Incoming SWIFT instructions, local receiving details, supported currencies, incoming fees and intermediary deductions, tax characterization, and how to track a payment on its way to you.
Give the sender your bank’s incoming SWIFT instructions (or local receiving details from a platform), confirm the accepted currency, expect incoming and intermediary fees, and remember that receiving money is taxed by what the money is — income, gift, or your own savings — not by the transfer itself.
For a bank SWIFT receipt, provide your bank’s BIC/SWIFT code, the correctly formatted account number, and the registered English account name and address — these must match exactly or the payment can be delayed or returned. Japan Post Bank, for example, uses BIC JPPSJPJ2 and supports USD and EUR incoming, with disclosed correspondent deductions of $10 (USD) and €5 (EUR).
Alternatively, a platform such as Wise or Payoneer can give you local receiving details in certain currencies, letting the sender pay as if making a domestic transfer and avoiding some correspondent deductions. Confirm the accepted currency before directing a salary or pension, and expect an incoming-transfer fee plus possible intermediary charges.
An incoming transfer is not taxed merely because it arrives. Tax follows the underlying nature of the money: salary is income, a gratuitous transfer may be a gift, inherited funds may involve inheritance tax, and moving your own savings between accounts is generally not new income. Keep the originating document — payslip, invoice, sale agreement, or account statement — because a remittance receipt alone is not sufficient tax evidence.
If the money is late, ask the sender for the transfer reference and, for a SWIFT wire, have them ask their bank to trace it; gpi tracking may be available at the institutional level.
Bank (nationwide) · Japan Post Bank
A bank with the widest branch and ATM network in Japan, often accessible for new residents and useful in rural areas.
Fees: Basic account has no monthly fee; some transfer/ATM fees apply — verify current schedule.