Banks without a gaijin card

[Volcanon]

The city I am living in is taking a rediculous 3 weeks to issue my my gaijin card, and I want somewhere to put my money, other than my hometown overseas bank account.

Is there some bank that will accept the certificate saying I will be getting my gaijin card, or just my passport with valid visa or something? I heard the post office does.

Also, is there any bank/post office that doesnt accept international money transfers?

[bland]

Originally Posted by Volcanon

The city I am living in is taking a rediculous 3 weeks to issue my my gaijin card,

Your city would not have much control over that, since the Certificate of Alien Registration is issued by the Ministry of Justice.

Originally Posted by Volcanon

Is there some bank that will accept the certificate saying I will be getting my gaijin card

No.

Originally Posted by Volcanon

or just my passport with valid visa

No.

(Note: your visa is probably not valid, see this thread)
http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?t=41867

Originally Posted by Volcanon

or something?

If you obtain from your city office a Certificate of Registered Items for Alien Registration (in Japanese: gaikokujin touroku gennpyou kisai jikou shoumeisho外国人登録原票記載事項証明書) (normal cost is 200yen - 300yen), you can use that to meet the legal requirement (since 2003-01-06) to show official Japanese documentation showing your Name, Address (in Japan), and Date of Birth, which will allow you to open a normal account with the Post Office, and most Banks, etc.

(Note: Some banks have their own policy, over and above this legal requirement, or other commercial policies about who they'll do business with.)

Originally Posted by Volcanon

Also, is there any bank/post office that doesnt accept international money transfers?

I don't know of any banks that don't (although terms, conditions, fees, exchange rates (if applicable), and procedures would vary).

The post office, I think, does not accept ordinary international telegraphic transfers (via SWIFT, etc), however that might change after 2007-10-01 when it's privitized, and becomes Japan Post Bank (株式会社ゆうちょ銀行).

[Volcanon]

I understnad I can get an account at the post office without a gaijin right, no? I want to be able to do postal transfer payments.

[bland]

Originally Posted by Volcanon

I understnad I can get an account at the post office without a gaijin right, no?

You need to show official Japanese documentation showing your Name, Address(in Japan), and Date of Birth, such as:

- Japanese drivers license

- Certificate of Alien Registration ("gaijin card")

- Certificate of Registered Items for Alien Registration.

[sid_tama]

You can't even open an account at the local DVD rental shop without a ARC, so what makes you think you can open a bank account??

I'm taking a guess that you are new to Japan, so chill out relax and and go with the flow, you will have to get used to patiently waiting for things here.

Why do you think 3 weeks is ridculous?
Do you think the city hall staff take your picture and laminate it onto a bit of card in the back office?

Bland quite rightly pointed out that the card is issed from the MOJ,....personally I think they do a wonderful job, every legal foreign resident is registred with a card, its easy to fit in your wallet, its tamper and conterfit proof, last for 5 years and still looks like new after that, its easy to update. AND ITS FREE!!

The British government has been trying for years to to get a similar system, but failed misrably...the last time I heard, the British ID card was going to cost around the 100 pound mark each.

Well done Japan! Please excuse the RIDICULOUS comments from newly arrived "wet behind the ears" foreigners

[JBS3009]

Originally Posted by sid_tama

You can't even open an account at the local DVD rental shop without a ARC, so what makes you think you can open a bank account??

Good advice. Still, a friend of mine the other week proved that you can get a Tsutaya account WITHOUT an ARC. All it takes is: an aggressive approach, adequete lying skills, and a passport. Not having an alien card is no grounds to deny people of basic human rights... and being able to rent DVDs is a basic human right!

[Volcanon]

Well I'm not that new to Japan, this is just the first time I have to fend for myself.

Where I come from anybody can get a bank account, even a tourist.

[bland]

Originally Posted by Volcanon

Where I come from anybody can get a bank account, even a tourist.

I think the reason for the complexity in Japan, it that bank accounts for non-residents are a special type of account, and only some financial institutions offer such accounts (and perhaps even fewer offer them to individuals).

This is yet another aspect of Japanese life which is tied in with the Resident Registration System (or it's parallel, in the case of non-citizens, the Alien Registration System).

It's a complicated subject, I hope to post a coherent explanation sometime.

[sid_tama]

Originally Posted by JBS3009

All it takes is: an aggressive approach, adequete lying skills, and a passport.

I also find that a baseball bat works equally as well

[tsnany115]

laser liposuction before and after pictures cost find pictures of a laser liposuction from before and after the treatment laser liposuction before and after pictures cost

Good post. I appriciate it

[gimmemonne]

actually, the only thing Shinsei Bank requires is the Certificate of Registered Matters. I'm have the same situation - I registered myself on 9/7, can't pick up my gaijincard until 9/24. But Shinsei let me open a bank account on 9/8, no problems at all. They didn't even ask to see my passport.

http://www.shinseibank.com/english/powerflex/oa_fc.html

I have heard that other banks are more stringent and even require you to have lived in Japan for 3-6 months before they'll let you open an account. But my account-opening experience with Shinsei (haven't done anything else with them so I can't speak for the other stuff) has been great. They have English-speaking staff at some of their larger branches.

[New gaijin]

Yes, I agreed with Shinsei bank. This bank is nice. I like it. You can mange your account online anf free of charge to use ATM from postbank and 7/11 bank.

[PurpleDaisies]

Originally Posted by JBS3009

Good advice. Still, a friend of mine the other week proved that you can get a Tsutaya account WITHOUT an ARC. All it takes is: an aggressive approach, adequete lying skills, and a passport. Not having an alien card is no grounds to deny people of basic human rights... and being able to rent DVDs is a basic human right!

I got a Tsutaya account while waiting for my ARC replacement to be issued. They didn`t want to give it to me without the actual ARC, even though I had the certificate . I got quite pissy and demanded to know what kind of ID a Japanese person would need. I needed ID with my address on it and a letter delievered to me at my address (if I remember correctly). Japanese people all use a licence or health care card - so went straight home and got my health care card and a letter and asked again for my card.

They were a bit cowed by then and gave it to me without saying anything more

[fortcher]

gimmemonne, are you fluent in Japanese? I'm impressed.

My Japanese is pretty basic, but I asked to open an account at the Ueno Shinsei branch this morning, with my "pre-gaijin card certificate" (because like you, my gaijin card isn't ready until 25 Sep), and they told me I'd need a gaijin card and I couldn't open the account. But perhaps if my Japanese was better I could have talked through it better etc.

Which branch did you go to?

So I'm going to return on 25 Sep and give it another go. Holds me up a fair bit until then, not being able to open a bank account etc, but we'll survive :P

[PurpleDaisies]

Originally Posted by fortcher

gimmemonne, are you fluent in Japanese? I'm impressed.

My Japanese is pretty basic, but I asked to open an account at the Ueno Shinsei branch this morning, with my "pre-gaijin card certificate" (because like you, my gaijin card isn't ready until 25 Sep), and they told me I'd need a gaijin card and I couldn't open the account. But perhaps if my Japanese was better I could have talked through it better etc.

Which branch did you go to?

So I'm going to return on 25 Sep and give it another go. Holds me up a fair bit until then, not being able to open a bank account etc, but we'll survive :P

]

Ok...it seems that they want the certificate of registered matters. This is NOT the gaijin card nor the paper that says thatyou are waiting for your gaijin card, but rather certificate/form provided by the city office which operates like a notorized copy of your details.

Now, seeing as you have registered and are just waiting for your gaijin card, I would think that the city should be able to issue one of these. Afterall, they should have all your details. Just fill out the application form at the city office and pay 300 yen.

[well_bicyclically]

Originally Posted by JBS3009

.....Not having an alien card is no grounds to deny people of basic human rights... and being able to rent DVDs is a basic human right!

and all those rednecks in the States are screaming when Arnold says he wants to give the illegals drivers licenses and the right to open bank accounts in CA....

[gimmemonne]

I called Shinsei Bank before I went to make sure they had an English-speaking person at the Tokyo branch. Since I gave them my Certificate on Registered Matters (cost 300 yen at the office where you registered), I couldn't get my cash card on the same day, but that was fine by me, since I had my ATM cards from the US. I've received their welcome kit through the mail, but not the cash card yet.

[New gaijin]

Originally Posted by gimmemonne

I called Shinsei Bank before I went to make sure they had an English-speaking person at the Tokyo branch. Since I gave them my Certificate on Registered Matters (cost 300 yen at the office where you registered), I couldn't get my cash card on the same day, but that was fine by me, since I had my ATM cards from the US. I've received their welcome kit through the mail, but not the cash card yet.

I also didn`t get the card on the same day. However, I got it within 3 days by post after I opened an account with them.

[fortcher]

Ah excellent info. Thx again guys.

Ok I'll go get a cert of registered matters and get the ball rolling. Otherwise I still have another 11 days until my gaijin card is ready, so that's a bit too long to wait etc.

[inflames]

Shinsei accepted me in 2006 with the certificate of registered matters. This is still Japan, so expect rules to be ignored or made up as the person you're dealing with sees fit. I got shot down from one Shinsei branch because the certificate of registered matters didn't have my post code on it (their example on the list of acceptable ID papers did have the post code on it), so they told me to go back and ask them to give me a new one with the post code on it. I went to another branch and they set up my account with no problems.

[fortcher]

Went back to my local ward office yesterday and paid 300Yen for a "Certificate of Registered Matters".

Took that today into Shinsei Tokyo and successfully opened up an account I've already logged into internet banking. Everything works!!! :P Yay.
Cheers for this thread. Card coming in the mail, takes approx 5 days max.

Nice feeling to have a local bank account finally. Will transfer some money over shortly. Next is a keitai! :P

All these experiences of doing all this administrative stuff, you learn heaps.

Note for anyone going down this path: Make sure the guy at the city ward office prints your number on the certificate. He did this for my girlfriend's but forgot to print it on mine, even though I had a number, it just wasn't printed. So I rode all the way across town to Tokyo Shinsei and they rejected me because the number was missing But my girlfriend was fine. So I had to go back and tell the city ward office guy, he apologised and issued me a new certificate Shinsei were fine with it after that.

[inflames]

Originally Posted by fortcher

Note for anyone going down this path: Make sure the guy at the city ward office prints your number on the certificate. He did this for my girlfriend's but forgot to print it on mine, even though I had a number, it just wasn't printed. So I rode all the way across town to Tokyo Shinsei and they rejected me because the number was missing But my girlfriend was fine. So I had to go back and tell the city ward office guy, he apologised and issued me a new certificate Shinsei were fine with it after that.

Ha! That's the same crap the Umeda branch pulled on me in 2006 (they said my number wasn't on it, so we switched to Japanese and it turned out it was the post code). I went to the Nanba branch and they took it without problems. One of Japan's many "rules."

[fortcher]

Heh that's a classic, I'm not the only one! Yeah it can be a real stuff around..

My "number" was my actual kind of immigrant/align person number, starting with a B... etc.

About 8 digits long I think (roughly) after the B. The same number is printed on my "Your gaijin card is coming soon" letter. I showed the bank that also, but they said it had to be printed on the Cert of Registered Matters. Heh.. :P

[inflames]

Originally Posted by fortcher

Heh that's a classic, I'm not the only one! Yeah it can be a real stuff around..

My "number" was my actual kind of immigrant/align person number, starting with a B... etc.

About 8 digits long I think (roughly) after the B. The same number is printed on my "Your gaijin card is coming soon" letter. I showed the bank that also, but they said it had to be printed on the Cert of Registered Matters. Heh.. :P

They're still imagining rules. Stuff like this is why I always show my health insurance card - most Japanese people aren't aware foreigners don't have juuminhyo and have no clue about gaijin cards. If you show them a health insurance card they just go into autopilot mode and do things without problems. The Shinsei Bank website (in Japanese) doesn't even say foreigners are required to show a gaijin card (or the certificate of registered matters) if they walk into a bank (it clearly states otherwise if you open it by mail). Also doesn't say anything about a number:

Originally Posted by 新生銀行

外国人登録原票の記載事項証明書
(原本）

発行から
6ヵ月以内

1. 氏名
2. 居住地
3. 生年月日
4. 在留の資格
5. 在留期間

http://www.shinseibank.com/powerflex.../index.html#17

If you can't read Japanese it says the certificate needs to say one's name, address, birthday, residency status and term of residence (unless one is a special permanent resident). Nothing about some number.