For Foreign Nationals Easy-to-Open Banks, Credit Cards, and Brokerage Accounts in Japan Also useful for family members of Japanese spouses Build your credit history while taking advantage of the new NISA system!

Hi, I’m Andy.
This page contains promotional content.

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🏠 For Those in International Marriages:

How Are You Handling Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, and Mobile Phones for Your Family in Japan?

When foreign family members move to Japan, one of the first major challenges is opening a bank account, getting a mobile phone, and applying for a credit card.

It's a common issue — just like how Japanese people working abroad often struggle with opening a local bank account and getting a phone at first.

At least in the case of credit cards, using a Japanese-issued card overseas is sometimes a workable short-term solution.

In my case, when my family moved to Japan, we also faced difficulties with opening a bank account, getting a phone number, and applying for a credit card. So I’d like to introduce a few services and companies that made the process smoother for us.

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✈️ Upon Arrival in Japan

1. Get a Residence Card (在留カード)
   → Issued at immigration at the airport upon entry.

2. Apply for a My Number Card (Individual Number Card) at your local city office
   → For foreign nationals, this is especially useful as you’ll often need two forms of ID.

3. Make a Personal Seal (印鑑)
   → You can order this online or have one made at a local seal shop.

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🏦 After Receiving the Residence and My Number Cards

Once you have both, you can begin applying for essential services:

① Bank Accounts

This is typically the first thing you’ll need.

• Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行)
  You can open an account at your nearest post office.
  Bring your Residence Card, My Number Card, and personal seal (inkan).
  ▶︎ https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/

• SBI Shinsei Bank (SBI新生銀行)
  Physical branches are limited, so it's best to apply online.
  ▶︎ https://www.sbishinseibank.co.jp/

• Rakuten Bank – My application was rejected.

• Mega Banks (Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho, SMBC, etc.) – Also rejected my application.

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② Credit Cards

• Rakuten Card was very easy to apply for — the process went smoothly.

• I also gave my family member a supplementary family card, so now we have two usable cards.
  ▶︎ https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/

To start building credit history in Japan, we also began using credit card-based monthly contributions to the new NISA (Nippon Individual Savings Account) system.

• We applied for the Sumitomo Mitsui (NL) Card, but unfortunately, the application was rejected.

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③ Securities Accounts

We were able to open accounts with Japan’s two major online brokers:

• Rakuten Securities

• SBI Securities

We're currently using Rakuten Securities to make monthly investments in mutual funds through the new NISA, using a Rakuten credit card.

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④ Asset Building Strategy

As a side note, we’re also using the new NISA to build assets while also building credit history through credit card transactions.

Here’s our setup:

• Investment Product: Rakuten Plus All-Country Equity Index Fund

• Services Used: Rakuten Securities → Rakuten Card → Linked to Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行)

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📝 Final Thoughts

The services introduced here are all available to foreign nationals living in Japan and can also be used by Japanese spouses of foreign residents.

Right after arriving in Japan, navigating financial services can be especially challenging.
I hope this guide helps you or your loved ones get started more smoothly and confidently in your new life here.