Sending Money Overseas from Japan

Have you ever wanted to send money overseas from Japan but you didn’t know how to do it? Or maybe you weren’t sure which bank or money transfer service you should use?

There are many situations where you would want to send money overseas, such as sending funds to support your family, paying for school fees back home during your study in Japan, or transferring savings to your personal bank account in your home country.

In this article, we explain how to send money overseas from Japan and list some banks and money transfer services you can use.

１.How to send money overseas

In general, there are two ways you can send money overseas from Japan:

・Send money through a bank

・Use a money transfer service

The countries you can send money to, the currencies accepted, and the remittance charges vary depending on the bank or money transfer service.

2.Send money through a banky

To send money overseas through a bank, you normally need to have a Japanese bank account. If you don’t have a Japanese bank account yet, it’s a good idea to open one at a bank that also offers overseas remittance services.

2-1. Send money through a bank teller

For many city banks and regional banks, you usually need to visit the bank and request the overseas remittance through a bank teller.

① Prepare the required documents and information

・Identification documents

You need to bring a passport, residence card, special permanent resident certificate, or other identification document. If the document does not have your photo on it, you need to bring at least two separate documents.

・Individual Number (“My Number”) confirmation document

You need to bring your My Number Card, the notification card, or a residence certificate (juminhyo) that indicates your Personal Number.

・Your personal seal and bank passbook

In some cases, you may also be asked to provide a document indicating the source of the funds and the purpose of the remittance.

・The recipient’s information

You need to prepare the following information about the recipient.

• Bank name, bank branch, bank address
• SWIFT/BIC code (bank identification code)
• Recipient’s bank account name and account number
• Recipient’s address

② Visit the bank and request an overseas remittance, then submit the required documents

In general, banks in Japan are open on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 9:00 to 15:00.

③ Fill out the overseas remittance form

Fill out the bank’s overseas remittance form and follow any other instructions they may have. Depending on the time of your application and the currency you are sending, the transaction may not be completed on the same day. It usually takes 3 to 5 business days for the money to be received.

2-2. Send money through Internet banking

Through Internet banking, you can request an overseas remittance 24 hours a day. The general procedure is as follows.

① Prepare the required documents and information

The required documents and information is basically the same as those when making an overseas remittance through a bank teller. You normally need to upload an identification document when opening an account with the online bank, and a document indicating your “My Number” to make an overseas remittance.

・Identification documents

・Individual Number (“My Number”) confirmation document

・The recipient’s information

② Log in to your bank account.

After creating a bank account with the online bank, log in to your account.

③ Make an overseas remittance

Follow the instructions displayed to make an overseas remittance.

2-3. Recommended banks for overseas remittance

• Japan Post Bank

Advantages:

・If your period of stay in Japan is 3 months or more, you can create a normal savings account that allows overseas remittance.

・No intermediary fees when sending money to certain countries

• Shinsei Bank

Advantages:

・You can send money overseas even without opening a Shinsei bank account

・You can easily send money to multiple recipients with a single application

3.Use a money transfer service

Money transfer services that specialize in overseas remittances let you send money abroad faster and with relatively cheaper fees compared to banks.

The procedure varies depending the service you use. Some services let you do everything online, while others require you to visit one of their branches. You should check with each service for their actual procedure.

3-1. Recommended money transfer services

• TransferWise

Advantages:

・Overseas remittance fees can be up to 8 times cheaper compared to banks

・Their site has a convenient calculator that gives you the transaction fee by entering the transfer amount and the currency

• SBI Remit

Advantages:

・A very fast way to send money abroad

If you are paying by cash, the money will be sent within 10 minutes at the fastest, but normally within 1 to 3 hours. If you are paying through a bank account, the money will be sent within 10 minutes at the fastest, but normally within 1 to 2 days.

4.Summary

You can send money overseas from Japan through a bank or by using a money transfer service. You should compare the different methods and services available and choose the one that is most suitable for you.