Opening a bank account
Paying your tuition fees, utility bills or receiving a scholarship needs a bank account. Since using your home country bank account in Japan might incur transactional charges or currency conversion charges, it is more convenient to open a Japanese bank account.
For opening a bank accout, please note that some Japanese banks do not allow foreign residents to open a savings account until living in Japan for 6 months or longer.
Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship Students and Honors Scholarship (Gakushu Shoreihi) Students are required to open a Japan Post Bank account.
Japan Post Bank
As opening a bank account at a counter may take hours because it’s busy, we recommend that you use the “Yucho Tetsuzuki App” to open an account.
Yucho Tetsuzuki App
This is a non-passbook-type general account. You can make remittances, account activity statement inquiries, and perform other transactions using your cash card and via the Japan Post Bank Direct Plus system.
You can open an account using the app without visiting a post office. See here for the guideline on how to apply. It takes approximately two weeks to open an account.
You need a smartphone that can download Japanese apps, an email address available in Japan and Student ID Card, also need to have a Japanese keyboard available on your smartphone for the application procedure.
Applying at the counter
At the Nagoya University Post office
Reservations required by phone (Tel: 052-781-4300)
All application procedure only available in Japanese (If you are not fluent in Japanese, you must bring an interpreter.)
*Please visit the post office after April 10th for the spring semester, or after October 10th for the fall semester if you do not need to open an account soon in order to receive a scholarship, etc.
What to bring:
- Application forms (You can prepare them from the website)
- Student ID Card or Letter of Acceptance
- Residence Card (your address must be on it)
- Inkan (if you have one)
Other banks
To open a bank accout at any other banks in Japan, you need comfirm what you need to prepare in advance and bring a interpreter with you.
Advanced reservation might be required.
About “Non-resident” and “Resident” Customers for Bank Transactions
Based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, international students are considered as “non-resident” persons by banks and other financial institutions in Japan for the first 6 months upon arrival in Japan. The “non-resident” persons have some restrictions on part of transactions such as making remittance. For example, even if you try to transfer your money from your bank account in Japan in Japanese Yen to another Japanese account, much higher transaction fee may be charged than “resident” persons as it is regarded as international bank transfer.
After the first 6 months, international students in Japan can apply for changing the status from “non-resident” to “resident”. To do so, please visit your local bank branch office.
For more information on domestic transfer by “non-resident” persons, please check at the websites provided by each bank and financial institution.
▶ Japan Post Bank
▶ MUFG Bank
International Money Transfer
Overseas remittance
According to laws and regulations, registration of “My Number (individual number)” is required for international money transfer.
To apply for overseas remittance, the following items are generally required, so please check what you have to prepare on the bank’s website in advance and proceed the application at a branch that handles overseas remittance.
- Passbook or cash card
- Your personal seal (or signature if you do not have a registered seal)
- Identification document (Residence Card)
- Document that includes your My Number (My Number Card or Individual Number Notice etc.)
▶ Japan Post Bank
▶ MUFG Bank (only available in Japanese)
Receiving funds from overseas
When you receive money from overseas, please also register your My Number (individual number) with the bank.
Other Dos and Don’ts
- You are required to report to your local bank when you renew your residence card, change your address, or you have any updated information on what you have registered.
- It is strictly prohibited by a law to give or sell your bank account to others, which is considered a crime. Even if you were asked to do so by your friend, it is still prohibited to use your own account by any others. You would get involved in committing a crime unintentionally, so please be careful with these matters and avoid such risks.
See here for more detailed information.
