Uber Eats Japan Accident Insurance: A Guide for Delivery Partners

Welcome to Japan! If you’re considering becoming an Uber Eats delivery partner, you’re joining a flexible and popular way to earn money. However, navigating the roads of a new country comes with responsibilities, and understanding your insurance coverage is crucial. This guide is designed for foreign nationals to clarify what protections are in place when you’re on a delivery.

Understanding Your Status: Independent Contractor vs. Employee

The first thing to understand is your legal status. When you deliver with Uber Eats in Japan, you are classified as an independent contractor (個人事業主, kojin jigyōnushi), not an employee. This distinction is fundamental to how insurance works.

As independent contractors, delivery partners have the freedom to decide when, where, and how they work. However, this also means they are not automatically covered by the standard labor protections, like employment insurance, that are typically provided to full-time employees.

This status has led to a unique insurance structure, combining Uber’s private policies with optional government programs designed to protect a growing freelance workforce.

What Insurance Does Uber Eats Provide Automatically?

The good news is that Uber Eats Japan provides a significant level of automatic insurance coverage for all its delivery partners at no extra cost. This program, offered in partnership with Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, is designed to protect you and third parties during a delivery.

Third-Party Liability Insurance

This covers damages or injuries you might cause to other people or their property while on a delivery. For example, if you accidentally collide with a pedestrian or damage another vehicle.

• Coverage Limit: Up to ¥100,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and property damage.

This is a crucial safety net that protects you from potentially massive financial liability in case of a serious accident involving others.

Personal Injury Compensation

Since October 2019, Uber’;s policy also includes compensation for your own injuries sustained during a delivery. This was a significant step in improving partner safety.

When Are You Covered? The “On-Trip” Window

This is a critical point: Uber’;s insurance is only active during a specific timeframe. Coverage begins the moment you accept a delivery request in the app and ends once the delivery is completed or cancelled. It does not cover you when you are online but waiting for a request, or when you are offline.

Beyond Uber’s Policy: Japan’s Workers’ Accident Insurance (Rosai Hoken)

While Uber’s policy is comprehensive, it has limits and only applies during deliveries. For broader protection, the Japanese government has adapted its own system to include gig workers.

What is Rosai Hoken and Why Does It Matter?

Rosai Hoken (労災保険) is Japan’;s official Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance. Traditionally for employees, it covers medical treatment and provides compensation for lost wages due to work-related injuries or illnesses.

The Special Enrollment System for Gig Workers

Recognizing the rise of the gig economy, the Japanese government revised its laws. Since September 1, 2021, self-employed individuals like bicycle-based food delivery partners and IT freelancers can voluntarily join Rosai Hoken through a “Special Enrollment” (特別加入, tokubetsu kanyū) system.

This system allows individuals who are not technically “employees” to gain access to the same robust, government-backed insurance protection, offering a critical safety net that complements private insurance.

How to Join and What Are the Costs?

You cannot join Rosai Hoken directly as an individual. Instead, you must join through a government-approved “Special Enrollment Association” (特別加入団体, tokubetsu kanyū dantai). These associations act as the intermediary.

• Process: You find and join an association that caters to delivery workers. They handle the application paperwork with the Labor Standards Office on your behalf. Organizations like the UberGuild or other sole proprietor unions (一人親方組合) facilitate this.
• Cost: You pay an annual premium. The cost is not fixed; it’s based on a “basic daily benefit amount” that you choose, ranging from ¥3,500 to ¥25,000. A higher chosen benefit means higher premiums but also larger payouts if you need to make a claim. You will also pay a small membership fee to the association.

The Evolving Legal Landscape: The New Freelance Act

The Japanese government is actively working to improve protections for freelancers. The “Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators,” commonly known as the Freelance Act, took effect in November 2024. While it primarily focuses on fair contracts and timely payments, it signals a broader trend toward recognizing and protecting the rights of independent workers, which may lead to further improvements in social security and insurance in the future.

Step-by-Step: What to Do After an Accident

If you are involved in an accident during a delivery, stay calm and follow these steps:

1. Ensure Safety: First, check on the safety of yourself and anyone else involved. Move to a safe location if possible.
2. Contact Emergency Services: If there are injuries, call for an ambulance (119) and the police (110) immediately. A police report is essential for any insurance claim.
3. Report to Uber: As soon as it is safe to do so, report the incident to Uber. You can do this directly through the Driver app using the Safety Toolkit (the blue shield icon on the map).

Uber has a dedicated support team that will guide you through the claims process with their insurance partner. Be prepared to provide details of the accident and the police report number.

Key Takeaways: Your Insurance Checklist

To summarize, here is your insurance checklist as an Uber Eats delivery partner in Japan:

• ✅ Automatic Coverage: You are automatically covered by Uber’;s third-party liability and personal injury insurance during deliveries only. No signup or fee is required for this.
• ✅ Personal Vehicle Insurance: If you use a scooter or car, you must have your own mandatory liability insurance (自賠責保険, jibaiseki hoken) as required by Japanese law. Uber will ask for proof during registration.
• ✅ Consider Rosai Hoken: For more comprehensive protection that covers lost wages and applies even when Uber’s policy doesn’t, strongly consider voluntarily joining the government’s Rosai Hoken through a special enrollment association.
• ✅ Know Your Status: Remember you are an independent contractor. This gives you flexibility but also means you are responsible for managing your own broader insurance and social security.
• ✅ Check Your Residence Status: To work as a delivery partner, you must have a valid residence status that permits such work. Uber accepts statuses such as Permanent Resident, Spouse of a Japanese National, Long-Term Resident, and certain Designated Activity (e.g., working holiday) visas.

Ready to Start Delivering?

Understanding your insurance is a key step to delivering with confidence and peace of mind. With Uber’s automatic coverage and the option to join government programs, you have a strong safety net in place.

If you’re ready to hit the road and start earning on your own schedule, you can begin the signup process today. Use the link below to get started!

Sign Up to Deliver with Uber Eats