: ____________________
Medical conditions (past history): ____________________

Tip: If you’re not confident filling out the Japanese form
Fill out the above-mentioned English template first and print it. Then run it through a machine translator (English → Japanese) and print that version too. Bring both pages to the clinic—staff can usually understand the essentials much faster when they can cross-check English and Japanese.

What is a referral letter, and do I need one?

A referral letter is 紹介状 (shōkaijō).
Many large hospitals prefer (or require) it for non-urgent visits, and some hospitals charge an additional fee if you visit without one.

Practical move:

If you’re unsure which to go, start at a clinic. If needed, a doctor may write a referral letter to a hospital.

Will they ask about insurance? What if I don’t have it?

Reception commonly checks whether you have a Japanese insurance card (especially on first visit).
If you don’t have insurance, you can still be seen, but you may need to pay more upfront (Learn more about medical costs in Japan).

If you use your My Number Card as a health insurance card (residents)

Japan is expanding insurance eligibility verification using My Number. Details and alternatives (e.g., eligibility confirmation forms) depend on your insurer and setup.

Tip (My Number Card / “MyNa insurance”):
If you use your My Number Card as a health insurance card (マイナ保険証), you usually need to check in using the face-authentication card reader at reception (and often again at the pharmacy).
Look for the MyNa/online eligibility verification sticker or poster—if you don’t see a card reader, the facility may not support it.
If the reader does not work, tell staff and show your ID/insurance-related documents as a backup.

Consent forms (同意書): what are you signing?

For procedures or tests (imaging, sedation, certain treatments), you may be asked to sign a consent form (同意書). Official bilingual templates explain that:

you can choose consent / non-consent, and
even after consenting, you can withdraw authorization.

If you don’t understand a consent form, it’s reasonable to ask for clarification or a simpler explanation.

If you don’t speak Japanese: what actually works

Blunt truth: many clinics cannot handle non-Japanese phone or reception smoothly. Some hospitals even state they cannot handle non-Japanese-language inquiries by phone.
So plan for it:

Choose a facility that shows English support clearly (website, English page, or “EN” button)
Ask your hotel / host to call and book (fastest)
Bring a written symptom summary and let staff read it
Use translation apps for short Q&A (yes/no style)

Insurance & costs in Japan

Cashless vs Reimbursement (travel insurance payment)

Documents checklist for insurance claims

Insurance claim (reimbursement): how to get reimbursed after your visit