Can you open a Japanese bank account on a tourist or Digital Nomad stay?

Last checked: 2026-11-06

Probably not at the banks we checked, because they ask for a residence card and Digital Nomad holders do not receive one. Japan Post Bank says people staying three months or less without a card cannot open an account. We did not find a bank page that addresses this status directly, so ask a bank before you rely on any route.

What the banks say

Bank	What its page says	What it means for a six-month stay, on our reading
Japan Post Bank	Show a residence card when opening. Stays of three months or less without a card cannot open an account. If your stay ends within three months of applying, renew first. Close the account before you leave Japan.	Without a card, you do not fit the listed process. Its page does not mention this status.
MUFG Bank	The document lists for residents and for non-residents all include a residence card. It treats foreign nationals as non-residents, unless they work in Japan or have lived there six months or more. Non-residents face limits on some services.	Each list starts with a card you will not have.
SMBC Trust Bank	Online opening was suspended as of October 23, 2026. The listed online conditions require resident registration in Japan, and at least three months left on a residence card, plus six months in Japan or a job at a Japan office. Branch rules are not shown.	You would not meet the online conditions.

We checked only these three. Other banks may differ. The Q&A confirms that a residence card is not issued for this status.

Why a six-month stay is awkward

This is our own reading of the pages above. Banks tie their checks to a residence card, to the time left on your stay, and to six months in Japan or a job there. A Digital Nomad stay has no card, ends after six months, and bars work for employers in Japan. So the usual routes do not line up with it.

Money without a Japanese account

Japan Post Bank's International ATM Service accepts cards from overseas institutions, on these terms:

Brands: VISA, PLUS, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, JCB, China UnionPay and DISCOVER
Limit: 50,000 yen per transaction
Fee: 220 yen per use for certain overseas cards. Your card issuer may add its own fee.
Limits: some cards may still be refused, and hours vary by machine

Worked example, our own arithmetic: taking out 300,000 yen needs six withdrawals. If the 220 yen fee applies to your card, that is 1,320 yen before your issuer's fee.

If rent needs a Japanese bank transfer, ask the landlord or agent how else you can pay before you sign. Some people look at multi-currency services. We have not tested any, and we have not confirmed that any service will work for your status. Read its terms for Japan.

Phones and SIM cards

Identity checks: the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications says carriers must confirm identity on contracts. Sellers and rental providers are covered too, and SIM cards follow the same rules.
New law: an amendment passed in May 2026 adds identity checks for data-only SIMs. The ministry says it takes effect within one year of promulgation. We did not find the exact date.
Passports: a search excerpt of a ministry paper says rules on passport checks for short-stay foreign nationals are being set up. We could not read the final text.
Carrier rules: voice plans may ask for a residence card. Blogs and carrier pages differ, so check before you buy.
Your own devices: the Q&A says Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices without Japan's Technical Conformity Mark can be used for 90 days after entry, if they meet the listed standards. For longer use, check that your device has the mark. This matters on a six-month stay.

What to ask a bank

Can a person with the status "Designated Activities" and no residence card open an account?
If so, what proof of address and identity do you accept?
Can it stay open until I leave, and how do I close it?

Income in another currency is a separate matter from the visa test. See income proof for freelancers. For other rules that follow from having no residence card, see after six months. Planning a shorter trip? See remote work on a tourist stay.

Paid in another currency and spending yen in Japan? Check Wise's current fees and supported currencies. This has nothing to do with the visa income test.

See Wise fees and currencies