Hi!
So, I just moved to Japan for college and I’m looking to open a bank account… the thing is that I have a really long name (first name, middle name and three surnames) and I’ve heard or seen stories about people not being able to get a debit card because of that.
I was hoping to open an account with Japan Post because that’s the one my school recommended but I was hoping to see if there’s any other options or if you guys have any advice on how to open a bank account here.
2 comments
Just go to Japan Post and give it a shot. I also have a really long name (several middle names and one surname) and they ended up having to hand write it on my bank book, but that was the only issue.
Sometimes the school recommends a bank because the nearby branch is already used to handling foreign students due to the proximity to the school. Some scholarship receivers also require certain banks as mandated by their organization, so you might want to check that if you are a scholarship receiver.
JP post is generally recommended because is pretty lax overall and is pretty accessible so it’s not a bad option. As for debit card, you will get a cash card (for withdrawing cash at the ATM only) automatically when getting a JP post account. For debit card that can be used for transaction it requires a separate process and I can’t help with that since I’ve never done it.
The downside of JP post is they limit your transfers as a non-resident account (newer ppl who live in Japan under 6 months is still categorized as this, I think you’d have to apply to change your account status after 6 months? Please cmiiw). You can receive money but you can’t transfer (to both JP post accounts and other banks).
As for the name problem… I have a friend with a similarly long name but afaik she made an account just fine. No debit card though. I also have a pretty long name (looooong first name, middle and last) and they just cut my name up to fit in the form.