Getting a Health Certificate for a Job or School in Japan (Kenko Shindansho)
Updated: 2026-09-14
Quick answer
Hi, I'm Miya. If a new employer or school has asked you for a kenko shindansho (health certificate), it is a short standard check-up that a clinic writes up on a form so someone can confirm you are fit to start.
The core answer: call or book a clinic that offers this service, bring the exact form your employer or school gave you, take a set of basic tests, and pick up or receive the completed document once the results are ready.
What a kenko shindansho is and who asks for it
A kenko shindansho is a health certificate: a clinic performs a defined set of checks and records the results on a single sheet. It is different from a yearly checkup you do for your own health and different from visiting a doctor because you feel unwell. Here the goal is simply the document.
New employers often ask for one before your start date, and schools or training programs sometimes require it at enrollment. The organization decides what it needs, so treat their instructions as the source of truth for which items must appear on the sheet.
Tests it usually includes
A typical set covers height and weight, vision and hearing, blood pressure, and a urine test. Many forms also ask for a chest X-ray, and some add a blood test. The exact list depends on what your employer or school specifies.
Because the required items vary, check your form first and mention them when you book. That way the clinic can tell you whether it can perform everything in one visit or whether an item needs to be arranged separately.
Finding a clinic and rough timing
Not every clinic issues a kenko shindansho, so it helps to ask before you go. General clinics, some internal medicine practices, and dedicated health-check centers commonly offer it; a quick phone call or a booking app can confirm.
On timing, some parts are done the same day, but results that need lab work or an X-ray reading can take several days, so the finished certificate may not be ready immediately. Book with a little margin before your deadline and ask the clinic how long the document will take.
Bring the form and handy vocabulary
If your employer or school gave you a specific form, bring it and hand it over at reception, since the clinic fills in its fields rather than issuing its own layout. Note any deadline and how they want to receive it, such as sealed by the clinic. For anything unclear, your employer or school is the right place to ask.
A few words help: kenko shindansho (health certificate), yoyaku (reservation), hoken (insurance), and mi-hoken / jihi for a check paid out of pocket, since a certificate for work or school is often not covered by health insurance. It is fine to say you need it for a job or school so staff guide you to the right menu.
Booking is easier with a phone and data early
Whether you find the clinic on a map, call to reserve, or use a booking app, all of it goes smoother once your phone has its own number and data. Rakuten Mobile's employee-referral flow is built to get you there quickly: with your residence card you can complete an online eKYC identity check and activate an eSIM the same day, often in about fifteen minutes.
With a line active, you can search for a clinic, book by phone or app, and receive the result notice on your phone. Walk through our setup guide first, and confirm the current terms on the provider's own website before you start.
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