Can Foreigners Get a Mortgage in Japan?

You can apply, but whether you are approved, and on what terms, depends heavily on your residence status. Most Japanese lenders design their mortgages mainly for permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals and special permanent residents. Some banks accept applicants on a work visa or other statuses, but there are fewer of them, larger down payments are usually required and loan terms may be shorter.

What do banks look at?

Beyond income and length of employment, banks focus on whether you can keep repaying from Japan over the long term. A visa with an expiry date may not be renewed, and recovering a loan is harder once a borrower leaves Japan, so the time left on your period of stay and the stability of your status directly affect the outcome.

Without stable income or residence status in Japan, domestic banks are harder still. A more realistic route is one of the few lenders with products for foreign buyers, or financing mainly in your home country.

How to prepare before applying

Decide where the money will come from before you narrow down properties. Ask each bank what down payment, interest rate and loan term it can offer for your current status, then work back to a budget. It saves wasted effort.

If the down payment falls short, you can look at cheaper properties, take longer to save, or compare more banks; paying in cash is also an option. Some lenders let you include purchase costs in the loan, but terms vary, so confirm at the pre-screening stage.

This is general information. Actual terms depend on each lender's review.