About international medical coordination operators

International medical coordination operators (Accredited Medical Travel Assistance Companies*) are business operators registered by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and provide a series of services to support acquisition of medical stay visas as registered guarantors, assist matching with medical institutions, pay medical expenses on behalf of patients, provide interpretation services, and offer other assistance for foreign patients who live in overseas countries and visit Japan to seek medical care.

Support relations of international medical coordination operators

Reference: "Service Operation Manual of International Medical Coordinators, Ver. 2.0," Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
（Image of medical coordination service）

Services

１．Matching with medical institutions
- - Obtain medical information from each patient, translate it to Japanese, and hear medical conditions and requests from the patient.
- - Select a medical institution based on medical information from the patient.
- - Check with the medical institution whether the patient can be accepted.
２．Support for acquisition of medical stay visa

(Registered guarantor)
The registered guarantor checks with the accepting medical institution regarding the treatment schedule of the patient and issues the "Certificate from a medical institution about the planned medical services and references from a guarantor" so that an application for a visa (single/multiple entry visa) suitable for the treatment period can be submitted.
３．Payment of medical expenses on behalf of patients
- - The registered guarantor receives the estimated medical expenses from patients as deposits and pays it to the medical institution on behalf of patients, thus preventing accounts receivable on the medical institution side.
４．Dispatch of medical interpreters/general interpreters
- - When a patient or medical institution requires support by a medical or general interpreter, the registered guarantor arranges the dispatch.
５．Airport pickup and drop-off
- - We will pick up the patient on arrival and drop off the patient for departure at the airport.
６．Communications with medical institutions on behalf of patients
- - The registered guarantor always supports smooth communication between patients and medical institutions, such as questions and requests, to solve problems in communication.

Reference: "Service Operation Manual of International Medical Coordinators, Ver. 2.0," Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
"Aichi's Medical Tourism~Toward acceptance of foreign patients visiting Japan for medical care~Introduction," Aichi Prefecture

To medical institutions:: When utilizing international medical coordination operators, designate the section and person in charge that interact with the operators and proceed with procedures necessary for accepting foreign patients.
When entering into a contract agreement with an international medical coordination operator, include the implementation system in the contract agreement to clarify responsibilities of each party.

Visa for medical stay

The visa for medical stay covers a wide range of applications and is smoothly issued.

When a foreign patient visits Japan to seek medical care, a visa for medical stay is issued to the patient and an accompanying person. The coverage of the visa is extensive, not only including therapeutic practices in medical institutions but also ranging from complete medical checkup and general health checkup to hot spring cure and other types of recuperation. For application, patients shall have their identity guaranteed by the registered guarantor.

●Length of medical stay: 90 days or less, six months, or a year. The length of medical stay is determined based on the medical condition of the foreign patient.
●Validity period：3 years
●Not only a relative of the foreign patient but also a non-relative person may accompany the patient as an accompanying person if required.

Flow of issuance of the visa for medical stay

Inquiry to the registered guarantor

The patient who seeks medical care at a Japanese medical institution and accompanying person contact a registered guarantor (international medical coordination operator, travel agency, etc.) and request treatment.

Determination of the accepting medical institution via the registered guarantor

The accepting medical institution is determined via the registered guarantor, and the patient obtains the "Certificate from a medical institution about the planned medical services and references from a guarantor" (and the treatment schedule if required) from the registered guarantor.

Application for the "visa for medical stay," and submission of necessary documents to the Japanese diplomatic establishments abroad

【Patient】: (1) Passport
(2) Photo
(3) Application form for the visa
(4) "Certificate from a medical institution about the planned medical services and references from a guarantor"
(5) Proof of a certain level of financial capacity, such as a bank balance certificate
(6) Identification document

【Accompanying person】: (1) Passport
(2) Photo
(3) Application form for the visa
(4) Identification document

Issuance of visa

Receive the "visa for medical stay" at the Japanese diplomatic establishments abroad.
Purchase airline tickets or the like, and visit Japan.

Reference: "Information for medical travel assistance companies" on the website of the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry and "Visa for Medical Stay" on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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