Before Arrival

Planning steps

1. Inform us about your desired term of appointment, i.e. arrival and departure days in/from Okinawa (precisely if possible) and departure airport (large international airport nearest your home institution). Note that we may not be able to accommodate you on those dates due to housing and other constraints. We usually have a zoom call with you to go over these and other points. For example, things like lectures for students and childcare have to be planned well in advance.
2. Invitation letter from OIST (please sign and send to tsvp@oist.jp by the indicated Deadline).
3. Health Insurance is required for the whole duration of your stay and travel to OIST.
   Under 3 months stay: Please send us proof (certificate/email with details/etc.) of health insurance valid during the whole duration of your stay in Japan as well as during the trip to/from Japan.
   Over 3 months stay: you will be required to join the Japanese National Health Insurance (ca. 3000 JPY per month - more details below), in addition please send proof of health insurance which is valid during your trip to and from Japan.
4. Visa application, if required (we might ask for your passport and other information). Details below.
5. OIST guest registration (to securely get your address, bank information, etc.)
6. Flight booking: be sure to send us your suggested itinerary including booking class and price information and wait for our confirmation before booking (to check the reimbursement limit and other details). In general, OIST can only reimburse a simple round-trip airfare from the large international airport nearest your home institution. Arrival in Okinawa should be the day before or on the day the term of appointment at OIST starts (for visitors from Japan: not on a Saturday). Departure should be on the last day or the day after the appointment ends (not on a Sunday). Please contact us if you have special circumstances.
   After you received OIST approval and booked the flight, please send us the booking confirmation and/or detailed itinerary from the airline (email, pdf, or screenshot). The document(s) should include your full name, price information (for one adult passenger), payment confirmation, travel dates, airports, and the booked class.
7. In case of family: do you need a larger apartment / child care? Details here.
8. In case you want a rental car: Check if your license is valid in Japan first. If you want to pick up a rental car on campus, contact OIST Resource Center via their inquiry form to make a reservation. More information: On Getting Around Okinawa (approximate cost 40,000 - 80,000 JPY per month for small/regular cars, outside the main season).
9. If you want a SIM card for mobile internet, it is easiest to order a prepaid card in advance and pickup at the airport in Tokyo or get it delivered. Details below.
10. Regarding health and vaccinations, a few points are listed below.

11. Arrival: we will arrange your on-campus apartment and transport from the airport in Okinawa (Naha) to OIST (usually a taxi)
    >> If you think you are missing a piece of information please do not hesitate to contact us (e.g. the PIN for your apartment or the room number). We strive to send you all necessary information but sometimes junk filters or other issues get in the way.

12. After arrival: Please submit paper boarding passes and other required documents by the deadline in order to receive reimbursement.

Covered by OIST

For long-term Visiting Scholars, the following is covered:

• A simple round-trip airfare between the international (large) airport nearest the home institution and OIST.
  • Visitor informs TSVP Team of intended flight schedule. After review, we will tell you the reimbursement price limit. Do not book before you have received approval from OIST. Reimbursement can only be made if the original paper boarding passes and other required documents are submitted by the requested deadline. The time of reimbursement might be up to several weeks after the return flight.
  • Please contact us if you have special circumstances.
  • It is the responsibility of guests to arrange transportation from their homes to the departure airport.
• On-campus housing
• Daily allowance (OIST per diem)
• Transportation between Naha Airport (Okinawa) and the OIST campus
  (it is the responsibility of visitors to arrange transportation from their homes to the departure airport)

4. Relocation/Visa

8./9. Getting around / SIM card

10. About Health and Vaccinations

Japan National Health Insurance (NHI): for adults of working age 70% of health expenses are covered by the insurance while the rest is paid out of pocket. A threshold for out-of-pocket payments protects enrollees from catastrophic costs (the limit is about 90,000 yen per month). More details can be found, e.g. on this website.

Information from the OIST Health Center: It is recommended to complete the routine vaccination recommended for Japan in advance, however there is no vaccination legally required when you enter the country. List of routine vaccination in Japan is HERE.

Regarding Japanese encephalitis: Since most of Japanese children are vaccinated with Japanese encephalitis at very young age, risk of getting infected with Japanese encephalitis in Japan is very low. Because of this, OIST Health Center is not strongly recommending people to get vaccinated prior to your visit to Okinawa. It takes about a year to complete a course of Japanese Encephalitis vaccination. You receive the first 2 doses with about a month of interval between them, then receive the 3^rd dose after at least 6 months from the 1^st shot (ideally about 1 year). The cost of receiving the Japanese Encephalitis vaccination at a local clinic in Okinawa is about 5000yen/dose.
If a visitor is likely to visit areas such as pig farms, open water area (swamp, etc.), participating in field work, please consider getting vaccinated.
For more details, please check National institute of Infectious Diseases’s webpage HERE.

Regarding bringing medicine to Japan, please see this summary from the OIST Health Center:
https://groups.oist.jp/health/how-bring-your-medication-japan