How to send money from Japan: providers, costs and rules for foreign residents

To send money from Japan as a foreign resident, the cheapest route is usually a registered money transfer company (資金移動業者) used from its app or website. On our sample of ¥100,000 sent on October 20, 2026, Remitly, SBI Remit, Western Union and Wise cost at most about 1.8% of the value for a bank deposit, fees and exchange rate together. Japan Post Bank charges ¥3,000 per transfer before its exchange rate. You need a residence card (在留カード) and your My Number (個人番号), as of October 2026.

Which services can send money from Japan?

Outside banks, only companies registered under the Payment Services Act (資金決済法) may run a money transfer business. The Financial Services Agency (金融庁) publishes the list. Its edition dated August 31, 2026 has 85 registered companies.

These are the providers this guide covers, with their registration:

Japan Remit Finance (JRF), Digital Wallet (Smiles), Dicommunications, City Express Money Transfer Japan, BDO Remit Japan and Metro Remittance Japan are also on the list. We couldn’t find current official fee pages for them, so they are not in our comparison.

Check a company’s name on the FSA list before you send. An unregistered service is not a legal option, however cheap it looks.

How much does it cost to send ¥100,000 from Japan?

We took one sample: ¥100,000 paid in total, by bank transfer, on October 20, 2026 between 02:31 and 02:38 JST. Where a provider adds its fee on top, we took the fee out of the ¥100,000 first, so every row costs you the same amount. “Total cost” compares what arrives with ¥100,000 converted at Wise’s mid-market rate at that moment. Rates change every day, often every minute.

Amounts are what the recipient gets for a bank deposit. Remitly’s figures are its regular price for a returning customer. New Remitly customers get a better promotional rate and no fee on their first ¥100,000. Western Union’s Pakistan figure uses its ¥800 fee; its calculator also showed ¥0 options. Each country page has the fees, rates and cash or wallet payouts.

How do banks compare?

Banks are the most expensive way to send ¥100,000, before you even see their exchange rate.

On our sample, the costliest bank deposit through the four app providers was Wise to Nepal, at about 1.76% of the value, or roughly ¥1,760. A bank transfer costs ¥3,000 before the exchange-rate margin and any intermediary fees.

Do I need My Number to send money abroad?

Yes. The law on overseas transfer statements (国外送金等調書法) requires anyone sending money abroad to give a notification form (告知書) with their name, address and My Number. The exception is a transfer from your own account where the institution has already confirmed these details. The law counts money transfer companies as financial institutions, so this applies to Wise, SBI Remit and the rest, not only to banks.

There is no amount threshold for the My Number form, according to the Personal Information Protection Commission. Expect to give it even for a small transfer.

What this means in practice:

• Wise accepts a residence card or My Number card from visa holders. If you don’t use the My Number card as ID, you upload a residence record (住民票) issued in the last 6 months showing your number, or a notification slip with current details.
• SBI Remit accepts a residence card, My Number card or driver’s license. A notification card can’t be used. If your residence card is in kanji, bring your passport too.
• Remitly accepts a My Number card, or a residence card for non-Japanese nationals, plus a selfie and a short video.
• Western Union and Brastel ask foreign residents for a residence card.

Your name and address must match your ID exactly.

How much can I send at once?

The cap depends on the provider’s registration type, set by the Payment Services Act and its enforcement order:

• Type 2 (第二種): up to ¥1,000,000 per transfer.
• Type 3 (第三種): up to ¥50,000 per transfer.
• Type 1 (第一種): no cap set in the law.

Providers also set their own limits:

For large transfers, Wise may ask for documents showing where the money came from, such as bank statements and three months of payslips.

Will the tax office know about my transfer?

For each overseas transfer over ¥1,000,000, your bank or money transfer company files a statement (国外送金等調書) with the tax office by the end of the following month. Transfers of ¥1,000,000 or less don’t need one.

Separately, the Foreign Exchange Act requires an after-the-fact report for a transfer above the equivalent of ¥30,000,000. The Bank of Japan publishes the forms.

These are reporting rules, not a tax on sending money. Whether any tax applies depends on your situation, so ask a tax accountant (税理士) or the tax office if you’re unsure.

How do I pay without a bank transfer?

Most providers want a transfer from your Japanese bank account (振込). If you don’t have one yet, see our guide to opening a bank account in Japan. Some providers take cash:

• Convenience store: SBI Remit takes cash at FamilyMart, up to ¥100,000 per deposit, 07:00 to 21:00. The deposit fee is ¥800 for ¥50,000 to ¥100,000. Western Union also accepts cash at convenience stores (コンビニ払い).
• ATM cards: SBI Remit’s Remit Card works at Japan Post ATMs (¥330 up to ¥50,000, ¥500 above) and Lawson Bank ATMs (¥300). Brastel’s free card works at Japan Post Bank ATMs (¥440 up to ¥110,000).
• Seven Bank ATMs: since May 2026, customers of KYODAI (Unidos), PayForex (Queen Bee Capital) and Dicommunications can deposit cash at Seven Bank ATMs with a card or the スマホATM smartphone service. Japan Remit Finance joined on June 1, 2026. No Japanese bank account is needed for this.

Remitly doesn’t accept cash ATM transfers or credit cards from Japan.

How we score providers

Each country page scores the four providers with a full price on our sample: Remitly, SBI Remit, Western Union and Wise. We use the same weights everywhere: total cost on the ¥100,000 sample (30%), speed (15%), payout options (15%), sign-up for foreigners (15%), English or home-language support (10%) and regulation in Japan (15%).

Cost scores 10 minus 3 points per 1% of total cost. A criterion with no evidence counts as “n/a” and is left out of the average. Remitly and Western Union publish no delivery times for these routes, so they have no speed score. Providers never pay for a rating.

Best for

• Lowest cost on our sample: Remitly, on all five routes for a returning customer paying by bank transfer.
• Cash pickup and GCash to the Philippines: SBI Remit, with bank and GCash payouts at the same rate, plus cash pickup.
• Fast bank deposits and an English app: Wise, if the recipient has a bank account. It doesn’t offer wallets or cash pickup on these routes.
• Cash at a convenience store: SBI Remit or Western Union.

More guides: send money to Pakistan, the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Nepal, and the pension refund for leaving Japan.