Hi all, Japanese national living in France here. Bit of a cautionary tale.
I was dumb and left money sitting in my SMBC account after moving abroad in 2024, without updating my address to my parents’. My マイナンバー also reflects that I've left Japan. My account ended up restricted, and I could only deal with it in person during a visit back to Japan.
The 外国送金 process takes about a week from application to confirmation, and I can't extend my stay that long. I'm currently withdrawing cash daily but the ATM limit is only ¥500k/day. So I'm leaving with a significant amount still stuck.
To make things worse, part of the funds are in a euro-denominated sub-account within SMBC. Due to the restrictions, I can’t transfer them to the main yen account. SMBC tells me the only way to move that money out is through the 外国送金 process itself.
Wise was also a dead end, same 本人確認 issue as with SMBC.
A few questions:
- Would updating my address to my parents' before leaving have avoided this? Or is the マイナンバー showing I've left the real issue?
- Has anyone dealt with SMBC restrictions as a non-resident and found a way to resolve them remotely, or via 代理人 with 委任状?
- Is there any Japanese bank more non-resident friendly for 外国送金, ideally without requiring physical presence?
- Any other options for moving JPY out of Japan as a non-resident?
Thanks in advance, would love to know if others have been through this.
by Dalamar7