Bank Japanese: opening an account at the counter
Short answer
To open a bank account in Japan, bring your residence card: Japan Post Bank and Mizuho both ask for it, and both say they won’t open an account if your period of stay ends within 3 months. There’s no legal minimum stay, but if you’ve been in Japan for under 6 months and don’t work at an office here, banks treat you as a non-resident under the Foreign Exchange Act, which can limit what the account can do.
The situation
You need a Japanese bank account so your salary has somewhere to land. At the branch you’ll get a number ticket, a form, a teller, and the question everyone dreads: how long have you lived in Japan? Then comes the stamp question. Do you have an 印鑑 (personal seal), or will a signature do?
The lines below cover the counter conversation. The voice scene lets you rehearse it out loud first, with a teller who answers you in Japanese, by voice.
Key phrases
口座を作りたいんですが。
Kōza o tsukuritai n desu ga.
I’d like to open an account.
Japanese / Romaji / English口座を開きたいです。
Kōza o hirakitai desu.
I want to open an account.
Japanese / Romaji / Englishはい、在留カードです。どうぞ。
Hai, zairyū kādo desu. Dōzo.
Yes, here’s my residence card.
Japanese / Romaji / English日本に来て一年です。
Nihon ni kite ichinen desu.
I’ve been in Japan for a year.
Japanese / Romaji / English半年くらいです。
Hantoshi kurai desu.
About six months.
Japanese / Romaji / English印鑑がないんですが。
Inkan ga nai n desu ga.
I don’t have a seal…
Japanese / Romaji / English持っていないんですが、サインでもいいですか？
Motte inai n desu ga, sain demo ii desu ka?
I don’t have one. Is a signature OK?
Japanese / Romaji / EnglishSample exchange
A practice run, as the app’s voice scene plays it (English in italics is the in-app translation of each line):
行員 (teller): いらっしゃいませ。 (Welcome.)
行員: 本日はどのようなご用件でしょうか？ (How can I help you today?)
You: 口座を作りたいんですが。
行員: 在留カードをお持ちですか？ (Your residence card, please.)
You: はい、在留カードです。
行員: 日本にはどのくらいお住まいですか？ (How long have you lived in Japan?)
You: 日本に来て一年です。
行員: 印鑑はお持ちですか？ (Do you have a personal seal?)
You: サインでもいいですか？
行員: かしこまりました。では、こちらの用紙にご記入をお願いします。 (Please fill in this form.)
Q&A
What do I need to bring?
Your residence card (在留カード). Japan Post Bank requires it, says it may also ask for your passport, and asks students and technical intern trainees for a student or employee ID. Mizuho’s branch list is the residence card, a student or employee ID if you’re a student or trainee, and a personal seal. (Sources: Japan Post Bank, https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kaisetu/kat_gaikokujin.html · Mizuho Bank, https://www.mizuhobank.co.jp/account/residence_card.html)
Why do they ask how long I’ve lived in Japan?
Because of the 6-month line in the Foreign Exchange Act. Japan Post Bank explains that a foreign customer who has been in Japan under 6 months and doesn’t work at an office in Japan is a non-resident, and transfers involving a non-resident are handled differently, at different places and fees. Once you pass 6 months, you tell the bank so it can change the account setting. (Source: Japan Post Bank, https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kojin/sokin/gaitame/kj_sk_gt_index.html)
My residence card expires soon. Can I still open an account?
Not if your period of stay ends within 3 months: Japan Post Bank and Mizuho both say they can’t accept the application, and Mizuho asks you to apply again after renewing your period of stay. (Sources: Japan Post Bank and Mizuho pages above.)
I don’t have a hanko. Is that a problem?
It depends on the bank. Mizuho lists a personal seal (not a rubber self-inking stamp) for opening an account at a branch, while Japan Post Bank’s page for foreign customers doesn’t list one. If you don’t have one, ask 持っていないんですが、サインでもいいですか？ and they’ll tell you. (Sources: Mizuho Bank and Japan Post Bank pages above.)
Can I practise this before I go?
Yes. The “Bank: opening an account” voice scene plays the teller. Speak your answers out loud, hear the reply in Japanese, and check the hints or English when you need them.
Official sources (checked 31 Oct 2026)
- Japan Post Bank, account opening for foreign customers: residence card, 3-month rule, student or employee ID for students (留学) and technical intern trainees (技能実習). https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kaisetu/kat_gaikokujin.html
- Japan Post Bank, domestic transfers involving non-residents (Foreign Exchange Act): under 6 months in Japan and not working at an office here = non-resident; tell the bank after 6 months. https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kojin/sokin/gaitame/kj_sk_gt_index.html
- Mizuho Bank, opening an account with a residence card: residence card, 3-month rule, seal at a branch. https://www.mizuhobank.co.jp/account/residence_card.html
Practise the bank counter out loud
In the app: Speaking practice → Bank: opening an account (level N4)
Open Konbini Legends → Speaking practice → Bank: opening an account. Free on iPhone and iPad.
Konbini Legends is a real-time voice conversation app for foreigners living in Japan: you speak Japanese out loud and an AI conversation partner replies in Japanese by voice, in everyday scenes like the konbini, the ward office, a clinic, the bank and a phone shop.
