💗 Life & Wellbeing
Budget SIM, Bank Account, My Number — Your First 3 Procedures in Japan
What to do within your first month: the right order and the costs
📖 7 min read📅 2026-06-29
"You can't open an account without an address," they told her.
Phuong (25) from Hanoi, Vietnam arrived in Japan on a Thursday in September 2024. She took a bus from Narita Airport to her company dormitory in Chiba, with work starting the very next day.
She had her smartphone. But with no Japanese SIM card, she had zero mobile data. Wi-Fi only worked in the dorm's shared space. The company told her, "Your salary is paid by bank transfer, so please open an account soon" — but she didn't know how to operate a Japanese bank ATM, what documents she needed, anything.
On Monday, she went to a Japan Post Bank (Yucho) counter. "Please bring your Residence Card and proof of address," they said. She didn't know what would count as proof of address, and went home that day empty-handed.
The following week, a senior coworker told her that her My Number notice had arrived. "Things get easier once you have this," he said.
In the end, it took Phuong three weeks to finish all three procedures. "If I'd known the right order, I could have done it in one," she realized afterward.
A budget SIM, a bank account, and My Number — these three are the first steps in building your life infrastructure in Japan. Get the order wrong, and the time and hassle double. Here's the right order, with the concrete steps.
01.[Step 1] Resident registration (city office) — required within 14 days of arrival
Take your Residence Card to the city/ward/town office for your address and complete resident registration. Once your residency certificate (Juminhyo) is issued, you can use it for both the bank account and the My Number application. Cost: free. Time: 30–60 minutes. Weekdays 9:00–17:00. Some offices also have Sunday counters.
02.[Step 2] Sign up for a budget SIM — IIJmio or LINEMO
IIJmio (from ¥850/month, 2GB plan) is easy for foreigners to sign up for, and with eSIM support there's no store visit needed. LINEMO (¥990/month, 3GB plan) doesn't count LINE data usage — handy for contacting family. Required: Residence Card and a credit card (or debit card). Having your residency certificate makes things smoother.
03.[Step 3] Open a bank account — SBI Sumishin Net Bank or Japan Post Bank (Yucho)
SBI Sumishin Net Bank can be opened entirely from the smartphone app — no branch visit — and links easily with PayPay. Japan Post Bank lets you withdraw money anywhere in Japan, and you can open an account at any post office. Required: Residence Card and residency certificate (or a utility bill). Right after arrival, the residency certificate is your most reliable proof of address. Opening an account can take 1–2 weeks.
04.[Step 4] Receive your My Number notice and check your number
After resident registration, a "My Number notification card" or "Individual Number notice" arrives by mail within about 1–2 weeks. You'll use it for submitting paperwork to your company, tax filing, and opening some bank accounts. Take a photo of the notice with your phone so you don't lose it.
05.[Step 5] Apply for a My Number Card (optional)
The My Number Card is an all-purpose card usable as ID, proof of address, and for e-Tax (tax returns). You can apply from your smartphone (via the Myna Portal app) and pick the card up at the city office. It takes about 4–8 weeks from application to pickup. Cost: free. It comes in handy for tax returns and bank procedures.
06.[When done] Give your bank account number and My Number to your company
Your company will ask you to register your bank account and submit your My Number. Companies collect My Number as a tax obligation — you cannot refuse to submit it. Give them the number on your Individual Number notice, or the 12-digit number printed on your notification card.
Phuong, having learned to do resident registration first and then the bank and SIM, now tells every newcomer who arrives after her: "Whatever you do, go to the city office for Step 1 first." On GloJob, you can ask a career advisor about post-arrival support.
