Revolut Japan - how to set up an Japanese Revolut account

I moved to Japan in 2018 and one of the first things I did was add myself to the waiting list to open a bank account with Revolut Japan. If you are as shocked as me after discovering how behind Japanese banks are and wondering why there is no option similar to Revolut, Monzo, N26, Starling Bank or whatever you were using in your country before moving here, then welcome to the club.

The closest I found then was Sony Bank WALLET (info coming soon) which I've been using but other than instant app notification when spending and limited currency hold, it's nowhere near their caliber.

When I signed up for Revolut, I had around 1500 people before me in the waiting list, a number that didn't move until a few days ago! I got a message informing me that I reached the top of the list and didn't wait a moment to set up my account.

The app is available in English. Process took a few minutes and it was as easy as they show on their Set up video:

The video shows you have to top up £10. The Japanese version will ask you to top up ¥2,000 (which you can use afterwards) to start the account.

In order to receive your VISA contactless card, you need to verify your identity. This was a three-step process (as opposed to two as shown on the UK version). I was too excited to remember to take screenshots but as far as I remember, it was:

1. Submit a ID document, three options: My Number card, My Number notification and something else (sorry!).

2. Submit another document for I-think-to-verify-your address: residence card, Japanese-issued driving licence and something else (oops).

3. Verify you’re the holder of those documents by taking a selfie video and say three numbers that will show on the screen while moving your face to the side.

Everything was verified after a few hours of submission and then the card was sent the following day which should arrive in a week or so.

The app seems to have the same options as the UK version but once I receive the card and account details, I will test and let you guys know!

If you don't know what Revolut is and why it's revolutionary in Japan, have a look at their website https://www.revolut.com/en-JP

After learning its benefits, I'm sure you'll join the waiting list because who wants to wait days for the transaction to show on the app or website, pay exchange fees when using/taking cash abroad or pay transfer fees when making bank transactions?

One of my friends has just joined and she was on 7600 at the time of join but the number went down about 500 numbers a few days later so I'm guessing the waiting will be a lot shorter than mine (1500 for 2 years without changing) as it looks like they have started setting accounts now.

#Revolut #bank #account #contactless #cashless