Insights
Guides to financing property in Japan
Answers to the questions buyers ask before they finance an apartment in Japan, whether they live here or overseas: who can borrow, which properties qualify, what it costs and how a purchase completes.
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Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Japan?
Who can borrow, which apartments qualify, the rate and fees, and how to buy from abroad, in one guide.
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Who qualifies, and which properties we lend on.
The rate, the down payment and the fees on a purchase.
Every step from the first inquiry to settlement.
Refinancing, equity release and renting out.
General information, not financial advice. Product terms are set out under Loan terms, all costs under Fees, and the qualifying tests under Eligibility.
Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Japan?
Yes, foreigners can own property in Japan and can get a mortgage in Japan to buy it, including as non-residents. Many Japanese lenders require permanent residency, Japanese income or residence in Japan.
Which properties qualify for a mortgage in Japan
In Japan, whether you can get a mortgage depends on the property as much as on you. YEN LOANS lends only against a strata-titled residential apartment (condo) built in reinforced concrete (RC or SRC) and completed in 1990 or later, in Greater Tokyo, Kansai, Aichi (Nagoya), Fukuoka or Hokkaido (Sapporo), and outside central Tokyo within a 10-minute walk of a railway station.
Japan mortgages for US citizens
A US citizen who lives and earns in the United States can apply to YEN LOANS for a Yen mortgage on an apartment (condo) in Tokyo, Osaka or another of our five metropolitan areas. YEN LOANS accepts income evidence such as US tax returns in English, and does not require a Japanese bank account, visa or residency.
Japan mortgages for US military and SOFA personnel
YEN LOANS decides eligibility by the passport you hold, so a US passport holder with SOFA status meets the nationality test wherever they are posted. No Japanese visa, residency status or bank account is required.