This is the gate to every covered service, and you apply at the municipal office or the local support center. Because it takes about a month and does not pay backward, apply the moment decline is clear rather than waiting for a crisis. Coming from overseas, families lose weeks expecting hospitals to arrange it; they do not. Start the application yourself, then let the assessment and doctor's report follow.
Read more: Care levels and certification
Related terms
- 認定調査（nintei chousa）— assessment visit
- 主治医意見書（shujii ikensho）— doctor's opinion
- 要介護1–5（youkaigo）— care levels 1–5
Getting help with this
See the full Japanese elder care glossary, or start with our long-term care insurance guide. If you would rather have someone handle the Japanese side, our care navigation service helps foreign families step by step, and you can contact us with your situation. Definitions are general orientation; rules vary by municipality (see our editorial policy).