How to update your bank details online


Major Japanese banks by Wikipedia.

Your bank may send occasional notices to confirm if you are still in the country or have renewed your visa. The bank does this to prevent accounts from being used for illegal activities such as money laundering or financing terrorist organizations.

Some banks may not send notices but you may still be required to submit your residence card online when you renew your visa (status of residence).

Failure to do so on time may lock you out of your account and prevent you from withdrawing money until you contact the bank and provide the necessary documents.

For this example, we will use the procedure for Tsukuba Bank, a banking institution in Ibaraki Prefecture.

1. Have your residence card and the notice from the bank ready.

Scan the QR code on the notice with your phone camera or type the URL directly into the address bar of your browser.

Tsukuba Bank notice with QR code, ID and password

2. Cellphone or PC browser settings

Browser cookies and Javascript must be enabled for the procedure to work. This should not be a problem if you’re using your browser’s default settings.

Touch 入力開始 (Start input).

Tsukuba Bank browser settings

3. ID and password input

Type the ID and password indicated on the notice from the bank.

Touch 送信 (Send).

Tsukuba Bank ID and password

4. Agree to the bank’s policy regarding the use of personal information.

Touch 同意のうえ手続きへ進む (Agree and proceed).

Tsukuba Bank policy regarding use of personal information

5. Nationality and name

  • For nationality, select 日本以外 (Not Japanese) and select your country from the list.
  • Type your name (お名前) in capital letters as it appears on your residence card.
  • Select your status of residence (visa): 特別永住者 (Special Permanent Resident), 永住者 (Permanent Resident), or 特別永住者・永住者以外 (Not Special Permanent/Not Permanent Resident). If you selected the last option, type the expiration date of your visa (Period of Stay 在留期間 or 満了日) as it appears on your residence card.
  • Type the number of your residence card (it’s on the top-right part of the card).
  • Type the Period of Validity (有効期限) of your residence card. In most cases, this is the same as the Period of Stay.

Touch 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank nationality and name input

6. Contact numbers and email address

Provide at least one contact number.

  • Type your home phone number (自宅電話番号). If you don’t have one, you can skip this and just type your cellphone number (携帯電話番号). If you don’t have that too, put the company phone number here.
  • Type your cellphone number if you have one.
  • Type your email address (メールアドレス). An email indicating completion of the procedure will be sent to this email address.

Touch 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank contact numbers and email

7. About your work

Select one of the following to describe your job:

  • 会社役員・団体役員 (Company or organization officer)
  • 会社員・団体職員 (Company or organization employee)
  • 公務員 (Government employee)
  • 個人事業主・自営業 (Sole proprietor, independent business)
  • パート・アルバイト (Part-timer)
  • 派遣・嘱託・契約社員 (Dispatch, contract employee)
  • 主婦・主夫 (Housewife, househusband)
  • 年金受給者 (Pensioner)
  • 学生 (Student)
  • 無職 (Unemployed)
  • その他 (Others)

Type the details if you selected “Others.” If you are a technical intern trainee, you may select “Contract employee.”

Touch 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank type of work

8. Company name and phone number

Type the name in katakana (名称/屋号) and phone number (電話番号) of your company or business.

Touch 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank company name and phone number

9. Bank details and purpose of bank account

  • お取引店 (Branch name)
  • 店番 (Branch number)
  • 口座番号 (Account number)
  • お取引目的 (Purpose of bank account)

The most common purpose of a bank account is to receive monthly salary (給与受取).

Is there a change in the way you use your bank account? If the purpose of use of your bank account have changed, select はい (Yes) and choose from the list. Otherwise, select いいえ (No).

  • 生計費決済 (Settle living expenses)
  • 事業費決済 (Settle business expenses)
  • 給与受取 (Receive salary)
  • 年金受取 (Receive pension)
  • 仕送り (Sending money)
  • 貯蓄 (Savings)
  • 資産運用 (Asset management)
  • 融資返済用 (Loan return)
  • 外国為替取引 (Foreign exchange transaction)
  • その他 (Others)

Tsukuba Bank account details

9. International remittance

Specify here if you plan on sending money internationally through the bank. Select はい (Yes) or いいえ (No).

If you select Yes, you have to provide the reason for your intended money remittance. Choose from the list below:

  • 家族への送金 (Family remittance)
  • 学資支払 (School expense payment)
  • 海外での資金運用 (Overseas fund management)
  • 商品購入代金支払 (Product purchase payment)
  • その他 (Others)

Type the name of the country/countries where you are going to send money.

Click 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank remittance

10. Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs)

You will be asked if you are a high-ranking member of government, the so-called PEPs–people who are susceptible to being involved in bribery or corruption.

Select 該当しない (Not applicable) or 該当する (Applicable) and touch 次へ (Next).

Tsukuba Bank PEPs

11. Review the details you provided

If everything is in order, touch 届出を行う (Submit).

Tsukuba Bank review details

12. Confirmation

Confirm your submission by touching 届け出る (Submit).

Tsukuba Bank confirm

13. Finish

You may check your mailbox for the confirmation email. Check your spam folder if the email didn’t seem to arrive.

Tsukuba Bank procedure finished