Selecting a brokerage, documents and My Number, tax-authority confirmation, processing stages, and troubleshooting rejections.
To open NISA, choose one brokerage, provide identity and My Number evidence and tax-residency declarations, and wait for the tax authority to confirm you have no other active NISA before purchasing; most rejections come from name mismatches or a duplicate NISA.
NISA lives at a brokerage, so the first step is choosing one — and since only one institution can receive your new NISA purchases in a given year, choose for the long term. Compare the eligible fund menu, NISA transaction charges, recurring-purchase controls, foreign-stock support if you need it, and ecosystem fit. SBI, Rakuten, Monex, and Matsui are the usual shortlist for a self-directed resident.
Do not choose on a temporary point promotion; you can change institutions by year, but existing holdings stay at the old broker, so switching is not seamless. Pick a broker you will happily keep.
Prepare identity evidence (My Number Card, residence card, driver’s licence, or passport in an accepted combination), My Number evidence, your Japanese address, and Japanese and foreign tax-residency declarations. You also link a Japanese bank account in your own name. The financial institution then validates NISA information with the tax authorities to confirm you do not already have an active NISA relationship for the same year.
Some firms permit provisional trading before final confirmation, but the timing and treatment if a duplicate is found differ. Processing time ranges from same-day provisional access to several weeks depending on documents and tax-authority confirmation.
Most opening problems come from a few causes: a name mismatch across the residence card, bank record, and application; short document validity; a duplicate NISA at another institution; or a failed identity verification. If you have NISA elsewhere, you generally need transfer or abolition documents before opening a new one, since only one institution can take new purchases per year.
Fix the specific cause and reapply: align your name everywhere, renew a soon-to-expire card, and resolve any duplicate NISA. Never send identity documents through an unverified link — go through the broker’s official channel only.
Brokerage (NISA/iDeCo) · Rakuten Securities
A leading low-cost brokerage for NISA and index-fund investing, integrated with Rakuten points and Rakuten Bank.
Fees: Many domestic funds and trades are low- or no-commission — verify current fee schedule.
Brokerage (NISA/iDeCo) · SBI Securities
Japan’s largest online brokerage by accounts, with a very broad low-cost fund lineup and full NISA/iDeCo support.
Fees: Many trades and funds are low- or no-commission — verify current fee schedule.
Brokerage (NISA/iDeCo) · Monex
An established online brokerage often chosen for US-stock access and research tools, with NISA and iDeCo support.
Fees: Commissions vary by product; some funds/trades are low-cost — verify current schedule.
Generally yes, if you are a tax resident of Japan (with a My Number) and at least 18. NISA is tied to residency, not citizenship, so most foreign residents qualify — with two big cautions: US citizens and green-card holders face US tax complications with Japanese funds, and NISA generally cannot continue after you leave Japan. Confirm eligibility and the current rules on the FSA site and with your chosen brokerage.