Home Loans for Foreigners in Japan: Flat 35, Banks, Rates

This article is part of the Zagdim wiki series on buying property in Japan. It sets out what a foreigner needs to know about getting a home loan in Japan: who can use Flat 35, how private banks decide, whether income earned abroad counts, where interest rates stand, and what changes if you pay cash instead. It is written for readers who live overseas or who already work in Japan and are thinking of buying a home there.

A foreigner can apply for a home loan in Japan, but whether you get one, and from which lender, depends on your residence status and on the lender. As of September 2026, the only home loan with officially published borrower conditions is Flat 35 (フラット35) from the Japan Housing Finance Agency. Applicants must be Japanese nationals, permanent residents or special permanent residents, and the home must be lived in by the borrower or a relative.

Private banks set their own conditions for foreigners and for people who live overseas, and there is no official common standard. Some banks publish products that non-permanent residents can apply for. For people living outside Japan, the only bank among those checked that publishes application conditions is Tokyo Star Bank, with a real estate investment loan, not a standard loan for an owner-occupied home.

Six Key Points First

• Flat 35 is limited to Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents. Foreigners on a work visa or another residence status do not qualify.
• Private banks decide for themselves. Conditions are in each bank’s product description and can change at any time. If you are not a permanent resident, look for products that publicly accept non-permanent residents.
• For people living overseas, few options are published. Among the banks checked, the one that publishes conditions is Tokyo Star Bank, whose real estate investment loan “Tokyo Lucky Star” (東京招福星) is designed for residents of Taiwan and Hong Kong and carries a variable rate.
• How overseas income is recognized is mostly unpublished. Flat 35 leaves it to the handling financial institution, and most private banks do not say.
• Variable rates dominate, and the policy rate is now about 1.25%. Variable-rate loans made up 83.5% of new mortgage amounts in fiscal 2024. The Bank of Japan’s policy rate has been about 1.25% since September 24, 2026, but the policy rate is not a mortgage rate.
• A loan affects taxes and fees. The home loan tax credit is built around the borrower living in the home (with an exception for family members moving in when the borrower is transferred for work). The registration and licence tax on a mortgage and the stamp duty on the loan contract are costs that only a loan creates.

What Is Flat 35, and Who Can Apply?

Flat 35 is a long-term fixed-rate home loan of up to 35 years, offered by the Japan Housing Finance Agency (an independent administrative institution) together with private financial institutions. You apply through a handling financial institution (取扱金融機関, a bank or other lender that offers Flat 35), not directly to the agency. Each handling institution sets its own interest rate and loan handling fee.

The main published conditions below are as of April 1, 2026.

Two points deserve attention early. First, the agency periodically checks that the borrower or a relative actually lives in the home, for example by sending mail marked not to be forwarded. If a home is found to be rented to a third party or used for investment, the whole loan must be repaid at once. Second, if someone who is not a permanent resident or special permanent resident obtains a loan and this is discovered later, the whole loan must likewise be repaid at once.

The agency’s flyer for foreign applicants (version as of April 1, 2020) also warns readers to be very careful about pitches claiming that Flat 35 can be used without permanent residency. And even when you meet every condition in the table, the screening result may not be what you hoped for.

Where Can You Borrow Without Permanent Residency, or While Living Abroad?

It depends on your status. Flat 35 accepts only Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents, while private banks each have their own conditions. The examples below are published in the banks’ own product descriptions (viewed at the end of September 2026). Conditions can change at any time, so check each bank’s latest notice.

• Permanent residents and special permanent residents. In terms of status, you can apply for Flat 35. For bank products, for example, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank’s home loan product description (as of June 17, 2026) requires applicants to be Japanese nationals or foreign nationals with permanent residence permission. Whether special permanent residents count as having “permanent residence permission” depends on each bank’s wording. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s special page, for example, says it checks that the residence status field shows “permanent resident” or “special permanent resident.” Age, group credit life insurance and other conditions still follow each product.
• Other residence statuses, living in Japan. You do not qualify for Flat 35, but some banks publish plans for non-permanent residents. For example, SMBC Trust Bank’s FAQ (updated October 3, 2025) states that foreign customers living in Japan with a residence status other than short-term stay can apply without permanent residency, with conditions that include annual income of 10 million yen or more in the previous year. Tokyo Star Bank also has an owner-occupied home loan designed for foreign nationals without permanent residency (see the example below).
• Living in Taiwan or Hong Kong, not in Japan. For standard owner-occupied home loans, the published conditions at, for example, Rakuten Bank (as of September 8, 2026) require you to live in Japan with a resident registration and to be in Japan when signing the contract. Sony Bank states that a customer with Japanese nationality who moves abroad cannot newly apply for a home loan either. The one product with published application conditions is Tokyo Star Bank’s “Tokyo Lucky Star” in its Taiwan-resident and Hong Kong-resident versions, which is a real estate investment loan with a variable rate.
• Japanese nationals or permanent residents who live abroad long term. Flat 35 says only that people posted overseas who are expected to return and be able to live in the home, and whose contract procedures the handling institution judges to be unproblematic, can apply for an owner-occupied home. For people who live abroad long term and have no plan to return to Japan, there is currently no published route to Flat 35.

The difference between permanent residence and other statuses in the system is this: a permanent resident’s period of stay has no limit, while work-type statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services are granted for a period of stay of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months each time. The banks do not publish why they make permanent residence a condition.

Which bank’s published conditions fit you depends on your residence status, where you live, your income and how the home will be used.

**Example: Ms. Zhang, Working in Tokyo**

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Ms. Zhang is a foreign national on an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, a full-time employee at a company in Tokyo, and she wants to buy a condominium to live in. She does not hold permanent residence permission, so she does not qualify for Flat 35, nor for bank products that require Japanese nationality or permanent residence permission.

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She can compare products that publicly accept non-permanent residents. For example, Tokyo Star Bank’s “Star Home Loan (for foreign nationals without permanent residency)” (as of November 4, 2025) lists these conditions: living in Japan, able to read and write Japanese, aged 25 to 65; able to prove with official documents at least 1 year of work as a full-time employee; pre-tax annual income of 4 million yen or more, or 3 million yen or more for a full-time employee aged 40 or under; a property in a major metropolitan area, used as the home of the borrower or family members who share a household.

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She would check her own length of service, income, Japanese ability and property location line by line against each bank’s latest product description. Whether a loan is approved is decided by the bank’s screening.

For more detail, see the related article “Can Foreigners Get a Mortgage in Japan? Permanent Residents, Work Visas and Non-Residents Compared.”

What Do Banks Look At When They Screen an Application?

More than 90% of the financial institutions responding list age, health, income, length of employment, the collateral value of the home and the repayment burden as screening items. Nationality is also a screening item. In a survey published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in March 2026, the share of the 994 private financial institutions that answered and treat each item as a screening item was as follows:

• Age at the time of final repayment 98.4%, age at borrowing 96.2%, health 96.1%
• Annual income 94.2%, length of employment (勤続年数) 93.9%
• Collateral valuation 91.0%, repayment burden ratio 90.9%
• Nationality 80.6%

The 80.6% is the share of institutions that include nationality in screening, not a rejection rate. The survey gives only four options under nationality: Japanese nationality, permanent residence permission or special permanent resident, spouse of a Japanese national, and other. It does not list residence status, living abroad or overseas income as screening items. How individual banks treat these points has to be checked in each bank’s own explanation.

• Repayment burden. Flat 35 publishes a total repayment ratio cap of 30% or 35%. There is no official published standard for private banks. Rakuten Bank, for example, lists 30% to 35% or less in its product description, with the exact cap decided at screening.
• Down payment. Flat 35 publishes no minimum down payment ratio, and the loan may not exceed the purchase price. When the loan-to-value ratio exceeds 90%, the rate is higher and screening is also more cautious. There is currently no official published standard for how much down payment private banks require of foreigners.
• Credit history. Japan has 3 credit information agencies (信用情報機関, organizations that record loan and credit card repayment history), and they share information such as delinquencies with one another. There is currently no published mechanism by which Japanese financial institutions look up credit records from Taiwan or Hong Kong.

For more detail, see the related article “What Do Japanese Banks Look at When Screening Mortgages? Income, Residence Status, Credit and Down Payment.”

Can Income Earned Abroad Be Used to Apply?

Whether income earned abroad counts, and how it is converted, is left to the handling financial institution for Flat 35, and most private banks do not publish it. Among the banks checked, only Tokyo Star Bank’s non-resident loan states that official proof of income from Taiwan or Hong Kong is converted at the exchange rate at the time of application.

For Flat 35, annual income is in principle recognized from a Japanese official certificate for the year before applying, such as the resident tax certificate issued by a city, ward, town or village. For a permanent resident or similar who is posted overseas, how annual income is calculated at application must be checked with the handling financial institution.

The income documents that private banks publish are Japanese tax and salary documents. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, for example, lists the withholding tax slip (源泉徴収票, the Japanese salary withholding statement), or a final tax return together with a tax payment certificate.

**Example: Mr. He, Living in Hong Kong**

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Mr. He holds a Hong Kong identity card, earns his income in Hong Kong, and wants to buy an apartment in Tokyo for himself and his family to stay in when they visit Japan. He is not a permanent resident, so he does not qualify for Flat 35, and the published conditions for standard owner-occupied loans, at Rakuten Bank for example, require living in Japan.

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He can compare the Hong Kong-resident version of Tokyo Star Bank’s “Tokyo Lucky Star” (as of April 1, 2025). It is aimed at people who do not live in Japan, hold a Hong Kong identity card, earn their main income in Hong Kong and can submit official proof of income. The thresholds are annual income of 15 million yen or more in the previous year, or net assets of 45 million yen or more, converted into yen at the bank’s exchange rate at the time of application. It is a real estate investment loan, and permitted uses include a second home. The loan amount is at least 20 million yen, the term is up to 25 years, the rate is variable, and the administrative handling fee is 2.0% of the loan amount. The Taiwan-resident version has different thresholds and fees, so the two cannot be applied to each other.

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A foreigner is in principle presumed to be a non-resident under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, and a non-resident who acquires Japanese real estate must file a report within 20 days, whether paying cash or borrowing. He would first confirm the conditions and costs of this kind of loan, then compare them with paying cash.

For more detail, see the related article “Can Overseas Income Qualify for a Japanese Mortgage? Bank Documents, Exchange Rates and Income Stability.”

Fixed or Variable Rates, and Where Are Rates Now?

Japanese mortgage rates come in three types, which differ in how long the rate stays fixed. There is no standard answer on which to choose; it depends on how much change in your repayments you can absorb if rates rise. Where things stand now: for Flat 35 (fixed for the whole term) disbursed in October 2026, with the agency’s group credit life insurance, a loan term of 21 to 35 years and a loan-to-value ratio of 90% or less, the rate most handling institutions use is at most 3.830% a year (3.460% in September). The Bank of Japan’s policy rate has been about 1.25% since September 24, 2026.

As of September 2026, official data does not show different rules for foreign borrowers when they choose a rate type.

The rate on a variable-rate loan is generally reviewed every six months, and the monthly repayment is generally reviewed every 5 years, depending on each bank’s contract. Many variable-rate mortgages set the “5-year rule” (5年ルール, the monthly repayment is recalculated only every 5 years) and the “125% rule” (125％ルール, the recalculated repayment is capped at 1.25 times the previous one) at signing. These are contract terms, not law, and some banks do not use them; Sony Bank is one example. When rates rise sharply, interest above the repayment amount becomes unpaid interest (未払利息). It does not disappear; unless paid separately, it accumulates until the end of repayment.

What borrowers actually choose: of new mortgage amounts made by private financial institutions in fiscal 2024, variable-rate loans were 83.5%, fixed-for-a-selected-period loans 9.5%, fixed-for-the-whole-term loans 2.0%, and securitized loans such as Flat 35 4.9% (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism survey). In the Japan Housing Finance Agency’s online survey of January 2026, of respondents who borrowed between April and September 2025, 75.0% chose variable, 14.9% fixed for a selected period and 10.1% fixed for the whole term.

Flat 35 is a whole-term fixed loan, at the rate in effect when the loan is disbursed. For October 2026 disbursement with the agency’s group credit life insurance, the rate for terms of 21 to 35 years and a loan-to-value ratio of 90% or less is 3.830% to 5.840% a year, and the rate most handling institutions use is 3.830% a year (in September: 3.460% to 5.690%, most commonly 3.460%). This is the range offered by the various handling institutions and does not mean anyone can obtain that rate.

On the policy rate, the Bank of Japan decided on September 18, 2026 to raise it to about 1.25% from September 24. Since the 0 to 0.1% range of March 2024, it has been raised in steps to 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1.0% and now about 1.25%. The policy rate is the target for the interbank overnight rate and is not a mortgage rate.

After policy rate rises, the rates on existing variable-rate mortgages have also risen. The Bank of Japan’s April 2026 report observed that after the two rises in July 2024 and January 2025, the applicable rate on most variable-rate mortgages rose by 0.15 and 0.25 percentage points respectively. On September 18, 2026, the Bank of Japan said it would continue to raise the policy rate depending on economic, price and financial conditions. That is the bank’s statement on the day, not a forecast of mortgage rates.

For variable-rate and fixed-for-a-selected-period loans, banks in principle explain in writing, by the time of signing at the latest, how the rate changes, how repayments are adjusted and what happens after the fixed period, and they calculate repayments at a rate different from the one at borrowing. This is an agreement within the banking industry, and the Financial Services Agency’s supervisory guidelines refer to it. Once you have the explanation, look first at how much the monthly repayment would rise if rates rise.

For more detail, see the related article “How to Choose Between Fixed and Variable Rates in Japan: Mortgage Costs and Risk Trade-Offs.”

Cash or a Loan: What Actually Differs?

The differences are mainly in tax relief and fees. Foreign Exchange Act reporting, identity checks and similar procedures do not change with the method of payment.

The Home Loan Tax Credit: Only for Owner-Occupiers

The home loan tax credit (住宅借入金等特別控除, commonly 住宅ローン控除) is based on the year-end balance of the mortgage and is deducted from Japanese income tax. It currently applies to people who move in by December 31, 2030. The loan must be repaid in installments over 10 years or more and be borrowed from a bank, the Japan Housing Finance Agency or a similar lender; money borrowed from relatives or friends does not count. A buyer who pays fully in cash has no loan balance and therefore no such credit.

• Amount. The credit rate is 0.7%. For people who move in from 2026, the borrowing cap for the general limit is 20 million to 45 million yen and the credit period is 10 or 13 years, depending on whether the home is new or existing and on its energy performance. New homes that do not meet the energy-saving standard are in principle not eligible if occupied from 2024, with exceptions.
• Floor area and income. The floor area must in principle be 50 square meters or more, and total income for the year must be 20 million yen or less. For homes of 40 to under 50 square meters, the income cap is 10 million yen, with further conditions.
• Residence requirement. You must move in within 6 months of acquiring the home and continue living there until December 31 of each year the credit is claimed.

People who live abroad need to take particular care. For homes acquired on or after April 1, 2016, a non-resident under the Income Tax Act can also apply if the other requirements are met; but if the borrower does not move in, the residence requirement is not met. The exception is where the borrower cannot live there because of unavoidable circumstances such as a job transfer, and a spouse or other family member who shares the household moves in within 6 months and keeps living there, with other conditions.

Costs That Only a Loan Creates

• Registration and licence tax (登録免許税) on the mortgage registration. 0.4% of the loan amount. For an individual’s own home that meets the conditions, it is reduced to 0.1% until March 31, 2027.
• Stamp duty (印紙税) on the loan contract. A contract for a monetary loan is taxed by contract amount, for example 20,000 yen for an amount over 10 million yen up to 50 million yen, with other brackets.
• Bank fees and guarantee fees. There is no official uniform amount; it depends on the bank and product. For example, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank’s product description (as of June 17, 2026) lists an administrative handling fee of 2.2% of the loan amount (including consumption tax) and no guarantee fee (check the bank’s latest notice). Flat 35 requires no guarantee fee, but fire insurance must be held until the loan is repaid.

What Does Not Change With the Method of Payment

• Foreign Exchange Act report. A non-resident under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外国為替及び外国貿易法) who acquires Japanese real estate must report through the Bank of Japan to the Minister of Finance within 20 days, whether paying cash or borrowing. For acquisitions on or after April 1, 2026, the report is required regardless of purpose.
• Large payment report. Each payment between Japan and overseas worth more than 30 million yen is reported afterward by a resident under the Foreign Exchange Act; non-residents are exempt.
• Identity checks. When buying through a real estate agent, the agent must confirm the buyer’s identity and the purpose of the transaction, whether the buyer pays cash or borrows.
• Paying cash itself. Japan currently sets no upper limit on the amount for buying a home without a loan, and no separate filing is required just because there is no loan.

The Foreign Exchange Act and the Income Tax Act use different standards to decide who is a “non-resident,” so the same person can get different results under the two laws.

For more detail, see the related article “Buying Japanese Property With Cash or a Mortgage: How Foreign Buyers Plan Their Funds.” For how the purchase contract and the loan fit together, see “How Does Buying Property in Japan Work?”

Checks to Make Before You Look for a Loan

1. Your residence status: Japanese nationality, permanent resident, special permanent resident, or another residence status.
2. Where you live: in Japan, or overseas, such as in Taiwan or Hong Kong.
3. How the home will be used: your own home, a home for family members, a vacation home, or a rental.
4. Which income proof you can provide: a Japanese official certificate, or proof of income from overseas.
5. The date of the version of the product description you want to apply under, and whether the conditions are still the same.
6. The rate type and the rules for adjusting repayments, with a written explanation obtained before signing.

FAQ: Home Loans for Foreigners in Japan

Can a foreigner without permanent residency get a mortgage in Japan?

You cannot apply for Flat 35, but some private banks publish products that non-permanent residents can apply for, such as the plans from SMBC Trust Bank and Tokyo Star Bank. Both assume you live in Japan, and both add conditions such as annual income. Conditions can change at any time, so check each bank’s latest notice; whether a loan is approved is decided by the bank’s screening.

Can I apply to a Japanese bank for a mortgage while living in Taiwan or Hong Kong?

The published conditions for standard owner-occupied home loans, at Rakuten Bank for example, require you to live in Japan and to have completed resident registration. For people who live in Taiwan or Hong Kong, the bank among those checked that currently publishes application conditions is Tokyo Star Bank’s “Tokyo Lucky Star,” a real estate investment loan with a variable rate. The income or net asset thresholds differ between the Taiwan and Hong Kong versions.

Will a Japanese bank check my credit record from Taiwan or Hong Kong?

No published mechanism for Japanese financial institutions to look up credit records from Taiwan or Hong Kong could be found. The 3 credit information agencies inside Japan share delinquency and similar information with each other; the banks do not say in their product descriptions which ones they query during screening.

Do I need to file anything extra if I buy in Japan with cash?

There is currently no filing required only because you pay cash. The procedures you must complete depend on other conditions: a non-resident under the Foreign Exchange Act must report within 20 days of acquisition, and so must a buyer who borrows; a resident must report afterward when a payment between Japan and overseas exceeds 30 million yen or its equivalent each time.

Glossary

• Japan Housing Finance Agency (住宅金融支援機構): The independent administrative institution that offers Flat 35 together with private financial institutions.
• Flat 35 (フラット35): A long-term fixed-rate home loan offered by the Japan Housing Finance Agency together with private financial institutions.
• Handling financial institution (取扱金融機関): A bank or other lender that accepts Flat 35 applications and decides the rate and fees.
• Residence status (在留資格): The category of status under which a foreign national stays in Japan.
• Permanent resident (永住者): A foreign national who has received permanent residence permission from the Minister of Justice, with no limit on the period of stay.
• Special permanent resident (特別永住者): A person who has obtained special permanent resident status under the Special Act on Immigration Control, and who holds a special permanent resident certificate.
• Total repayment ratio (総返済負担率): Total annual repayments on all borrowing as a share of annual income.
• Loan-to-value ratio (融資率): The loan amount as a share of the construction cost or purchase price.
• Group credit life insurance (団体信用生命保険, “dansin”): Insurance that pays off the remaining mortgage if the borrower dies or in similar cases.
• Credit information agency (信用情報機関): An organization that records loan and credit card contracts and repayment history. Japan has 3.
• Variable, fixed-for-a-selected-period and whole-term fixed: The three rate types for Japanese mortgages, which differ in how long the rate stays fixed.
• 5-year rule and 125% rule: Repayment adjustment methods agreed in the contract of a variable-rate mortgage. They are not required by law.
• Unpaid interest (未払利息): The portion of interest not paid when interest exceeds the periodic repayment. It accumulates until repayment ends.
• Policy rate: The target the Bank of Japan sets for the uncollateralized overnight call rate. It is not a mortgage rate.
• Home loan tax credit (住宅借入金等特別控除 / 住宅ローン控除): A deduction from income tax based on the year-end mortgage balance.
• Mortgage (抵当権): The right to take the home as security for a loan, registered when a loan is made.
• Registration and licence tax (登録免許税): A tax paid when registering rights over property.
• Stamp duty (印紙税): A tax on documents such as contracts.
• Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外国為替及び外国貿易法): The law that governs reporting of money flows between Japan and overseas and of real estate acquisitions.
• Non-resident (非居住者): Defined separately in the Foreign Exchange Act and the Income Tax Act, with different standards.

About the Information

• The information in this article was checked on September 30, 2026, against official materials from the Japan Housing Finance Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Bank of Japan, the Immigration Services Agency, the National Tax Agency, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Services Agency, and against descriptions published by the banks, the Japanese Bankers Association and the credit information agencies themselves.
• The following conclusions are drawn from official documents, and no official document states them in a single sentence: that Flat 35 is the only home loan with officially published borrower conditions and that private banks have no official uniform standard (the report and questionnaire of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s survey of private mortgages and the 8th edition of the Immigration Services Agency’s guidebook on living and working were checked, and neither contains rules on mortgages for foreigners); that people who live abroad long term with no plan to return to Japan have no published route to Flat 35; that how overseas income is recognized is unpublished; that no published mechanism for looking up Taiwanese or Hong Kong credit records could be found (checked against the Flat 35 conditions and FAQ, the banks’ product pages and the descriptions of the three credit information agencies); that the 5-year rule and 125% rule are not law; that there are no different rules for foreign borrowers on rate type; that a borrower who does not move in does not meet the tax credit’s residence requirement; that paying cash gets no such credit; that private bank fees and guarantee fees have no uniform amount; and that paying cash has no upper limit or extra filing.
• The bank examples come from product descriptions, FAQs or web pages the banks themselves published, and the dates are as given in the text. Some banks’ product pages could not be read at the time of checking and are not cited. The published products for people living abroad are limited to the banks checked. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism survey records which screening items financial institutions ticked; it is not an approval or rejection rate. The Japan Housing Finance Agency percentages come from an online survey.
• The general explanation of rate-change rules and the agreement on written explanations come from industry bodies such as the Japanese Bankers Association and are not legal provisions. The Flat 35 rates apply to October 2026 disbursement (updated on October 3, 2026 from the October rates published by the Japan Housing Finance Agency); later Bank of Japan decisions are not included. The home loan tax credit currently applies to people who move in by the end of 2030, and the reduced registration and licence tax on mortgage registration applies until March 31, 2027; whether either is extended after that depends on the tax reform at the time.

Have a question about this guide? Leave a comment below, or ask Zagdim directly.

Sources

• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Flat 35 Conditions of Use (【フラット３５】ご利用条件)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A308, “Can foreign nationals apply?” (外国籍でも申込みできますか。)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Guide flyer for foreign nationals applying for Flat 35 (【フラット３５】をお申込みいただく外国籍の方へ)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A394, “How should I confirm annual income?” (年収は何で確認すればいいですか。)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A3266, “Can I apply while working overseas?” (海外勤務中でも申込みできますか？)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A3267
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A3353
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Applying for a second home (セカンドハウスのお申込みについて)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Applying for a home for relatives (親族居住用住宅のお申込みについて)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Eligible homes and technical standards (【フラット３５】対象となる住宅・技術基準)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: What is the loan-to-value ratio? (融資率とは)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Flat 35 product page (【フラット３５】商品頁)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Latest rate information, Flat 35 (September 2026) (最新の金利情報：【フラット３５】（2026年９月）)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: FAQ Q&A599 (group credit life insurance) (団体信用生命保険)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Overview of securitization support operations, purchase type (証券化支援業務（買取型）の概要)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: First-time home loans, “What are the rate types?” (はじめての住宅ローン「金利のタイプとは？」)
• Japan Housing Finance Agency: Survey of home loan users (January 2026) (住宅ローン利用者の実態調査（2026年１月調査）)
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: FY2025 Survey Report on Private Home Loans (March 2026) (令和７年度 民間住宅ローンの実態に関する調査 結果報告書（令和８年３月）)
• MUFG Bank: Home Loan Product Description (住宅ローン 商品説明書)
• SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia): FAQ No.144 (よくあるご質問 No.144)
• Rakuten Bank: Rakuten Bank Home Loan (rate selection type) Detailed Product Description (楽天銀行住宅ローン（金利選択型）商品詳細説明書)
• Sony Bank: For those planning an overseas transfer or study abroad (海外転勤・留学などをご予定の皆さまへ)
• Tokyo Star Bank: Star Home Loan, for foreign nationals without permanent residency (スター住宅ローン（永住権のない外国籍の方向け）)
• Tokyo Star Bank: “Tokyo Lucky Star” Star Real Estate Investment Loan, for non-residents of Japan, product description, Taiwan residents (「東京招福星」スター不動産投資ローン（日本非居住者向け）商品説明書（台湾居住者向け）)
• Tokyo Star Bank: “Tokyo Lucky Star” Star Real Estate Investment Loan, for non-residents of Japan, product description, Hong Kong residents (「東京招福星」スター不動産投資ローン（日本非居住者向け）商品説明書（香港居住者向け）)
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation: Web-application-only home loan special page (WEB申込専用住宅ローン 特設ページ)
• Japan Credit Information Reference Center Corp.: Exchange with other credit information agencies (他の信用情報機関との交流)
• Zenginkyo Personal Credit Information Center: Information exchange (情報交流)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Table of residence statuses (在留資格一覧表)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan (supervising): Guidebook on Living and Working, 8th edition (生活・就労ガイドブック 第8版)
• Japanese Bankers Association: Variable or fixed? Home loan rate types (変動で返す？固定で返す？住宅ローンの金利タイプ)
• Japanese Bankers Association: What is unpaid interest on variable-rate home loans? (変動金利住宅ローンの未払利息とは？)
• Japanese Bankers Association: Agreement on explaining interest rate fluctuation risk to home loan users (住宅ローン利用者に対する金利変動リスク等に関する説明について（申し合わせ）)
• Financial Services Agency: Comprehensive Supervisory Guidelines for Major Banks (主要行等向けの総合的な監督指針)
• Sony Bank: Rules for reviewing variable rates after borrowing (お借入後の変動金利の見直しルール)
• Bank of Japan: Financial System Report (April 2026) (金融システムレポート（2026年4月号）)
• Bank of Japan: Change in the Guideline for Money Market Operations (September 18, 2026) (金融市場調節方針の変更について（2026年9月18日）)
• Bank of Japan: Review of the monetary policy framework (March 19, 2024) (金融政策の枠組みの見直しについて（2024年3月19日）)
• Bank of Japan: Monetary policy decisions (2026 list) (金融政策に関する決定事項等（2026年一覧）)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer No.1211-1, newly built homes occupied from Reiwa 4 (2022) (住宅借入金等特別控除)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer No.1211-3, existing homes occupied from Reiwa 4 (2022) (住宅借入金等特別控除)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer, Housing Loan Deduction Q&A (住宅借入金等特別控除 QA)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer No.1234, job transfers and the housing loan deduction (転勤と住宅借入金等特別控除等)
• Ministry of Finance: Outline of the FY2026 Tax Reform (December 26, 2025 Cabinet decision) (令和８年度税制改正の大綱)
• e-Gov Laws: Registration and License Tax Act (登録免許税法)
• e-Gov Laws: Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation (租税特別措置法)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer No.7191, registration and license tax rate table (登録免許税の税額表)
• National Tax Agency: Tax Answer No.7140, stamp duty table, part 1 (印紙税額の一覧表（その1）)
• Ministry of Finance: Reporting of acquisition of Japanese real estate by non-residents, outline of the system (非居住者による本邦の不動産等取得に係る報告 制度の概要)
• Ministry of Finance: FAQ, “Procedures required when remitting money between Japan and overseas” (日本と海外との間の送金を行う際に必要な手続)
• e-Gov Laws: Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪による収益の移転防止に関する法律)
• National Police Agency JAFIC: Overview of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (as of August 7, 2026) (犯罪収益移転防止法の概要)

Important Notice

This article is general information. It is not individual legal, tax, financial or real estate advice, and it does not represent any bank’s lending decision. The information was checked on September 30, 2026. Rules, bank products and interest rates can change at any time, so rely on the latest announcements from Japan’s authorities and the financial institutions, and consult a qualified professional where needed.