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This article may contain affiliate linksLearn moreCan foreigners open a Rakuten Securities NISA in Japan?
Published on January 18, 2026
Updated on July 27, 2026
Author:JapanLifeStart Editorial Team
Money & Cards
Updated against official, partner, and reviewed site evidence where available.
Last updated: July 27, 2026
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Short answer: If you already live in Japan with a residence card and a Japanese address, you can usually start a Rakuten Securities account and then apply for NISA — but approval depends on the broker's KYC, not on this guide. Tourists without a residence card should not treat NISA as available.
English screens help for parts of the flow, yet name spelling (middle name / katakana) and My Number document matching are where most applications stall. Use the checklist below, then open the official application path only after your documents match. Leaving Japan later has separate tax and account rules; read that section before you invest long-term.
Residence card + Japan address ready? Open the official application and confirm NISA eligibility there. This page does not approve accounts.
To give you the conclusion first: Even if you are a foreign national, as long as you are a legal "Resident" of Japan, you can open a Rakuten Securities NISA account just like a Japanese citizen.
However, not everyone can open one immediately. The most critical hurdle is the "6-Month Rule."
Under Japanese law (Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act), foreigners who have been in Japan for less than 6 months are generally treated as "Non-Residents." Consequently, you cannot open a NISA account, or even a standard brokerage account.
The strictness of this rule depends on the type of Residence Status (Visa) you hold.
The biggest reason many foreigners fail the Rakuten Securities screening or give up halfway is "Document Deficiencies" and "Name Input Errors."
If you don't have the following three items on hand, you cannot complete the application.
This is the biggest difficulty. For security reasons, Rakuten Securities requires that "Name on Residence Card (Romaji)," "Registered Katakana," and "Bank Account/Credit Card Name" match completely. If they don't, you will get an error.
Especially for those with middle names, the following troubles occur frequently.
SMITH JOHN DAVIDSMITH JOHNDAVID (Spaces removed due to character limit)My name was shortened when I made my credit card because it was too long. I can't believe this is causing a NISA error...
When applying for Rakuten Securities, always input your name exactly as it appears on your Residence Card in Romaji (or official Katakana).
If you encounter an error when setting up Rakuten Card accumulation, look for the recently added "Manual Input" option. Instead of automatic linkage, there is a trick where you can pass the verification by manually entering the name as it appears on the card face (including spacing rules).
Also, when creating the Rakuten Card itself, you need to be careful about name rules. We explain this in detail in the article below.
【Practical Guide】Rakuten Card Application Steps: Tips for English Input & How to Pass Screening
Even with the procedural difficulties, the benefits of choosing Rakuten Securities are significant.
When buying mutual funds in the NISA "Tsumitate Investing Framework," you get points if you pay with a Rakuten Card.
If you purchase mutual funds of ¥30,000 or more per month in your NISA account (including using points), your point multiplier for shopping on Rakuten Ichiba increases for that month. This is advantageous when buying souvenirs for home or daily necessities.
Rakuten Securities does not support English, but it uses many icons and graphs, so it is fully operable using Google Chrome's auto-translate function.
If you don't have a Rakuten Card yet, be sure to make one before applying for NISA. Without the card, the benefits of Rakuten Securities are halved.
No annual fee forever. The essential card to earn points on NISA investments.
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A problem foreigners cannot avoid is: "What happens to the NISA account when I leave Japan?" If you don't understand this, in the worst-case scenario, you may be unable to withdraw your assets.
If you leave Japan and become a "Non-Resident" (removing your resident registry), you generally must Close (sell all) your NISA account or transfer assets to a taxable account.
If you leave without doing anything, you face the following risks:
Only if you can prove you will return to Japan within 5 years (e.g., company transfer order), you can keep holding your NISA assets tax-free. However, you cannot make new purchases (accumulate) while overseas.
In the most common case of "returning to your home country permanently," please use the following exit strategy.
【Smart Remittance Method】 Sending money from a Japanese bank to overseas involves fees of several thousand yen and poor exchange rates. By using Wise, you can move funds to your home country up to 8x cheaper than banks using the real exchange rate.
Register for Wise for free with a referral bonus here
For a comparison of remittance services when leaving Japan, please refer to the following article.
【Fee Comparison】Top 4 Services to Send Money from Japan: Wise, SBI Remit, Revolut, & Bank Transfer
US Citizens (including Green Card holders) need to be extra careful.
For US citizens, it is generally said to be safer for tax purposes to avoid Japanese mutual funds (even in NISA) and buy individual stocks or use a US brokerage firm (like Interactive Brokers).
We have summarized frequently asked questions. Be especially careful about the procedures when returning home, as many people panic just before leaving the country.
Q. Does Rakuten Securities have English support? A. No, they do not. The call center is also Japanese only. If you are not confident in Japanese, we recommend going through the procedure with a Japanese friend or someone who can support with translation.
Q. Can I do NISA without making a My Number Card? A. The My Number (the number itself) is mandatory, but you can open an account with just a "Notification Card" and a "Photo ID (Residence Card)" even without the plastic card. However, the process is smoother with a My Number Card if you use eKYC (smartphone identity verification).
Q. What about taxes on NISA when I return to my home country? A. Within Japan, selling inside a NISA account is tax-free. However, depending on the tax laws of your home country after you return, you may be taxed in your home country on profits gained in Japan.
For foreign residents, NISA at Rakuten Securities offers significant benefits through point rewards and is a powerful tool for asset formation in Japan. Once you clear the "6-Month Rule" and "Name Input," your assets will pile up automatically every month.
Start by applying for the essential NISA items: "Rakuten Card" and "Rakuten Securities." Even if there are deficiencies, they can be corrected. Taking action is the first step toward asset formation.
Popular NISA account for beginners. Application complete in as little as 5 minutes!
Before NISA
This internal guide does not judge eligibility or tax treatment; it groups phone-number and bank-account setup tasks before you apply.
Related money task
This internal guide does not decide individual eligibility; it helps organize document prep and software options.
Open the tax return software guideYou might need this information again. Bookmark this page to access it anytime.
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A: Often yes, if you are a tax resident with a residence card, My Number, and a registered Japanese address. Rakuten Securities decides approval through its own KYC — this guide does not. You typically need a Japanese bank account for transfers. Confirm current requirements on the official application.
A: Prepare your residence card, Japan address, and consistent name spelling first. Visa type alone is not enough to claim approval. Some students may qualify after meeting residency and broker rules, but confirm on the official Rakuten Securities flow before applying.
A: Expect mixed English and Japanese screens. Plan for Japanese name fields and document uploads, and do not assume a 100% English end-to-end flow. Check the official Rakuten Securities site for the latest language support before you start.
A: Your residence card, bank account, and My Number records must use matching name spellings. A middle name, extra space, or katakana mismatch is a common reason applications are rejected or sent back for correction.
A: Do not assume your NISA can continue unchanged after you lose Japanese tax residency. Account and tax treatment can change when you leave. Read the leave-Japan section in this guide and verify with official tax and broker guidance before large contributions.
CEO / Native Japanese Expert
Updated on: July 27, 2026
※ The information in this article is accurate as of the time of writing. Laws and regulations may change, so please always check official sources for the latest information. We assume no liability for any damages resulting from the content of this article.