Banking and payments in Japan: your account, the six-month rule and what the bank must know

Yes, as a newcomer you can simply get a Japanese bank account, and you need little for it: your residence card, a seal (hanko) or at some banks a signature, and proof of your work or studies. The pitfall is not opening it but keeping it up to date: the bank must know every change to your address, period of stay, status and employer, and whoever does not report them may see their account blocked.

What do you need to open an account?

You open an account at a branch, and at some banks also by post, via an app or on a computer. The cash card follows later by post to your home address.

What	Why
Residence card	your identity document as a resident, with your status and period of stay
Hanko (seal), or a signature where the bank accepts one	your signature for the account
Employee ID or student card	proof of your work or studies; if you don't have one yet, go with someone from your work or school
Your My Number	needed to open an account and for transfers to and from abroad
A Japanese address	the card is sent to your home

You can open accounts at ordinary banks, but also at the regional Shinkin and Shinkumi banks, JA Bank, and the Japanese post office bank. For the latter, Japan Post has a multilingual phone line, including in English. If you don't speak Japanese, the immigration agency advises bringing someone who can interpret for you on a regular basis.

Banks must check your name, address, period of stay, status and work when you open an account, without exception, and they may do so again later. If they cannot verify your details, opening or using the account can be refused.

Does the six-month rule apply to you?

On forums and in guides you read that a foreigner in Japan is a "non-resident" for the first six months, and that you are therefore restricted in international transfers. That is only half true. The Japanese Ministry of Finance's interpretation of the foreign exchange law treats a foreigner as a non-resident in principle, but names two exceptions:

Situation	Under the foreign exchange law
You work at an office in Japan	resident, from the start
You have been in Japan for six months or longer	resident
You don't work in Japan and have been there less than six months	non-resident

So for anyone arriving with a Japanese employment contract, the six-month rule does not apply. It does matter for a partner without a job of their own, or for someone working remotely for a Dutch employer. Ask which status the bank gives you when you open the account, and have it corrected if it is wrong.

What must you keep reporting to the bank?

An extended permission to stay is a bank matter too. If your address, period of stay, status of residence or employer changes, contact your bank right away. Whoever does not, or does not respond when the bank asks, may find their account becomes unusable. Japan's financial regulator, the police and the immigration agency issued a joint leaflet on this in 2025: report it even while your extension is still pending.

If you stop working or studying, lose your bankbook or card, or leave Japan for good, you report that too. When you leave, you close the account. Selling, lending or letting others use an account after you leave is a crime, punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to ¥ 1 million, and it can put your stay or a later return to Japan at risk.

How do you transfer money between the Netherlands and Japan?

Transfers abroad can go through your bank or through a money transfer company licensed in Japan. The regulator keeps a list of recognised banks and transfer companies; anything not on it is illegal. Expect the bank to ask what the money is for, and that it sometimes takes a while to arrive. If you bring cash, you declare everything above ¥ 1 million in cash, cheques and securities at customs.

Keep your Dutch account: your refund, any pension and your Dutch payments arrive there. Why that is sensible is in keeping a bank account and DigiD.

And the phone?

For a Japanese phone contract you must have your identity checked with your residence card, driving licence, My Number card or a passport showing your current address, and you need a means of payment: a credit card, or a card or bankbook from a Japanese bank. If you have a credit card the provider accepts, the bank account does not have to come first. How the registrations connect is in residence card, jūminhyō and My Number.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Japan or go straight to step 5.3 in the open plan.