Some foreigners living in Japan as expatriates may want to send money to their local families.
In this article, we will explain how to send money overseas to people who want to send money from Japan to their home country account. Please use it as a reference.
Overseas Remittance via Banks
There are roughly three types of methods for sending money overseas from Japan: banks, online banks, and overseas money transfer services.
Using a bank may be the method of overseas remittance that many people imagine. However, some people may also think that it is the most troublesome method.
The Procedure of Overseas Remittance via Banks
When sending money overseas using a bank, you need to visit the bank’s counter. The general procedure is as follows.
- Go to the bank counter
- Submit the required documents
- The person in charge of the bank carries out the remittance
- Remittance completed
Required Documents and Information
When sending money overseas via a bank, you need to prepare the following documents and information.
- Identity verification documents
- My Number confirmation document
- Registered seal and passbook
- Recipient’s English information
In addition to your driver’s license, you can use your passport, health insurance card, My Number card, etc. as the identification documents. If you are a foreigner, prepare a residence card or a special permanent resident certificate.
And when you send money overseas, your My Number will always be checked. Therefore, please have your My Number card or notification card, or a copy of your resident certificate with your My Number listed.
“The recipient’s English information” is the following.
- Bank, bank branch, branch’s address
- SWIFT/BIC code
- Recipient’s account number
- Recipient’s account name
- Recipient’s address
The SWIFT/BIC code is a bank identification code made up of 8 to 11 digit alphabets and numbers. You can check it using the following webpage.
Notes on Overseas Remittance via Banks
When using banks, please be aware of their opening hours. Banks in Japan close at 15:00, so make sure you have enough time to go to the bank when sending money.
Besides, even if you finished the procedure by 15:00, the remittance is not necessarily completed within the day. Please note that depending on the foreign currency to be remitted, it may take 2-3 business days to complete the remittance.
Overseas Remittance via Online Banks
If you don’t have time to go to a bank counter, we recommend sending money overseas using an online bank. Using it, you can carry out overseas remittance procedures 24 hours a day.
However, some internet banks do not handle overseas remittances, or they handle it for only corporate customers, so please check in advance.
The Procedure of Overseas Remittance via Online Banks
To send money overseas using an online bank, follow the steps below.
- Open an online bank account and log in to your account
- Follow the instructions on display to carry out overseas remittance
- Remittance completed
Please be sure to read the guide carefully, as you cannot do it while checking with the person in charge at the counter like at a bank. If you do not understand Japanese, we recommend that someone who understands Japanese help you.
Required Documents and Information
You need to prepare the following documents and information for overseas remittances at online banks.
- Identity verification documents
- My Number confirmation document
- Recipient’s English information
The required documents are almost the same as when using a bank teller. If you are using an online bank, you can upload your identification documents and My Number confirmation documents in advance. Doing this saves you the hassle of checking documents every time you transfer money overseas.
As well as in the case of banks, online banks will take several days from the completion of the transfer procedure to the actual deposit into the local account. Therefore, make sure you have enough time when using this service.
Remittance via Overseas Money Transfer Services
Overseas remittances by banks have many disadvantages, such as troublesome procedures and fees, and it takes time to deposit them in the local account. So, we recommend using international money transfer services.
For individuals transmission, people often use a remittance service company. There are many companies with staff who speak English or your mother language that can help you, so you can transfer money easily and surely.
Remittance service companies include KYODAI Remittance, WESTERN UNION, SBI Remit, DCOM, Smiles, TransferWise, Brastel REMIT … These companies have the advantage of lower fees than banks, time for short money transfer procedures and time for money to financial institutions receiving short money. Therefore, it can be said that this is a money transfer method with many advantages.
Some services provide apps, so you can also perform procedures from smartphones and tablet devices.
The Procedure of Remittance via Overseas Money Transfer Services
Here are the steps to send money using the International Money Transfer Service.
- Register for the service
- Check if there is enough money to transfer to your bank account balance
- Apply for remittance according to the guide of the site or app
- Remittance completed
The above is a general flow. Please note that details may differ depending on the service.
Examples of Overseas Money Transfer Services
There are several overseas money transfer services, but the representative ones are “Western Union”, “TransferWise” and “SBI Remit”.
Western Union
Western Union is an international money transfer service provided by Western Union, which is a company that operates financial and communication-related businesses in the United States.
The feature is that you can send money in more than 200 countries around the world, and depending on the recipient of the transfer, you can receive the money just minutes after sending it. Moreover, there is no additional fee for recipients.
You can check the transfer status on the website, so you do not have to worry about whether the money has received properly.
TransferWise
TransferWise is an overseas money transfer service provided by TransferWise, which was founded in London, England, in 2010.
TransferWise is characterized by a high degree of transparency in the fees charged for remittance. In addition to the relatively low fees, it also selects the best exchange rate when sending money. Besides, TransferWise is a service licensed in Japan, so you can use it with confidence.
SBI Remit
SBI Remit is a money transfer service through MoneyGram with the top criteria: fast, convenient, easy to use and ensure your safety.
In this form, you only need to deposit money into your Japanese account, the money will automatically be transferred to the account of your family member. Besides, Recipients can receive a cash deposit at the nearest agent even without a local bank account.
Besides, a money transfer certificate will be issued free of charge, which is the required document for a tax deduction at the end of each year.
About the time the recipient can receive money locally, or money can be transferred to the local account will depend on the method of money transfer. It may take a minimum of 10 minutes, but usually, the money will be received within 1–3 hours.
Conclusion
We explained three ways to transfer money from Japan to overseas.
Overseas money transfer services and online banks can carry out procedures regardless of time, but if you want to do it with face-to-face support, we recommended to visit the bank counter.
Please try to find a method that suits you.