Mortgage in Japan without permanent residency: which lenders say yes

A mortgage in Japan without permanent residency is possible, but only a few lenders publish a route. As of October 2026, Flat 35 (フラット35) requires permanent residency (永住許可), and so does SBI Sumishin Net Bank. A 2025 comparison of 18 lenders found most others do too. The clearest published exception is PRESTIA (SMBC Trust Bank), which lends to foreign citizens living in Japan with annual income over ¥10 million. If your spouse is Japanese or has PR, there may be a second route.

Can I get Flat 35 without permanent residency?

No. Flat 35 is the long-term fixed-rate loan backed by the Japan Housing Finance Agency (住宅金融支援機構). Its conditions page (as of April 1, 2026) says applicants must be:

• Japanese nationals,
• foreign nationals with permanent resident (永住者) status, or
• special permanent residents (特別永住者).

Work visas, spouse visas and long-term resident visas don’t qualify on their own. Other Flat 35 conditions, for when you do qualify:

If you’re on track for PR, see our guide to permanent residency requirements.

Which banks require permanent residency?

SBI Sumishin Net Bank’s loan conditions say a foreign applicant must have permanent residence in Japan and show ID with their residence status.

For the wider market, Diamond Real Estate Research (ダイヤモンド不動産研究所) compared 18 lenders’ published conditions (updated September 2025). It quotes Japanese nationality or PR as a condition at, among others:

• MUFG, Mizuho and Resona
• Sony Bank, au Jibun Bank, Rakuten Bank and PayPay Bank
• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust and MUFG Trust
• Yokohama Bank
• AEON Bank (its standard loan)

That’s a secondary source. Check the bank’s current product sheet (商品概要説明書) before you rely on it.

Which lenders lend without permanent residency?

PRESTIA (SMBC Trust Bank)

PRESTIA’s English information memorandums (fixed and floating rate, both as of June 15, 2026) set these conditions:

Its lending areas include Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Aichi, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka. Rural homes outside the listed areas, or far from a branch, don’t qualify.

PRESTIA offers English-speaking staff from first inquiry to disbursement. But all legal documents are in Japanese, and English translations are for reference only. PRESTIA asks every party to understand the documents or arrange support.

SBI Shinsei Bank: the spouse route

According to the Diamond comparison, SBI Shinsei Bank’s condition reads: Japanese nationality or PR, or, without PR, a spouse who has Japanese nationality or PR and becomes joint guarantor (連帯保証人). SBI Shinsei’s site didn’t respond to our requests, so we couldn’t confirm this on the bank’s own pages. Ask the bank for its current product sheet.

AEON Bank

AEON Bank publishes a separate product document for applicants without permanent residency on its website. Its server refused our requests, so we can’t report its terms. Ask at an AEON Bank branch or check the document yourself.

What about a Japanese spouse?

If your spouse is a Japanese national or has PR, there are two published routes:

1. Your spouse borrows. As a Japanese national or PR holder, your spouse meets the nationality condition at Flat 35 and the banks above. Income rules, age and credit still apply.
2. You borrow, your spouse guarantees. This is the SBI Shinsei condition reported above.

If your income is added to the application, check the lender’s rule. At PRESTIA, a family member whose income is counted must become a joint guarantor. How a non-PR co-borrower is treated under Flat 35 isn’t stated on its conditions page, so ask the lender.

For the visa side, see our spouse visa guide.

What will a lender ask a foreign applicant for?

PRESTIA’s document list for non-Japanese applicants includes:

• residence card (在留カード) (both sides) with your current address
• residence record (住民票) listing all household members, issued within 3 months
• income documents, such as your latest tax withholding slip (源泉徴収票) and resident tax certificate

The bank also calls your employer to confirm you work there. You sign the contract in person at a branch.

Before you apply

• Check your residence card. Know your status of residence (在留資格) and its expiry date. Lenders will see both.
• Gather your tax documents. PRESTIA asks for your latest withholding slip and resident tax certificate.
• Get the product sheet in writing. Ask for the 商品概要説明書 and check the nationality line (国籍・在留資格).
• Budget for fees. At PRESTIA, Plan A’s 2.2% admin fee on a ¥40 million loan is ¥880,000, before registration fees and stamp duty.

We don’t give individual mortgage or tax advice. A licensed mortgage broker, a financial planner, or a tax accountant (税理士) for tax questions can look at your full situation.

Related guides

• Permanent residency requirements
• Permanent residency vs naturalization (帰化)
• Renters’ fire insurance, if you rent while you save
• Bank accounts for foreigners