For newcomers who need a yen account in the first weeks — for salary or scholarship, rent, the phone bill and app top-ups. The catch is that several banks want six months of residence first. We compare who opens an account from day one, which documents each bank asks for, and where the app or online banking works in English.
Last verified 12 October 2026 against the providers' official pages.
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Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行)
Bank with branches
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: The classic first account: opens in your first weeks with just a residence card (students show a student ID), has a post office in every town, and an opening app in English.
Residence requirement
No minimumOpens from day one, but with non-resident restrictions (see cautions) until 6 months or employment.
How to open
Branch or app
English app / online
No
Debit card
Yesゆうちょデビット (Visa), free, 15+
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
Free at JP Bank ATMs in post offices and branches (weekends too); station and convenience-store JP Bank ATMs charge outside weekday daytime
International transfers
'ゆうちょの国際送金' online service (My Number registration required); counter remittances ended in 2025; use during your first 6 months not stated
What you need to apply
Residence card with your current address printed on it
More than 3 months left on your period of stay
Passport
Student or employee ID (or an employer/school letter)
Email address
Support languages: Account-opening app in English (and Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Nepali, Burmese); the everyday banking app and counters are Japanese — a counter may ask you to bring a Japanese speaker.
Watch out for
• Until you have 6 months in Japan (or a job here) the account is 'non-resident': no ATM transfers, and every domestic transfer costs ¥3,000–7,500. After 6 months ask a counter to switch it to resident status — it is not automatic.
• Refused if your period of stay ends within 3 months; one account per person; report every residence-card renewal or transactions are suspended.
• Whether the app accepts residence cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 was not confirmed on an official page.
SMBC (三井住友銀行)
Bank with branches
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Employees whose company banks with SMBC, or anyone past the 6-month mark who wants a megabank with the Olive app and free own-ATM withdrawals around the clock.
Residence requirement
6 months6 months since your residence permission (or employment in Japan); online route requires the 6 months.
How to open
Branch or app
English app / online
No
Debit card
YesOlive Flexible Pay (Visa); eligibility wording for foreign residents is unclear — confirm at the branch
Hanko needed
Yes
My Number required
No
ATM fees
Olive: SMBC ATMs free 24 h; convenience-store ATMs 1 free use/month if chosen as your perk, otherwise ¥110+
International transfers
SMBC Direct ¥3,000–3,500 per transfer plus correspondent charges; ¥7,000–7,500 at the counter
What you need to apply
Residence card (在留カード)
More than 3 months left on your period of stay
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here
Japanese mobile number
Email address
Personal seal (hanko) — or a signature where accepted
Support languages: Translated information pages (EN/ZH/KO/VI) and an English ATM locator; the app, online banking and branches are Japanese.
Watch out for
• App/online opening needs a residence card at least 6 months past its permission date with 3+ months left; newcomers go to a branch, where the 6-months-or-employment test applies (branch rule not spelled out on SMBC's page).
• Unused-account fee ¥1,100 after 2 years without activity; residence cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 may need a passport as well.
• US nationals and anyone tax-resident outside Japan are excluded from online opening.
MUFG Bank (三菱UFJ銀行)
Bank with branches
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Workers with an employer letter or anyone past 6 months who wants Japan's largest bank, English account-opening forms and a Visa/JCB debit card — and can visit a branch on a weekday.
Residence requirement
6 months6 months in Japan or full-time employment here; otherwise a restricted non-resident account.
How to open
Branch
English app / online
No
Debit card
YesVisa or JCB, free, 15+, residents only
Hanko needed
Yes
My Number required
Yes
ATM fees
Own ATMs free 8:45–21:00, ¥110 otherwise; convenience-store ATMs ¥198–220 (free daytime on the 25th and month-end)
International transfers
Available at branches and via MUFG Direct; fees not verified; restricted for non-residents
What you need to apply
Residence card (在留カード)
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here
Personal seal (hanko) — or a signature where accepted
My Number (個人番号) card or notification
Passport
Support languages: English web pages and account-opening forms in EN/ZH/KO/VI/PT; branch staff and the app are Japanese; online-banking procedures are machine-translated.
Watch out for
• Foreign and dual nationals cannot open via the app — branch only, weekdays 9:00–15:00, appointment recommended.
• Under 6 months and not employed you are a 'non-resident': you may get an account, but no internet banking, debit or credit card until you qualify.
• Unused-account fee ¥1,320/year after 2 years; paper passbook ¥550/year; a rubber stamp is not accepted as a seal; renew first if 4 months or less remain on your stay.
Sony Bank (ソニー銀行)
Online bank
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Settled residents (6+ months) who travel: the Sony Bank WALLET Visa debit with foreign-currency accounts and fee-free overseas spending is the draw.
Residence requirement
6 monthsNon-Japanese nationals must have lived in Japan 6+ months.
How to open
App / online
English app / online
No
Debit card
YesSony Bank WALLET Visa debit, free, with 10 foreign-currency accounts
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
4 free withdrawals/month at 7-Eleven and partner ATMs, then ¥110; no after-hours surcharge
International transfers
Foreign-currency and remittance services exist; terms for new residents not verified
What you need to apply
Residence card (在留カード)
Certificate of residence (住民票) from the ward office
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here
Japanese mobile number
Email address
Support languages: English account opening ended June 2025 and English online banking in March 2026 (replaced by automatic site translation); English email/chat help is limited to a few topics.
Watch out for
• Non-Japanese nationals apply by post with a copy of the residence card and an original certificate of residence; the web and mail routes give conflicting instructions — confirm first.
• Sony Bank's site blocked automated checks, so these facts come from search snippets of official pages — re-check before relying on them.
• Submit every renewed residence card or transactions are restricted; the app only works inside Japan.
Rakuten Bank (楽天銀行)
Online bank
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Japanese-reading residents past 6 months (or employed) who live in the Rakuten ecosystem — points, Rakuten Mobile billing and a free debit card, all from the app.
Residence requirement
6 months6 months in Japan or employment at a Japanese office; non-residents cannot use the bank.
How to open
App / online
English app / online
No
Debit card
YesJCB / Mastercard / Visa debit, free (Basic)
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
7-Eleven ¥220, Lawson/E-net ¥275 unless you have free uses (3/month in your first 3 months, then by Happy Program stage); deposits of ¥30,000+ free
International transfers
Offered; eligibility and fees for new residents not verified
What you need to apply
Residence card (在留カード)
A second ID (My Number card, driving licence or health-insurance certificate)
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here
Email address
Support languages: Application and app are Japanese; no English route was found.
Watch out for
• If your residence card was issued under 6 months ago you must add proof of 6 months in Japan or a health-insurance certificate showing employment at a Japanese office.
• Two identity documents are needed and every address must match the application exactly; documents must arrive within a month or the application is deleted.
• Rakuten Bank's site timed out on automated checks, so these facts come from search snippets of official pages — re-check before relying on them.
SBI Shinsei Bank (SBI新生銀行)
Bank with branches
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Residents past 6 months (or employed) who want online banking in English and fee-free convenience-store ATMs — the long-time 'expat bank', now with a mail-in application for foreign nationals.
Residence requirement
6 months6 months in Japan or employment at a Japanese office (part-time excluded).
How to open
Branch or app
English app / online
Yes
Debit card
NoNo Visa/JCB debit; cash card works as J-Debit domestically; GAICA Visa prepaid for abroad
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
5 free withdrawals/month at 7-Eleven, Lawson, E-net etc. (Standard stage), then ¥110; under-28s get unlimited free use on opening
International transfers
Via SBI Remit (separate sign-up) since GoRemit ended in October 2025; incoming overseas transfers ¥2,000 unless the sender pays
What you need to apply
Residence card with your current address printed on it
A second ID (My Number card, driving licence or health-insurance certificate)
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here
Japanese mobile number
Email address
Support languages: English online banking (PowerDirect) and web inquiry forms; English phone support ended October 2024 and branches are mostly Japanese.
Watch out for
• A personal Japanese mobile number is mandatory (a workplace or friend's number is refused); the app is closed to foreign nationals, so apply by post or at a branch.
• One English page says 6 months of residence, another says a year — confirm which applies to you.
• No Visa/JCB debit card (the cash card works as J-Debit in Japan only); GoRemit ended in October 2025 — remittances now go through SBI Remit. Site timed out on automated checks: facts come from search snippets of official pages.
Seven Bank (セブン銀行)
Online bank
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Newcomers who want to open at a 7-Eleven ATM in English on day one, a free JCB debit card, 9-language ATMs and app, and Western Union transfers home.
Residence requirement
No minimumNo minimum; the ATM route needs only a residence card with 3+ months left.
How to open
App / online
English app / online
Yes
Debit card
YesJCB debit on the cash card, free, 16+
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
Seven Bank ATMs free 7:00–19:00 every day, ¥110 otherwise; deposits and balance checks free
International transfers
Western Union to about 200 countries, from ¥400 (to an account) / ¥990 (cash pickup); apply together with the account
What you need to apply
Residence card (在留カード)
More than 3 months left on your period of stay
Japanese mobile number
Email address
Student or employee ID (or an employer/school letter)
Support languages: Online application in English, Japanese and Vietnamese; ATM and Money Transfer app in 9 languages; multilingual contact centre with chat.
Watch out for
• Residence cards issued on or after 14 June 2026 are not accepted until 22 December 2026 (scheduled) — a problem for people who landed after that date.
• At least 3 months must remain on your period of stay; online applicants under 6 months in Japan add an employment certificate or company ID (the ATM route does not list this); the app's instant opening is not available to foreign nationals.
• The card arrives by registered mail in about 2 weeks and is not forwarded; unused-account fee ¥1,320/year after 2 years if the balance is under ¥10,000.
PayPay Bank (PayPay銀行)
Online bank
ENJATR
Freeto open
Best for: Japanese-reading newcomers who already use PayPay: opens from the PayPay app with just a residence card, no residence-period rule, and a Visa debit card the same day.
Residence requirement
No minimumNo residence-period rule — anyone living in Japan, aged 12+, tax-resident only in Japan.
How to open
App / online
English app / online
No
Debit card
YesVisa debit on the cash card, or an instant virtual card in the app, free
Hanko needed
No
My Number required
No
ATM fees
First deposit or withdrawal each month free at 7-Eleven, Lawson and E-net ATMs; then free for ¥30,000+, otherwise ¥165–330
International transfers
Not offered
What you need to apply
Residence card with your current address printed on it
More than 3 months left on your period of stay
Email address
Support languages: Application and app in Japanese; a partly English FAQ site exists, but no English chat or phone support was found.
Watch out for
• May refuse applications with under 3 months left on the period of stay; the residence-card address must match your application exactly.
• No international remittance; you must close the account before leaving Japan (the balance is refunded only to a Japanese account).
• ATM-fee page is dated 2019 — confirm current fees.
What to bring
Everything at least one of the options shown asks for — gather these and any of them can go ahead.
Passport2 of 8
Residence card (在留カード)5 of 8
Residence card with your current address printed on it3 of 8
More than 3 months left on your period of stay4 of 8
Certificate of residence (住民票) from the ward office1 of 8
My Number (個人番号) card or notification1 of 8
A second ID (My Number card, driving licence or health-insurance certificate)2 of 8
Japanese mobile number4 of 8
Email address7 of 8
Six months in Japan — or proof that you work or study here5 of 8
Student or employee ID (or an employer/school letter)2 of 8
Personal seal (hanko) — or a signature where accepted2 of 8
How we checked this
We have no commercial relationship with these providers; links are not affiliate links. Prices are tax-included yen as published on the providers' pages on the verification date and can change at any time — check the official page before you sign up.
Sources and verification dates
Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行)— verified 12 October 2026
