Nonresident K.K. incorporation: capital payments and corporate bank accounts
Founders living overseas can apply to register a Japanese K.K. A third-party capital payment account may be used under specific conditions, while the corporate bank account, incoming overseas funds and regulation of businesses receiving funds each require separate checks.
Founders living overseas can apply to register a Japanese K.K. A third-party capital payment account may be used under specific conditions, while the corporate bank account, incoming overseas funds and regulation of businesses receiving funds each require separate checks.
Can overseas residents alone establish a Japanese K.K.?
Registration applications are accepted even where every representative director has no address in Japan. Decide the articles, registered office, contributions and officers, and check signature certificates and other materials prepared overseas. Residence status for living and managing a business in Japan is a separate issue. This article concerns incorporation of a K.K. by promoters, not an LLC or a foreign-company branch. ‘Nonresident’ means the intended overseas audience without an address in Japan, not a tax or foreign-exchange classification.
Can capital be paid into a third party's account?
The Ministry of Justice's exception applies only where every promoter and director at incorporation has no address in Japan. Prepare a document delegating authority to receive the capital and evidence of payment. Bank acceptance must be checked separately from registration practice.
Arrangements for a third party to receive funds from overseas and hand them over also involve amendments to the Payment Services Act (資金決済に関する法律) effective 1 June 2026. The description ‘account dedicated to temporarily holding client funds’ does not establish availability. FSA response No.112 addresses an incorporation-related receipt and transfer example. A specialist must compare the actual fund flow with that example; the example alone does not establish an exemption or permission.
Does incorporation ensure a corporate bank account?
After registration, banks still check business activities, transaction purposes, beneficial owners and the individual handling transactions. Requirements differ by bank and product, including major commercial banks. Prepare the business plan, contracts, premises evidence and planned transactions. Opening and timing depend on bank screening.
How are incoming overseas funds and transaction contacts checked?
Even after opening, the bank may request the remittance purpose, background of funds and relationship with the sender. Organize countries, currencies, amounts and frequency before applying.
Titles and powers of transaction contacts differ by bank. Check whether an external professional may be registered, the delegation and identification needed, and the permitted procedures after opening. Sharing bank login credentials or assuming unrestricted independent operation is not part of the proposal.
What should you prepare before consulting?
| Area | Information |
|---|---|
| People and company | Promoters'/officers' addresses, ownership, business and proposed registered office |
| Capital at incorporation | Contributor, amount, sender, payment account, receipt authority and handover method |
| Transactions after opening | Counterparties, countries, currencies, amounts, frequency, contact and authority |
Frequently asked questions
Can I consult you while continuing to live abroad?
Have a question about your situation?
Tell us about your residency, permit or administrative procedure enquiry.
We separate preparation for those staying overseas from residence-status questions for those planning to live in Japan. Incorporation does not guarantee residence status.
Can anyone use a third-party account?
The exception concerns incorporation of a K.K. by promoters when every promoter and director at incorporation has no address in Japan. Receipt authority, payment evidence, bank terms and regulation of fund-receipt businesses require separate checks.
Does registration ensure a corporate bank account?
Opening and timing depend on bank screening. Incoming overseas remittances require separate checks; application support does not guarantee the result.
Is incorporation, registration and property a single package?
Each independent provider contracts directly and separately with the client. Judicial-scrivener fees, statutory costs, property costs and banking support are excluded from JPY 165,000.
Sources for this article
- Ministry of Justice: commercial registration for foreign nationals and overseas residents — Notices of 16 March 2015 (Minsho No.29) and 17 March 2017 (Minsho No.41). Accessed 6 October 2026.
- Companies Act (会社法) — Article 34, paragraphs 1–2. Version effective 12 August 2026; latest promulgated amendment: 23 July 2026, Act No.64 of 2026.
- Payment Services Act (資金決済に関する法律) — Article 2-2, item 2. Relevant amendment effective 1 June 2026. Version effective 12 August 2026; latest promulgated amendment: 23 July 2026, Act No.64 of 2026.
- Cabinet Office Order on Funds Transfer Service Providers (資金移動業者に関する内閣府令) — Article 1-3, paragraph 1 and paragraph 2, item 4. Latest amendment: 22 May 2026, Cabinet Office Order No.51; effective 1 June 2026.
- FSA: 2025 Payment Services Act amendment, public-comment responses, Annex 4 No.112 (p.41) — Published 22 May 2026; accessed 6 October 2026. Application to an individual case requires professional review.
- 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) — Article 4, paragraph 1, items 1–4 and paragraph 4. Version effective 12 August 2026; latest promulgated amendment: 23 July 2026, Act No.64 of 2026. It does not replace bank product terms or screening.
Each entity and professional is independent and contracts, invoices and receives payment directly from the client. Our office receives no referral fees. Registration is a separate engagement with a judicial scrivener; their fee is excluded from JPY 165,000.
Account opening, receipt of overseas funds and screening timelines depend on the bank; neither results nor completion dates are guaranteed. Incorporation alone does not grant Japanese residence status. This page provides general information; individual legal decisions require a qualified professional's review.
Incorporation and banking preparation for overseas founders · Fee schedule
Author: 浦松丈二 | Representative gyoseishoshi, 四葉行政書士事務所
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