Japanese banks block withdrawals from expired foreign resident accounts

Use a foreign bank,you get paid at least 4 percent interest

There are bound to be some errors on frozen accounts of foreigners still living here. Worrisome.

So are they stealing the money?

What happens when your period of stay expires while you are waiting for your visa to be renewed? You will still be living in Japan legally but without access to your own money.

Good move. The new bank restrictions will help repatriate illegal aliens who have overstayed their visas.

Some people keep their Japanese bank accounts open even when moving back to their own or other countries. I did because I kept them open in case I ever came back to Japan, which I did.

The banks are beginning to use people's bank accounts (re. their money) as tools to control people.

I recommend keeping a lot of money out of savings accounts so no one but yourself can touch them.

WTF!

I want my ¥513 back!

So if your visa expires while you are in hospital after an accident that happened while you were on a business trip or on holiday then you won’t be able to access your money in Japan to pay for that treatment?

Some students with an entrepreneurial mindset come to Japan to study, open a bank account which can only be done by a resident, and leave the account open when they leave. When they plan on coming back to start a new business, these accounts can come in handy when transferring funds and demonstrating proof of capital.

Banks limit your account while "turtles"of immigration renew your visa, that can create hard problems and btw not sure it is legal.

For a spouse visa or resident/teijyusha, it takes presently over 3 months. If you need to help your parents or friends abroad, its a hell...

What happens when your period of stay expires while you are waiting for your visa to be renewed?

Not sure about banks, but I had my national health insurance suspended even while paying the monthly premiums. Once this measure is fully implemented, I guess the same could happen with your money. The Japanese govt is really strict toward foreigners and will probably get even stricter in the future.

This is how it begins.

Sonybank did this to me

Not only Japanese banks. UK banks are known to close/suspend accounts of non residents, even British non residents.

Reason #239442 I'm considering naturalization.

Not interested in voting.

Current passport is not weak either.

Just sometimes I feel like there are waay too many "bugs" related to foreign names, period of stay, etc.

It definitely won't change a inch regarding how Japanese people will see me, but at least I won't have to deal with these issues and also the immigration anymore.

Yeah....everybody who leaves Japan, maybe with an intention of returning , with a bank account, is now a potential fraudster.

Wouldnt hold up in any Court without a lot of other evidence supporting the "fraud " angle.

Theft...pure and simple.

What happens when your period of stay expires while you are waiting for your visa to be renewed? You will still be living in Japan legally but without access to your own money.

> So if your visa expires while you are in hospital after an accident that happened while you were on a business trip or on holiday then you won’t be able to access your money in Japan to pay for that treatment?

That's why I usually recommend the 3 months window to friends.. if your visa expires on October 1st, start your renewal on July already, otherwise it will be hell if your visa expires while waiting, having to "explain yourself" to your banks, paypal, credit cards companies, health insurance, my number, etc.... and some won't even accept the stamp of "visa renewal being processed" as a proof you're legal here.

Renewal your visa as soon as it's 90 days away to expire or face the risk, anxiety and stress of waiting for your new card/notification to pick up just a few days before it expires.

Banks, businesses and governments all go online for ideas from other countries. Thus the unmistakable worldwide contagion of fascistic authoritarianism that is accelerating for all thinking folk to see. Once they used fountain pens to rob and steal, now it's with the click of a mouse. Resistance will have to come from the street.

finally rich

Today 09:50 am JST

Here is I bit of what is actually going on.

It is now taking between 80 and 120 days to not only renew a Visa but renew a PR Zairyu card.

Even the online application system is taking that long and the claims it is due to high volume is not quite the whole story.

Shortage of IC chips is a major part of the delay.

Add to that the fact the "my number card" will expire on the day the zairyu card and visa expire, you need to get the " my number card" extended but they only extend 2 months at a time and after the visa / Zairyu card expiry date or the extension request the "my number card" will no longer work for health insurance on the automated system until the full visa and new Zairyu card are finally issued and the " my number card" has been fully updated and the system updated (another 24 to 48 hours after you give your new visa/Zairyu card).

I know from personal experience and from multiple others and check online as people are telling their problems.

It took over 120 days to renew a PR Zairyu card.

It is now taking between 80 and 120 days to not only renew a Visa but renew a PR Zairyu card.

Maybe that is true in Tokyo but I expect not. In Hyogo, it takes an afternoon.

It would be strange if a person with an expired foreign resident visa could benefit from banking services, etc...

Sumitomo/ Prestia sent me a notice 4 months before my expiration date that notified me that I had a 4 month window after my residence card expiration date to update my info or my “ATM access may be suspended”. It was plenty of time and all I had to do was send a front and back copy of my card in the envelope they provided. Not sure if other banks are as easy to deal with. Never received any notice from Mizuho or had problems yet.

What happens when your period of stay expires while you are waiting for your visa to be renewed? You will still be living in Japan legally but without access to your own money.

The same as with the my number card you go to the bank say your period of stay paperwork is in process (showing your residence card) so you get a 3 month extension to use the account, then when you get your new card you do it again to get the extension until your visa expires.

Maybe that is true in Tokyo but I expect not. In Hyogo, it takes an afternoon.

Took about a month for an acquaintance in Tokyo, and that is with one document having to be submitted by mail after the initial process.

Who exactly are the ‘fraudsters’? Who is unlawfully selling the accounts?

OK, because the article is light on details and I was curious, I called my Bank (one of the banks mentioned in the article) and I spoke to the account manager I deal with for my business.

Now I cannot confirm his information is correct but this is what he told me.

In this bank's case they are not going to send any notifications, it is the account holder's responsibility to keep their information updated.

But here are a few more details he said (remember I am just repeating what he said, I cannot confirm this applies to every bank or if it is 100% accurate).

If you have been with the bank and had your account a long time and are regularly active and if you opened your account prior to the Zairyu card (using the old Toroku shomesho) it is highly unlikely anything will be done but you should still go in and confirm your up to date Zairyu card, etc...

They are concentrating of primarily newer accounts that were opened after the Zairyu card was introduced and that visas were fairly short term, such as student, working holiday, work visas, etc... Long term, spouse, PR are years away from being verified unless you have suspicious activities and if you do a lot of overseas transfers in and out of Japan.

If you do a lot of international money transfers, he recommended you make sure your information is up to date.

So this shouldn't affect the vast majority of foreigners and the odds are most here have nothing to worry about, just for your own peace of mind, at some point go to your bank to make sure they have your most recent information on file.

Again please, I am not saying this is 100% the correct information, I am only telling you what I was just told about 30 minutes ago by my bank.

"Japanese banks block withdrawals from expired foreign resident accounts."

Financial institutions are overly regulated, they have to provide all banking related services offering different products or services with extended regulations but at times for a good reason because financial regulations are highly politicized. I recently, received account from Equity bank which I personally never opened but now I have to deal with it.

It took over 120 days to renew a PR Zairyu card.

In Tokyo in 2022, I renewed and received my PR Zairyu card the same day. I have never heard or experienced taking that long.

They must have considered something sketchy about your verifiable income or tax payments.

Silvafan

Today 11:51 am JST

It took over 120 days to renew a PR Zairyu card.

> In Tokyo in 2022, I renewed and received my PR Zairyu card the same day. I have never heard or experienced taking that long.

> They must have considered something sketchy about your verifiable income or tax payments

Are we 2022?

And I pointed out something you chose to ignore The Chip shortage.

But then you could go to immigration's website they themselves posted about long delays, but hey make baseless accusations about others.

There are less than one million PR Zairyu cards but there are many tens of millions of My Number cards.

And I pointed out something you chose to ignore The Chip shortage.

The Japanese government plans to integrate the Residence Card (Zairyu Card) with the My Number Card, creating a "Special Residence Card" (Tokutei Zairyu Card), allowing for a combined card for foreign residents. 

The integration of the residence card and the My Number card is planned. The law (amendment) to implement this was promulgated on June 21, 2024.

Will it also include a driver's license?

I genuinely feel sorry for some long term residents who have fallen in love with Japan in the past, built their life there but being on the receiving end of increasing xenophobia in recent years.

Thankfully we, new generation, see it before it was too late and dodged the bullet.

And eventually things will come back to normal as more and more people see what Japan truly is and loose their interest. Once Japanese desperate enough, they will learn to be nice to you again.

I do my part without going too much details. But I can say they don't get free pass anymore until they prove they are worth of it.

I still don't understand how can one sell his bank account, when the bank account has all the personal details and some of the account owner?? And I'm not talking about selling the PIN to the cash/debit/credit card and the login details of his account.

How is it even possible?

Japanese sell their bank accounts too.

"Selling or buying a deposit bank account (i.e., selling or buying a deposit account pass book or cash card) is prohibited under the law of Japan and incurs punishment on both seller and buyer."

If there is no money in the bank, no worries. It seems to be a scare tactic for people keeping a lot of money in their accounts while living outside of Japan.

This is just another dumb racist policy.

A friend who works in banking said it was mainly Chinese and particularly Vietnamese owned accounts where they have been used for the transfer of funds from illegal activities.

You all seem to miss the main point. The reason for blocking withdrawal of funds from bank accounts after one's visa has expired is due to a rise in the exploitation of such accounts by fraudsters. In other words, some foreigners who have bank accounts in Japan and have returned home, or are returning home, are selling their bank accounts and ATM cards to gangsters who are using those accounts for fraudulent activities. Blame these people for the banks' policy.

It would be more practical if the banks can take each foreigner's situation on a case-by-case basis. I'm sure the policies can be reviewed if enough foreigners simply contact their bankers in advance to let them know of their upcoming situations.

Who exactly are the ‘fraudsters’? Who is unlawfully selling the accounts?

Heckle And Jeckle

One card to rule them all.

One card for Residence, My Number, Health Card, and Driving License.

Yep, Big Brother dream.

Simple as HELL, go to your banks and update your status, let them know you're still alive and kicking and you wont have a problem.

If your Visa is expired then You Are $$t out of luck I would think.

Why in the name of God does it take 120 days to renew a PR zairyu card? It took me all of an hour to do it in Chiba last time...

DanteKH,

"I still don't understand how can one sell his bank account, when the bank account has all the personal details and some of the account owner?? And I'm not talking about selling the PIN to the cash/debit/credit card and the login details of his account.

How is it even possible?"

It's very possible, let first create a simple scenario here. Suppose A -San has bank account with xxx bank, and he or she has clean record with the bank. A San goes for a drink and befriends T- san but T- san has no existing bank account but he/ she also have a friend D-San who owes a debt which need to be repaid. Therefore, T-san asks A- San whether the funds can be sent to his/ her account deduct certain percentage as commission then send the rest of the funds in bitcoins. In real sense A- San sold his/ her account to T- san without the hussle of changing names right?

Although financial institutions require foreign nationals living in Japan to notify them of residency changes or extensions, it is not a widely understood condition within foreign communities. As a result, legal residents who fail to report updates may face account restrictions under the new measure.

This seems like ridiculous overkill. If the problem is preventing accounts of people who have left Japan permanently from being used, why would you cast the net so wide that you are deliberately screwing over people who are here legally?

It sounds like someone who for example changed from a work visa to a spouse visa and didn't inform the bank of this because this isn't the sort of thing that is even on people's radar to be aware that they need to do (if we are just talking a regular savings account why should it even matter to the bank what kind of residential visa you are here on?) could have their accounts locked.

Why would that be necessary to deal with a problem that is completely irrelevant to it?

naisu business,get free money.

daytime robbery,no ethics whatsoever.

What a panic from people.

Bank will first notify the owner of the account several times. When still no reaction the account will be blocked. If after several years there is no contact with the account owner the money will be government money.

So it is up to the account owner to handle and communicate.

Who exactly are the ‘fraudsters’? Who is unlawfully selling the accounts?

People are passing them on to undocumented or visa over stayers. From the usual South East Asian countries.

The same ones who are impersonating each other to use the health service.

What a panic from people.

Bank will first notify the owner of the account several times. When still no reaction the account will be blocked. If after several years there is no contact with the account owner the money will be government money.

So it is up to the account owner to handle and communicate.

FALSE.

Last year I tried to withdraw money from the ATM (Yucho) and it displayed the message I have to update my Zairyu card with the staff first so I could use my Debit card.

They "blocked" my account (maybe only debit card?) 1 day after my period of stay expired, no letters, e-mail, nothing.

[You can't withdraw your own money, proceed to the counter]

Finally rich

I do get letters with the request to update my information which is regulated method of conforming. I use several banks and all do the same

Who decided you have to live in Japan to have a bank account? What a total mess.

I do my part without going too much details. But I can say they don't get free pass anymore until they prove they are worth of it.

Is that right? What is your part? Details, よろしく。 And they? Please elaborate.

Good move. The new bank restrictions will help repatriate illegal aliens who have overstayed their visas.

Nothing to see there.

This is how it begins.

How what, exactly, begins?

Sumitomo/ Prestia sent me a notice 4 months before my expiration date that notified me that I had a 4 month window after my residence card expiration date to update my info or my “ATM access may be suspended”. It was plenty of time and all I had to do was send a front and back copy of my card in the envelope they provided.

Exactly. No need to hyperventilate if you're on top of things.

This is just another dumb racist policy.

Thanks for parsing this for us.

Bank will first notify the owner of the account several times. When still no reaction the account will be blocked. If after several years there is no contact with the account owner the money will be government money.

So it is up to the account owner to handle and communicate.

You are right about the bank notifications. But abandoned accounts do not go to the government. Two years ago I found an old bank book of an account not used for more than 20 years. Bank had changed names 2 or 3 times. Wouldn't work in the ATM but was able to get the cash. About ¥1,300

I am living in Japan and have an active Yucho account. However, I was living in Japan in the past, too, and had about 200000 in a different yucho account. I moved back to the states without closing it, and intended to use it when I returned to Japan for vacations. Much easier than bringing fresh cash and having to exchange it in the evening when arriving in Haneda, I thought. Well, Covid kept me from coming back to Japan for a while, and when I did, I stopped in at the Yucho Haneda cash machine to withdraw some funds, and the account was blocked because I had been out of the country for so long. I had to go to the Sapporo office to get my funds out and close my account. I recount this because there are several reasons that people might want to keep accounts in Japan when they are no longer residents. For foreigners, it is getting harder and harder to maintain Japanese ties if one is no longer a resident. This summer, when I return to the states, I will make sure I close out my accounts as my Yucho account is open in Kagoshima and I see no reason to travel all the way down here again if I make further trips to Honshu in the future. Wise and Schwab allow accounts in foreign currencies now, and it is much easier to withdraw yen funds from ATM machines than it used to be.

gogogoApr. 9  06:39 pm JST

Who decided you have to live in Japan to have a bank account? What a total mess.

It's not uncommon. The following countries require a person to reside in, or have a residence Visa status, in order to open and maintain a bank account.

Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, China, UAE.

AntiquesavingApr. 9  10:15 am JST

finally rich

Today 09:50 am JST

Here is I bit of what is actually going on.

It is now taking between 80 and 120 days to not only renew a Visa but renew a PR Zairyu card.

Hold on there. A Japanese PR Visa 永住者ビザ 在留カードhas no expiry. Once obtained it is indefinite.

It is the physical card itself which requires renewal every 7 years. Renewal does not revevaluate your PR status, you only need to present your current PR card, Passport, Photo and fill out a form. Immigration will send you a notice to renew your card typcally 2 months prior.

Not strictly true, some UK banks allow expats to maintain a bank account. The decision of some banks to close accounts is a business decision.

Opening a new account however may be impossible.

It's not uncommon. The following countries require a person to reside in, or have a residence Visa status, in order to open and maintain a bank account.

Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea, China, UAE.