Buying a Home in Japan Without Permanent Residency: 5 Banks That Lend

Information current as of May 2026 based on each bank's published eligibility text. The base assumption: you have a valid 在留カード on a mid-to-long-term status (work, business manager, spouse, HSP, etc.) and are not on 短期滞在. This is general financial information, not advice — verify all bank policies on the live page before applying.

The narrative that "you can't buy a house in Japan without PR" is wrong. The narrative that "Flat 35 makes it easy" is also wrong (as of the JHF FAQ #308 update). The correct picture is in between: a small but serviceable menu of lenders, each with its own eligibility model, and a higher-than-average documentation burden.

Why PR matters so much to Japanese banks

Mortgage underwriting is fundamentally a 35-year-horizon decision. Without PR, your right to remain in Japan is contingent on continued visa renewals, employer sponsorship, and (for some statuses) a Japanese spouse. Banks treat this as elevated risk because:

• If you leave Japan with the property, the bank must enforce on a non-resident borrower (legally complex)
• If your visa is denied at renewal, you may be forced to sell or default
• If you become 非居住者 for tax purposes, several lender protections (滞納 collection, seizure) get harder
• Default rates on non-PR mortgages have historically been higher than on PR mortgages (industry consensus, not bank-published)

None of these are absolute barriers — they're underwriting frictions. Lenders that have figured out the operational handling (PRESTIA, Tokyo Star, SBI Shinsei, Suruga, Asuka) underwrite the risk and lend.

Lender deep-dive

SMBC Trust Bank PRESTIA — for high earners

PRESTIA is the foreign-resident specialist among major banks. Per FAQ #144, foreign nationals with any mid/long-term 在留資格 (excluding 短期滞在) can apply without PR. Key conditions:

• Age 18+ at borrowing, ≤80 at final repayment
• Prior-year income ≥¥10,000,000 (¥10M)
• Group credit life insurance enrollment required
• Guarantor generally not required
• Japanese OR English communication accepted

The ¥10M income floor is the critical filter. Some practitioner blogs cite a "¥5M floor" — that figure is contradicted by PRESTIA's own current FAQ. Use the issuer-published number.

Tokyo Star Bank — most accessible non-PR product

Tokyo Star Bank's スター住宅ローン is explicitly named "永住権のない外国籍の方向け" (for foreign nationals without permanent residency) and is the most explicit policy in the market. Conditions:

• Age 20–69 at application, ≤80 at repayment
• 正社員 (full-time regular employee) ≤40 years old AND ≥1 year tenure AND 税込年収 ≥¥3M, OR
• ≥40 years old AND 税込年収 ≥¥4M
• Loan amount ¥500,000–¥100,000,000
• Maximum term 35 years
• Variable rate 1.40%–3.00% (as of April 2026)
• −1.10% all-period discount if salary deposit account at Tokyo Star Bank
• No 保証会社 (no guarantee fee)
• No 繰上返済手数料 (no prepayment fee)
• Possible rate reduction after PR is later granted (re-screening required)

The exclusion of 契約社員, 派遣社員, and self-employed is notable — Tokyo Star wants 正社員. If you're not 正社員, the next best non-PR options are PRESTIA or Suruga.

SBI Shinsei Bank — works with Japanese spouse

Per SBI Shinsei FAQ #563, non-PR foreigners can apply only if:

• Their spouse is a Japanese national or PR-holder, AND
• The spouse joins the loan as 連帯保証人 (joint guarantor)
• Spouse's repayment capacity is also assessed

This is the right path for international families where one spouse is Japanese. The spouse's salary is added to the underwriting consideration, which often improves the approved loan amount substantially. Note: if you later divorce, the spouse remains as 連帯保証人 unless you refinance — see our divorce in Japan guide for the visa-and-finance interactions.

Suruga Bank Dream-J

Suruga's Dream-J is designed for foreign residents whose Japanese reading capability is sufficient for the product documentation. Suruga is a regional bank (headquartered in Shizuoka) but the product is available nationwide via online application. Eligibility is less rigid than PRESTIA but interest rates run higher.

Asuka Shinkumi

Tokyo-area 信用組合 with a published 永住権のない外国籍 product. Smaller scale, useful for 23-ward Tokyo deals where larger banks declined. Personal-relationship banking — expect to visit a branch and talk to a loan officer.

Other paths worth knowing

• Mizuho (永住申請中 borrowers): Mizuho's FAQ #5299 states that the ネット住宅ローン product does not accept 永住申請中 borrowers, but physical branches and Loan Consulting Squares may handle these cases on a 個別 basis. If your PR application is pending and you have a strong income/employer profile, an in-person branch consultation is worth the visit.
• SMBC (三井住友銀行) and MUFG (三菱UFJ) — generally PR-required, but practitioner-reported case-by-case exceptions exist for borrowers with Japanese spouse, 5+ years in Japan, or 3+ years tenure at the same Japanese employer. These are not on the bank's product page; ask at a branch with full documentation.
• Local 信用金庫 (shinkin banks) — small regional banks, often more flexible than national majors, but require Japanese-language communication. Useful for non-Tokyo deals.
• Real-estate-developer-arranged financing — some major developers (Mitsui, Mitsubishi Estate) have preferred-lender relationships and can sometimes get non-PR deals through with banks that don't publicly accept non-PR. Ask the developer's sales team.

Documents you'll need (more than PR holders)

Non-PR applications require everything a PR application does, plus:

• Passport (full passport, not just a copy)
• 在留カード with at least 1+ year remaining (most banks want 3+ years remaining for a 35-year loan)
• 住民票 with all family listed
• 2–3 years of 源泉徴収票 or 確定申告書 — non-PR underwriting wants longer income history
• 住民税課税証明書 for the past 2 years
• 在職証明書 with salary, position, hire date
• Employer profile materials if your employer is small or foreign-owned (some banks ask for the company's 登記事項証明書)
• If applicable: 永住申請受付票 — proof of pending PR application. Does not change formal eligibility but improves underwriter sentiment

The down-payment reality check

The 20–30% practitioner-consensus down payment is a real expectation. For a ¥50,000,000 home, that's ¥10–15M in cash, plus another ¥3–4M for closing costs. Banks generally do not approve thin-equity non-PR mortgages.

If you don't have the down payment yet, the realistic options are:

• Wait until you have it (most common)
• Buy a smaller property where 30% down is achievable
• Wait until PR is granted (typically 10 years from arrival on standard route, or 1–3 years on HSP route — see our PR routes guide)
• Take SBI Shinsei with Japanese spouse (combined income may qualify for higher LTV)

Common scenarios

Scenario 1: Single foreigner, work visa, ¥7M income

Below PRESTIA's ¥10M floor; doesn't fit Tokyo Star (needs 正社員 ≤40 with ¥3M+, but PRESTIA-style premium product not accessible). Suruga Dream-J or a local 信用組合 are realistic. Down payment 25–30% expected.

Scenario 2: Married to Japanese national, ¥6M income

SBI Shinsei is the cleanest option: spouse joins as 連帯保証人, combined-income underwriting. Down payment 15–20%. Tokyo Star and Suruga are also options.

Scenario 3: HSP visa holder, ¥15M income, 2 years in Japan

PRESTIA fits cleanly. Tokyo Star also works. Consider waiting 1 year for HSP-fast-track PR approval (1 year for 80+ point applicants), which opens the full PR-mortgage menu (Mizuho, Sumitomo, Sony Bank).

Scenario 4: Self-employed with 3 years 確定申告

Tokyo Star excludes self-employed. PRESTIA accepts but ¥10M income is hard for many self-employed. Suruga Dream-J or 信用組合 are the realistic paths. Expect 30–40% down payment.

Tax implications

Foreign residents who file Japanese income tax can claim 住宅ローン控除 — eligibility hinges on 居住者 status, not nationality. Move into the property within 6 months of acquisition and continue residing through December 31 each year. References:

• NTA Tax Answer 1211-1 — 住宅借入金等特別控除
• NTA Tax Answer 1234 — 非居住者期間の取扱い

If you become 非居住者 mid-loan (extended overseas assignment, departure from Japan), the deduction stops for the non-resident period. A narrow exception preserves the deduction if a 生計を一にする親族 continues to reside in the home — verify with a 税理士 before relying on it.

What to do now

1. Pull your KSC report. If your bureau record has any past 異動, your application will be much harder. See our credit bureau guide.
2. Verify your 在留カード has 3+ years remaining. If not, wait for renewal first.
3. Pre-screen at your top lender choice (事前審査). This is non-binding, takes 3–7 days, and tells you the realistic loan amount before you commit to a property.
4. If pre-screen fails, try a second lender with a different angle (e.g., from PRESTIA to Tokyo Star to SBI Shinsei). Each pre-screen is logged but not heavily weighted.
5. Once approved, schedule the formal signing with translation help. 重要事項説明 and 売買契約 must be understood in detail.

The pre-screening forms and 重要事項説明書 are dense Japanese — even fluent speakers benefit from a second pair of eyes. Posting on LO-PAL connects you with a Japanese-speaking helper who can review documents in advance and sit on a video call during the bank meeting. Free to ask; you only pay if you accept task help.

Related articles

• Credit, Loans, and Mortgages in Japan for Foreigners (2026)
• Mortgage Guide for Foreigners (2026)
• Japan PR Routes by Visa Type
• Japan Spouse Visa Application (2026)

Get the Bank Paperwork Reviewed by a Local

The 事前審査, 重要事項説明書, and loan agreement at a Japanese bank are dense Japanese documents — and one wrong tick box can delay your home purchase by weeks. Post your question on LO-PAL for free: a local Japanese person can read through your bank's product page, explain non-PR-specific clauses, and accompany you to the signing. You only pay if you accept hands-on task help.