🏦 Updated list of banks eligible for public benefit accounts

❓ What changed?

Under Japan's public benefit account (koukin uketori kouza) system, each person registers one bank account with the Digital Agency, linked to their My Number, so that benefits, refunds and other public payments can be sent without submitting bank details each time. On August 17, 2026 the Digital Agency updated the list of financial institutions and branches whose accounts can be registered. The list is split by institution type — banks, shinkin banks (credit unions), credit cooperatives, JA Bank, JF Marine Bank, and other financial institutions — so you pick your institution's type first. An Excel file covering all eligible institutions and branches (49KB) and an update-history Excel (25KB) were published the same day. The key caveat: even when an institution's accounts are eligible, some institutions do not accept koukin uketori procedures at their counters. The institution listed in this category is the Metropolitan Police Department Employees' Credit Cooperative (institution code 2271); to register such an account you apply through Mynaportal instead of the bank. The Digital Agency page "How to register or change a public benefit account" explains the Mynaportal steps.

👥 Who is affected?

• ●Foreign residents with a My Number who want benefits or refunds paid into a bank account
• ●Anyone registering or changing a public benefit account via Mynaportal
• ●People whose account is at a shinkin bank, credit cooperative, JA Bank or similar local institution
• ●People told by their employer or city hall to register a public benefit account

🌏 Impact on foreign residents

For foreign residents, the public benefit account is the channel through which benefits and tax refunds actually reach you, and registering in advance saves you from filling in Japanese bank forms every time a payment comes up. The catch is that you must confirm whether your own account is eligible, institution by institution. If you opened your account at a local institution or another type of financial institution after arriving in Japan, the safest approach is to look up your institution and branch name in the by-type lists or the Excel file. On top of that, some eligible institutions do not handle these procedures at the counter — going to the branch will not work, and you have to use Mynaportal instead. If explaining your situation in Japanese at a bank counter feels difficult, registering through Mynaportal at your own pace can be the lighter option. You will need your My Number card and a device that can read it, such as a compatible smartphone.