What Happens to Your Japanese Bank Account When You Leave Japan? [2026] Banks, Brokerage Accounts, NISA and Credit Cards

October 19, 2026

Taiga Sato

When you leave Japan to live abroad, file your moving-out notification and become a "non-resident" of Japan, you cannot always keep using your Japanese bank and brokerage accounts as before. This applies to everyone who becomes a non-resident, including foreign residents leaving Japan. Online banks such as Rakuten Bank, SBI Sumishin Net Bank and PayPay Bank generally require you to close your account once you become a non-resident. MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Mizuho Bank let you keep your account, but their services for using online banking from abroad are mainly aimed at people who plan to return to Japan, such as overseas assignees and students, and must be applied for before you leave. They may not be available if you are relocating with no plan to return. Brokerage accounts typically either cannot be used for trading while you live abroad or must be closed, and a NISA account can only be kept by people transferred overseas on their employer's orders (and an accompanying spouse), and only for about five years from the notification. If you move abroad of your own accord or to study, your NISA account is closed when you leave Japan. This article sets out how the main banks and brokerages handle non-residents and the steps to take before you leave.

*Amounts and rules are as of October 9, 2026, based on information published on each financial institution's official website. Handling differs between institutions and may change, so always check with the institution where you hold your account before taking any steps. This article is an English version of our Japanese guide, adapted for people leaving Japan, including foreign residents.

Contents

Summary: how the main banks treat non-residents
Moving out makes you a "non-resident", and you must notify your bank
Bank by bank: accounts you can keep and accounts you must close
Brokerage accounts, NISA and iDeCo: only overseas transfers can keep NISA
Tax on interest: non-residents pay only 15.315% withholding
Credit cards, My Number Card and two-factor authentication
Checklist before you leave Japan
FAQ
Summary

Summary: how the main banks treat non-residents

Bank	After you become a non-resident	Using it from abroad
MUFG Bank	You can keep the account	People who plan to return (overseas assignment, study, etc.) apply for "Global Direct" (JPY 300 per month) before leaving
SMBC	You can keep the account	Overseas workers and students apply for "SMBC Direct Global Service" at least three weeks before leaving
Mizuho Bank	You can keep it by filing a non-resident notification at a branch	Mizuho Direct may not be usable from abroad. A domestic remittance service for overseas workers is available
Resona Bank	You can keep it as a non-resident yen deposit	Cash cards cannot be used. Deposits and withdrawals only at your branch; domestic transfers are handled as foreign remittances
Japan Post Bank	You are asked to close it wherever possible	If necessary, file a notification and transact through an agent or similar
Sony Bank	You can keep it by notifying a change of address to outside Japan	You must register a contact in Japan. Investment trust trading, foreign currency remittances, etc. are restricted
Rakuten Bank	Not available to non-residents (account closure)	—
SBI Sumishin Net Bank	Close the account if you will live abroad for one year or more	—
PayPay Bank	You cannot hold an account without an address in Japan (account closure)	—
SBI Shinsei Bank	Generally closed when you move your residence registration abroad	Can be kept after a procedure, for example if you hold products that have not yet matured

For the account you will use to receive a Japanese pension or to move money to and from family in Japan, the basic approach is to set it up before you leave at a bank that lets you keep the account, and confirm how you can use it from abroad. If you are relocating with no plan to return, check with the bank before you leave whether you qualify for the megabanks' overseas services.

Moving out makes you a "non-resident", and you must notify your bank

If you leave Japan intending to live abroad for one year or more, you generally become a "non-resident" for tax purposes. (Under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act the criteria differ: people who leave Japan to work at an office abroad, or who leave intending to stay abroad for two years or more, among others, become non-residents.) In practice, many financial institutions treat you as a non-resident if your overseas transfer or study period is one year or more (or has no fixed end).

Once you become a non-resident, you must notify the financial institutions where you hold accounts. The main notifications are these two:

The institution's own notification: change of address, notice that you have become a non-resident, registration of a contact in Japan, etc. For online banks, this is the account closure procedure
CRS (Common Reporting Standard) notification: when your country of tax residence changes, you must submit a "change notification form" to the financial institution within three months of the change (according to MUFG Bank)

If you keep using an account without reporting that you have become a non-resident, the institution may restrict transactions when it later learns of your situation. Residence registration procedures and the overall tax picture are covered in Taxes and residence registration when moving abroad.

Bank by bank: accounts you can keep and accounts you must close

Megabanks: you can keep the account, but using it from abroad requires an application

MUFG Bank: To use your account from abroad, you use "Global Direct" (JPY 300 per month). It is for people who plan to return to Japan, such as overseas assignees and students, and their families, and you apply at a branch 10–15 business days before leaving. You cannot apply after leaving. Investment trust transactions and similar are not available from abroad, and investment trust accounts are in principle closed before you leave
SMBC: The regular SMBC Direct cannot be used during a long stay abroad. Overseas workers and students apply for "SMBC Direct Global Service" at least three weeks before leaving. It allows balance inquiries, domestic transfers, remittances to your own account abroad, and more. It is aimed at overseas workers, students and similar, so check with the bank whether you can use it if you are relocating with no plan to return
Mizuho Bank: If you will no longer have your base of living in Japan, make an appointment and submit the notification and CRS forms at a branch. Your cash card and online banking (Mizuho Direct) may become unusable. Overseas workers who signed up for and used online banking while living in Japan can, by notifying that they are working abroad, use the "Domestic Remittance Service for Overseas Workers" (yen only, up to JPY 5 million per day, JPY 100 per transfer to other banks)

Resona Bank and Japan Post Bank: you may keep the account, but its use is heavily restricted

Resona Bank: Non-residents' accounts are switched to a "non-resident yen deposit". Deposits and withdrawals are only possible at your branch, and cash cards, general accounts and card loans cannot be used. Direct debits are generally not possible except for utilities, National Pension contributions, iDeCo and a few others, and domestic transfers are charged fees as foreign remittances
Japan Post Bank: Because it cannot send notices abroad, it asks customers to close their accounts wherever possible. If you need the account, for example to receive salary, you file a "non-resident notification" to keep it and conduct transactions through a third party you authorize, or similar

Online banks: most require you to close the account

Rakuten Bank: Its account rules state that non-residents cannot use a Rakuten Bank account; you notify the bank and close the account before you become a non-resident
SBI Sumishin Net Bank: Accounts are for people living in Japan, and you must close yours if you will live abroad for one year or more and become a non-resident
PayPay Bank: If your current address is not in Japan, you cannot hold an ordinary savings account, even as a Japanese national
SBI Shinsei Bank: Accounts are generally closed when you move your residence registration abroad. If you hold products that have not yet matured, for example, you can keep the account by registering the address of an agent in Japan
Sony Bank: Existing customers who are Japanese nationals can keep their account by notifying a change of address to outside Japan and registering a contact in Japan. Foreign currency deposits and overseas ATM withdrawals with the debit card remain available, but investment trust trading, FX, foreign currency remittances abroad and other services are restricted

Brokerage accounts, NISA and iDeCo: only overseas transfers can keep NISA

Brokerage accounts

Brokerages heavily restrict trading by non-residents.

Brokerage	After you become a non-resident
SBI Securities	In principle no trading. Sales via the call center. Closed if you have no plan to return or will be away six years or more
Rakuten Securities	Holdings are kept in custody only. No buying or selling; regular investment plans are cancelled
Monex Securities	In principle closed. Only if you hold products that cannot be sold can the account be kept as a withdrawal-only account
Nomura Securities	NISA can be kept with a continued application notification in cases such as a transfer order (procedure by the business day before departure)
Mitsubishi UFJ eSmart Securities	Trading restricted while abroad. Overseas addresses cannot be registered

NISA

You can keep a NISA account while living abroad only if you leave Japan for an "unavoidable reason" such as a transfer order from your employer (and an accompanying spouse). If you submit a "Continued Application Notification" by the day before departure (by the business day before, at some brokerages), you can keep your NISA account and holdings until the end of the year in which five years have passed since the submission date. However, you cannot make new purchases while you are abroad.

Moving abroad of your own accord or to study is not covered: you submit a "Departure Notification" and the NISA account is closed. Your holdings are moved to a taxable (general) account, so decide before you leave whether to sell them or keep them.

iDeCo

People living abroad can also join iDeCo and keep contributing if they voluntarily enroll in Japan's National Pension (since May 2022). (Voluntary enrollment while living abroad is an option for Japanese nationals.) If you do not enroll voluntarily, you can no longer contribute and become an "investment instructor" who only continues to direct how the existing assets are invested.

Tax on interest: non-residents pay only 15.315% withholding

Interest on Japanese deposits paid to non-residents is subject to 15.315% income tax withholding (including the special income tax for reconstruction). The 5% local inhabitant tax on interest does not apply. If the tax treaty between Japan and your new country of residence provides a reduced rate, you can use the treaty rate by submitting an "Application Form for Income Tax Convention" through the payer by the day before payment (some institutions do not handle this). The treatment of dividends and similar income varies by brokerage, so check before you leave.

If you will still need to file a tax return in Japan after becoming a non-resident, for example because you rent out property in Japan, appoint a "tax agent" (nozei kanrinin) before you leave and notify the tax office.

Interest and dividends from your Japanese accounts may also be taxed in your new country of residence. Check the rules with a tax professional in that country.

Credit cards, My Number Card and two-factor authentication

Credit cards

Japanese credit cards can often still be used if you keep your residence registration in Japan, but they may become unusable once you file a moving-out notification (according to JCB). Sumitomo Mitsui Card offers a paid "Overseas Living Help Desk" (JPY 4,950–8,250 per year) for members living abroad, which forwards renewal cards and statements abroad. In either case you are often asked to register a contact in Japan (such as a family member's address), and if you close the account used for card payments, the card can no longer be used.

My Number Card

Since May 27, 2024, it has been possible to keep using your My Number Card after moving abroad. If you do not complete the continued-use procedure by the day before departure when filing your moving-out notification, the card becomes invalid. The digital certificate for signatures becomes invalid when you move out, so you need to have it reissued during the continued-use procedure. Check with your municipal office whether the continued-use procedure applies in your case.

Two-factor authentication and smartphones

Japanese banks' online banking may verify your identity by SMS to a Japanese mobile number or through apps that only work in Japan. Sony Bank's "Sony Bank CONNECT" cannot be used abroad, and Mizuho Direct may also be unusable from abroad. MUFG Bank mails one-time password cards to overseas addresses. Before you leave, check which method you can use to log in from abroad.

Checklist before you leave Japan

When	What to do
1–2 months before departure	Decide which bank account to keep, and move balances out of accounts you must close, such as online bank accounts
By 3 weeks before departure	Apply for SMBC's Global Service (by 3 weeks before departure), MUFG Bank's Global Direct (by 10–15 business days before), etc.
By the brokerage's deadline (Monex Securities: 11 business days before departure)	Notify your brokerage that you will become a non-resident. Decide whether to continue NISA (if transferred) or close it. Decide whether to sell your holdings
By the day before departure	Submit the NISA Continued Application Notification or Departure Notification. Complete the My Number Card continued-use procedure
Before departure	Sort out the accounts used for utilities, taxes and credit card payments. Decide on a contact in Japan and a tax agent
Within 3 months after departure	Submit the CRS change notification form to the financial institutions where you hold accounts

If you are opening a new account to use abroad, see How to open an overseas bank account.

FAQ

Can I keep using my Japanese bank account after moving abroad?

It depends on the bank. MUFG Bank, SMBC, Mizuho Bank and others let you keep your account, but their online banking for use abroad is mainly for overseas assignees and students who plan to return, and must be applied for before you leave. Online banks such as Rakuten Bank, SBI Sumishin Net Bank and PayPay Bank generally require you to close your account once you become a non-resident.

What happens if I keep using the account without telling the bank?

Financial institutions' rules require you to report that you have become a non-resident, and if you keep using the account without reporting it, transactions may later be restricted. When your country of tax residence changes, you also need to submit a CRS change notification form within three months.

What happens to my NISA if I move abroad?

Only people who leave Japan because of a transfer order from their employer or similar (and an accompanying spouse) can keep their NISA, by submitting a Continued Application Notification, until the end of the year in which five years have passed since the submission date. New purchases are not possible during that time. If you move abroad of your own accord or to study, the NISA account is closed.

Which account should I use to receive a Japanese pension?

A Japanese pension can be paid into either a Japanese or an overseas account. If you use a Japanese account, choose a bank that lets you keep it after you become a non-resident. Receiving a pension abroad and how it is taxed are explained in Can you move abroad on a pension?.

Are Sony Bank or SMBC Trust Bank (PRESTIA) good choices for people moving abroad?

Sony Bank officially states that existing customers who are Japanese nationals can keep their account by notifying a change of address to outside Japan when they live abroad because of an overseas transfer or study. For other banks such as SMBC Trust Bank (PRESTIA), check each bank's handling of non-residents and its fees in advance.

Summary

Once you move out and become a non-resident, you must notify your financial institutions. The CRS change notification form is due within three months
Megabanks let you keep your account, but their online banking for use abroad is mainly for people who plan to return and must be applied for before you leave. Most online banks require closure
Brokerage accounts allow almost no trading while you are abroad. Only people transferred by their employer (and an accompanying spouse) can keep NISA, for about five years from the notification
Interest on deposits held by non-residents is subject only to 15.315% withholding; the local inhabitant tax on interest does not apply
Before you leave, sort out which accounts to keep and close, your NISA, My Number Card, payment accounts and a contact in Japan

As part of preparing for a move abroad, our office offers consultations comparing visas and permanent residence options in your destination country, as well as translation and apostille of the Japanese documents needed for visa applications (family register certificates, bank balance certificates, police certificates, etc.). If you would like help sorting out the order of your relocation procedures, please use our free consultation. We can assist in English and Japanese, and we never use pushy sales tactics.