# Rakuten Bank for foreign residents: can you open one and what does it need

URL: https://japanhow.com/money/banking/rakuten-bank-foreigners/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 26, 2026

## Summary

Rakuten Bank opens individual accounts for foreign residents who live in Japan and are 18 or older, as of October 2026. You need a residence card (在留カード) or special permanent resident certificate, and its address must match your application. Send it through the Japanese-only app or by post. Checks take 2 days to about 2 weeks. After you apply, support and email are in Japanese, with English phone help on weekdays. Whether the app accepts cards issued from 14 June 2026 is not confirmed.

## Key facts

- Who can apply: Residents of Japan, 18+
- ID needed: Residence card
- Check time: 2 days to 2 weeks
- English support: Phone, weekdays 9:00-17:00

**What Rakuten Bank asks of foreign residents:** Live in Japan, 18+, residence card (As of October 2026, from Rakuten Bank's English and Japanese account pages. It publishes no visa-type or PR condition.)

Yes. As of October 2026, Rakuten Bank accepts foreigner applications from people who **live in Japan and are 18 or older**. You must send a residence card (在留カード) or a special permanent resident certificate (特別永住者証明書), and the address on it must match your application. You can apply on an English page, but the app, email and support after that are Japanese only.

## Can a foreigner open a Rakuten Bank account?

Yes, if you are a resident of Japan. The English application page excludes non-residents of Japan, companies and anyone under 18. Japanese nationals use a separate Japanese form.

Rakuten Bank also says foreign nationals may be asked for extra documents. These confirm that you count as a "resident" under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外国為替及び外国貿易法). If you count as a non-resident under that law, you cannot use an account.

The pages we checked set no visa type, no permanent residency (PR) condition and no minimum remaining period on your card. We found no rule of "6 months in Japan" for newcomers either, but see the next section for one related line. Banks can still refuse an application, so none of this is a guarantee.

## What do you need to open an account?

| Item | What Rakuten Bank says |
|---|---|
| ID | Residence card or special permanent resident certificate. Both sides of the card. |
| Address | Must match the address on your ID. If it does not, the account cannot be opened. |
| Phone | A cell phone number you use in Japan. If you have none, a number where you can be reached, such as a work phone. |
| Email | The bank's emails are in Japanese only. Check your junk mail folder if none arrives. |
| Name | If you apply under a common name (通称名), send a document that proves it. |
| Limit | One account per person. A personal account cannot be used for business. |

If your residence card was issued less than 6 months ago, the Japanese ID page asks for an extra document showing you have been in Japan for 6 months or more. A health insurance certificate showing you work at a Japanese office is the other option it names. If you send a residence record (住民票), it must show your period of stay and status of residence.

A health insurance card is no longer accepted since 2 December 2025. Old foreign registration certificates count only if they are treated as residence cards.

## Does the 14 June 2026 residence card change affect Rakuten Bank?

We could not confirm it. On 14 June 2026 Japan began issuing a residence card with My Number Card functions (特定在留カード). The Immigration Services Agency says cards issued from that date show a photo for people aged 1 and over, and the new format does not print the period of stay on the card face.

Some services stopped accepting these cards for app checks. Japan Post Bank, for example, says cards issued from 14 June 2026 cannot be used for document-based eKYC in its apps for the time being.

Rakuten Bank's ID page, checked on 26 October 2026, says a specific residence card (特定在留カード) can be submitted. It carries no notice about the app and cards issued from 14 June 2026, and we found none elsewhere on its site.

If your card is new, apply by post or ask the customer center before you rely on the app. For the app route, the bank recommends a driver's license, My Number Card or passport as easier documents.

## How long does it take?

With a residence card, plan on **2 days to about 2 weeks** after you send the photos by app. The application page lists the residence card among its normal documents, not its "speed account opening" documents, which can finish the next business day. The flow page is less clear on this, so we follow the application page.

By post, the bank says about 1 week to 10 days after you return the documents. Apply, then send ID within 1 month, or your application data may be deleted.

After the check, a "ThankYou" letter with the initial setup guide comes by registered mail with no forwarding. You can use the account only after you finish that setup.

## How much Japanese do you need?

Some. The English page lets you apply, but the bank says its services, including customer support, are available only in Japanese after your application is registered, and some services cannot be used at all.

The app is Japanese only and is available only from Japanese app stores. If you cannot use those stores, send your ID by post. Emails are in Japanese too.

English phone support is on 0570-091-910, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00. It is closed on weekends, national holidays and New Year holidays.

For English-friendly alternatives, see our [bank account guide](/money/banking/bank-account-for-foreigners-japan/), which scores Rakuten Bank 5.5 out of 10 against other banks.

## Can you send money abroad from Rakuten Bank?

Yes, from a yen account. Rakuten Bank's page lists these fees, with no as-of date:

| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Remittance fee (送金手数料) | ¥750 per transfer |
| Intermediary bank fee (中継銀行手数料) | ¥1,000, paid by you or the recipient; can be more |
| Yen remittance fee (円貨送金手数料) | ¥3,000 when you send yen |
| Receiving bank fee | Varies by bank |

Limits are ¥1,000,000 per transfer and per day, ¥2,000,000 per month and ¥5,000,000 per year. You cannot send from a foreign currency deposit account. For a full cost comparison, read our guide to [sending money from Japan](/money/remittance/send-money-from-japan/).

## What does the account cost day to day?

Opening is free. The account page lists ATM fees of ¥0 up to 7 times a month and other-bank transfer fees of ¥0 up to 3 times a month. It does not say what happens after those counts, so check the bank's fee page.

**Not individual advice:** This is general information. Your residence status, period of stay and tax position are specific to you. For immigration questions, ask the Immigration Services Agency or a licensed immigration and administrative specialist (行政書士). For tax questions, ask a licensed tax accountant (税理士).

More guides: [opening a bank account in Japan](/money/banking/bank-account-for-foreigners-japan/), [debit cards for foreigners](/money/cards/debit-card-japan-foreigners/), [credit cards for foreigners](/money/cards/credit-card-for-foreigners-japan/) and [getting a My Number Card](/life/admin/my-number-card-foreigners/).

## Questions people ask

### Can foreigners open a Rakuten Bank account?

Yes, if you live in Japan. The English application page says applicants must be residents of Japan, apply as individuals and be 18 or older. Non-residents and companies cannot use it.

### Does Rakuten Bank have English support?

Partly. You can apply through an English page, and there is an English phone line at 0570-091-910, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00. After your application is registered, the bank says its services, email and app are Japanese only.

### Can I open a Rakuten Bank account with a residence card?

Yes. A residence card or special permanent resident certificate is required for foreign nationals. You send it through the app or by post, and the address must match your application.

### How long does it take to open a Rakuten Bank account?

Rakuten Bank says the identity check takes 2 days to about 2 weeks when you send a residence card by app. After that, a registered letter with the setup guide must reach you before you can log in.

### Can I use Rakuten Bank to send money abroad?

Yes, from a yen account. The bank lists a ¥750 remittance fee, a ¥1,000 intermediary bank fee and, for yen transfers, a ¥3,000 fee, with a ¥1,000,000 limit per transaction.

## Sources

- [Account Opening (English)](https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/english/account/opening/), Rakuten Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [口座開設 本人確認書類](https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/account/id.html), Rakuten Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [楽天銀行口座開設の流れ](https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/account/flow.html), Rakuten Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [口座開設 アプリで本人確認書類を送付する](https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/account/application.html), Rakuten Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [個人のお客さま向け海外送金](https://www.rakuten-bank.co.jp/gaikokusoukin/), Rakuten Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [Residence card (new cards from 14 June 2026)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/whatzairyu_00001.html?hl=en), Immigration Services Agency (accessed Oct 26, 2026)
- [2026年6月14日以降に発行される在留カードについて](https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/kojin/sokin/kokusou/news/kj_sk_ks_ns_id0005.html), Japan Post Bank (accessed Oct 26, 2026)