What Flat 35 is, eligibility, rates, property standards, discounts, and who it suits.
Flat 35 is a fully fixed-rate mortgage provided through partner lenders under the Japan Housing Finance Agency; it is rules-based, does not always require permanent residence, and needs the property to meet technical standards.
Flat 35 is a fully fixed-rate mortgage offered through participating financial institutions under the Japan Housing Finance Agency (JHF) purchase or guarantee structures — it is not a direct government loan, but it is more rules-based than an ordinary bank mortgage. Because eligibility is published and standardized, and because it does not always require permanent residence, it is a common route for non-PR foreign buyers who meet the nationality/residence and property conditions. In August 2026, the standard market execution rate had risen to about 3.29% for 21–35 years before qualifying point reductions, with a published July range spanning roughly 3.14%–5.40% depending on LTV and term.
A distinctive feature is that the property must meet applicable technical standards and pass certification — Flat 35 will finance a used home if eligibility and technical requirements are met, but it will not finance an ordinary rental-investment property. Shorter Flat 20 and eligible longer Flat 50 structures exist, so "Flat 35" is not always 35 years. Discount frameworks — Flat 35S for housing performance and Flat 35 Child-Rearing Plus for qualifying households — reduce the rate, but many point reductions apply for specified initial years rather than the full term, so read exactly how long each discount lasts.
Flat 35 suits a borrower who wants full-term payment certainty and has a qualifying property, and non-PR buyers who can meet its rules. Its higher base rate than promotional variable loans is the cost of that certainty. Because base pricing clusters across providers, compare the parts that differ: the origination fee model, guarantee/appraisal costs, insurance additions (the official July schedule showed pair life insurance at +0.18 point and three-major-disease insurance at +0.24 point), discount points, and processing. Super Flat variants may reward a large down payment with a lower rate.
Fixed-rate mortgage · Japan Housing Finance Agency
A long-term fixed-rate mortgage program backed by the Japan Housing Finance Agency, offered via partner lenders and often accessible without permanent residency.
Fees: Rate and fees vary by lender and loan-to-value — verify current terms.
A JHF-partnered, fully fixed-rate mortgage for eligible borrowers and homes, provided through participating financial institutions.
It is provided through participating financial institutions under JHF purchase or guarantee structures — not a direct government loan.
No. Shorter Flat 20 and eligible longer Flat 50 structures exist.
Yes, if eligibility and the property’s technical requirements are met.
No, not as an ordinary rental-investment loan.