Hello everyone!
So, I’m leaving Japan next month after 5 years here, and the process of leaving is being a headache.
During all these years here I always paid my bills through credit card, which was paid through automatic withdraw on my Yuucho account. So, many of the services I’m cancelling right now told me that they will only charge the last bill on my credit card one or two months after I leave. My credit card is still valid for a long time, but I must have an account here to finish making these payments.
I was told that if I leave I must close my account on Yuucho, but if I do that, I won’t be able to pay what is left. I also want to leave being sure that I’ll be able to pay any of these bills that may show up (you know, fees and stuff).
So, are there there implications if keep my account with some money for the upcoming months, and then leave it opened with zero balance? Can they close and take my money or give me more problems than what I already have?
I’m completely lost on that and the customer service at the bank is beyond useless.
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Thank you!!
12 comments
If your residence card expires and do not update it with a new one the bank will freeze your account and any money inside it. How long after you leave does it expire? If you have time left on it after you leave you may get away with leaving it for a few months, but they can also freeze (yen) or close (no yen) your account if they reach out to you via post about your address or residence etc and are ignored.
technically it should be closed when your residence card expires, or when post office contacts your last registered address and you are no longer there. until then you should be safe.
that said, make sure to setup all the authentication 2fa etc stuff before you leave if you plan to use the account remotely.
When I left for study abroad five years ago, then came back here three years ago, it wasn’t closed from what I assumed.
My study abroad institution said I had to close it myself before I left Japan, however since I wanted to come back here, I didn’t bother. Even after my resident card for study abroad expired, it still existed because I had my bank book still in the system when I came back to do the banking information with my company. It made one of the bank employees angry when she couldn’t create one for some reason. She asked me if I had a bank book, then I recalled that. I gave it to her and the problem was solved.
My case my be unusual (and don’t take this as advice OP) but I left Japan in 2006, and my JP account had a few 1000 left in it. Came back in 2013, asked to open a new account and was told I still had one. They did the usual (time-consuming) round of checks but in the end my account was re-activated.
I left it open when I left back in 2019 and the account was closed the day my residence card expired
No, you can leave it open. It’s free anyways.
When your visa runs out if you don’t update their records with a copy of your new visa (which sounds like you won’t have one) they will freeze your account. This has been the case for a couple of years now.
From my experience, I left Japan the first time in 2009 and got back again in 2012 to find my account was still working, back again in 2016 and used it for a month or so, still all ok, then 2017 again for a month and checked it last week after I got a deposit transferred into it and it’s still working. I have heard that I should be getting an AML message soon as they expect to check my resident card but it’s not happening yet so most likely it’s going to still be live but perhaps there might be the AML warning to keep it updated and did see somewhere that they may close if you don’t provide it but I suspect that they might just put a hold on it until you priced the resident card
the best way for you I guess is to talk to your credit card provider and if you can, pay the remaining balance/credit in lump sum. because after you leave, your account will be closed/frozen once your residency expires
I had an old account I opened almost 20 years ago. I left Japan, came back maybe 5 years later at one point and it was still opened. When I went to the post office to update my address and residence card info they scolded me saying I should’ve told them blah blah but otherwise there were no problems with it.
I don’t think the account ever actually closes, but they will “lock” it either the day your residence card expires or sometime after.
Last year they locked my account the day my card expired. But this year I was still able to withdraw after expiration. Could be a 3 or 6 month waiver before “locking” the account.
I don’t know why everyone is saying it is being closed the day your residence card expires.. my residence card expired two months ago and I still am using my Yucho bank and paying for gym and UQ with no issues (I’m back on tourist visa). Perhaps not for long