Hi,
I will be getting to Japan on a work visa but my start date is a few weeks after I land. It’d be great if I could take care of some logistics (house hunting in particular), but this requires a bank account, which my company has told me will require a certificate of employment (which I can only get on the first day of work 🙁 ).
Some resources online don’t mention requiring the certificate of employment ([https://japanlifesupport.com/en/life/index.html#:\~:text=As%20opening%20a%20bank%20account,instead%20of%20requesting%20your%20signature](https://japanlifesupport.com/en/life/index.html#:~:text=As%20opening%20a%20bank%20account,instead%20of%20requesting%20your%20signature).) but I’m sure there is some weird caveat between the lines for requiring it. I wasn’t able to find too much on this sub, and online information \*seems\* inconsistent. If you guys have experience or maybe more concrete knowledge to bridge the gap please let me know, thank you!
4 comments
You can open a Japan Post Bank account with nothing more than a jumimhyo (residence certificate). It’s not the best bank, but it’s good enough to get started with.
The information you find is inconsistent because the whole banking system is inconsistent 🙂 Some staff members may want your employment details, and others will be fine without them, depending on where you live and what branch you go to, etc. If you open an account with one of the foreigner-focused banks like Shinsei (not recommend in the long term but fine at first), you won’t need details, just your employment address and name.
I have a long way to go before I can consider a plan to move to Japan, though that is my dream.
But this post brings up a question that I have.
I have a Navy Federal Credit Union bank account, and I noticed that there are at least ATM’s in Tokyo for that.
Is that something that is usable until getting a local Japanese bank account? Or is it sufficient to use as a bank account?
Edit: Why the downvotes? I’m confused. This was a genuine question for information that I would like to use in the future. It’s not a post on it’s own, which I would understand the downvotes, looking at the rules. But on a comment? Ah well.
I returned to Japan and immediately opened a couple of bank accounts although I was unemployed. I am a Japanese national. Perhaps that has something to do with it. Even when I was working before leaving Japan I never had to furnish such a document.