⚡ 30-second answer: Mortgage 0.4-0.7% (variable) or 1.5-2.5% (fixed), Education 2.0-3.5%, Business 1.5-3.0%. Permanent residency or spouse visa nearly required. SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star, Rakuten, Prestia, Mizuho, MUFG are common windows. Standard underwriting: ¥4M+ income, 1-3 years employment, 2-5 years Japan residency.
Quick reference
Value
Mortgage variable rate
0.4-0.7%
Mortgage 35-yr fixed
1.5-2.5%
Education loan
2.0-3.5%
Business loan
1.5-3.0%
PR requirement
Generally required
Last verified
June 2026
📖4 min read
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Contents📖 ~4 min read
30-Second Answer
When foreigners apply for Japanese loans, banks evaluate five items: visa status, income, employment tenure, Japan residency length, and credit history. With permanent residency or a Japanese spouse visa, you get near-Japanese terms. Otherwise, banks with "foreigner desks" (SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star, Prestia, Rakuten, Sony) handle case-by-case. Mortgages run 0.4-0.7% variable, 1.5-2.5% on 35-year fixed (June 2026, trending up with BOJ rate hikes). Education loans: Japan Finance Corp's national education loan is 2.4% fixed, private 2.0-3.5%. Business loans: Japan Finance Corp 1.5-2.5%, private 2.0-3.5%. Auto loans run 1.5-3.0%. Common rejection reasons: "less than 1-year residency," "under 6 months employment," "income under ¥3M," "card cash advance history," "frequent address changes."
Major Banks and Loans Top 12
#
Bank
Loan type
Rate / Terms
1
SBI Shinsei Bank
Mortgage
Variable 0.4-0.6% / PR OK
2
Tokyo Star Bank
Mortgage
Variable 0.5-0.8% / Foreigner-friendly
3
Prestia
Mortgage / Education
Variable 0.6-0.9% / English
4
Rakuten Bank
Mortgage
Variable 0.6-0.9% / Online
5
Sony Bank
Mortgage
Variable 0.5-0.7% / PR
6
Mizuho Bank
General
Variable 0.4-0.7% / PR
7
MUFG Bank
General
Variable 0.4-0.7% / PR
8
SMBC
General
Variable 0.4-0.7% / PR
9
Japan Finance Corp
Business / Education
Fixed 1.5-2.5%
10
National Education Loan
Education
Fixed 2.4%
11
SBI Sumishin Net
Mortgage / Card
Variable 0.4-0.7%
12
ORIX Bank
Investment property
Variable 1.5-2.5%
Cost Breakdown
Typical loan-related costs:
Mortgage variable rate: 0.4-0.7%/year
Mortgage 10-year fixed: 1.0-1.5%/year
Mortgage 35-year fixed: 1.5-2.5%/year
Education loan (national): 2.4% fixed/year
Education loan (private): 2.0-3.5%/year
Auto loan: 1.5-3.0%/year
Card loan: 3.0-14.5%/year
Business loan (JFC): 1.5-2.5%/year
Business loan (private): 2.0-3.5%/year
Origination fee: 2.2% of principal or ¥30,000-¥330,000 flat
Guarantee fee: 0-2.0% of principal
Group credit life insurance: +0-0.3% on rate
Stamp tax: ¥10,000-¥60,000
Mortgage registration: 0.4% of principal (0.1% with relief)
Total cost = rate + fees. Budget 2-5% of principal in initial costs, plus 0.4-3.5% annual carry.
Support for Foreigners
English-speaking windows: SBI Shinsei, Prestia (Citi lineage), Tokyo Star, Rakuten, MUFG Global Direct. Address, income, and employment proofs must be in Japanese in principle, with English attachments accepted by more banks now. Sending down payments or principal via Wise/OFX/Revolut to land as JPY saves 0.3-1.5% vs SWIFT. Overseas employment/salary raises underwriting bars — apply once you have Japan employment and yen income. Standard documentation: 2-3 years of withholding statements, resident tax notices, tax returns. For conversation support, admin scriveners and financial planners charge ¥10,000-¥50,000.
