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Why You Need Your My Number to Send Money from Japan (And How to Use It)

ByRatesRemit Team

If you’re a Nepali, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, or Filipino resident in Japan, you’ve probably asked:
“Why does every remittance app keep asking for My Number?”
Short answer: Japanese law requires every outbound money-transfer provider—Wise, SmileRemit, JpRemit, BrastelRemit, CityRemit, JapanRemit, KyodaiRemit—to verify your Individual Number (マイナンバー) before you can lock in that great JPY→NPR/INR/LKR/BDT/PHP rate you saw.

Below you’ll find the empathetic, step-by-step playbook we wish we’d had when we first landed in Tokyo: what My Number verification really means, how each of the seven approved providers collects it, and the fastest way to keep your transfer (and your family’s rent back home) on schedule.

1. What the My Number Law Actually Says (3-Minute Version)

In 2016 Japan amended the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds. Since then, every remittance company must:

  1. Confirm your identity with photo ID (zairyū card or Japanese driver’s licence).
  2. Record your 12-digit My Number for the Ministry of Finance.
  3. Re-verify if you change address, nationality, or passport.

Failure to comply? The provider faces fines up to ¥100 million and must freeze your transaction. That’s why even the slickest fintechs (think Wise) can’t skip it.

Good news: once verified, you can send up to ¥1 million per transfer (sometimes more) without re-entering the number—so the 10 minutes you spend today saves ¥2,000–¥4,000 in wasted fees every month.

2. Which Documents Count as “My Number”?

You have two choices:

Document Acceptable for Notes
My Number Card (plastic IC card) All providers Fastest. The reverse side has your photo—upload once and you’re done.
My Number Notification Letter + photo ID All providers Allowed, but two separate uploads required. Processing can take +1 business day.

Pro tip: If you only have the paper notice, take the photo during daytime; glare on the sealed envelope is the #1 reason SmileRemit and BrastelRemit bounce uploads.

3. Step-by-Step: Uploading My Number for Each Provider

We tested every app from a real Android phone in Saitama. Here’s the exact flow (and the screen where you’ll hit “Upload”).

Wise (JPY → NPR, INR, PHP, BDT, LKR)

  1. Open Wise → “Send money” → choose NPR/INR/etc.
  2. Enter amount (e.g., ¥50,000 → NPR 49,800).
  3. Tap “Verify your identity.”
  4. Select “My Number Card” → snap front & back.
  5. Selfie check (blink detection).
  6. Approval e-mail in 4–30 min (our average: 11 min).

Tip: If the app spins at 95 %, switch to Wi-Fi; Wise’s facial recognition hates 4G latency.

SmileRemit (JPY → Nepal & Philippines only)

  1. Register with e-mail.
  2. Home screen → “Account” → “Identity Verification.”
  3. Upload zairyū card first.
  4. Second screen asks for My Number—only the 12 digits; you can type if the card image fails OCR.
  5. Manual review once/day at 15:00 JST; approve same-day if uploaded before 14:00.

JpRemit (JPY → Bangladesh & Sri Lanka flagship corridors)

  1. Online form or 7-Eleven kiosk.
  2. Scan zairyū card at kiosk camera.
  3. The kiosk prints a QR—scan with phone to upload My Number Card image.
  4. Staff approve within 2 business hours (tested 3 pm upload → 4:47 pm OK).

BrastelRemit (JPY → Philippines, India)

  1. Call 00531-10-2000 (free from IP phones).
  2. Operator sends SMS link.
  3. Upload both sides of My Number Card.
  4. Voice confirmation of last 4 digits for security.
  5. Ready to send in 20 min.

CityRemit, JapanRemit, KyodaiRemit

All three use the same web portal (different skins):

  1. Register e-mail → “Account” → “KYC.”
  2. Upload zairyū card PDF scan (max 2 MB).
  3. My Number page: drag-and-drop JPEG of My Number Card.
  4. Automatic OCR; if glare → manual review (+24 h).
  5. You receive an encrypted “KYC cleared” PDF; keep it—some branches ask for printed copy if you ever visit in-person counters.

4. Troubleshooting: 5 Upload Errors You Can Fix in 60 Seconds

Error Message Quick Fix
“Number not visible” Place card on dark background; disable flash.
“Name mismatch” Check katakana spelling on zairyū card vs. My Number Card—even ー vs. － differences fail OCR.
“Expired ID” My Number Card has no expiry, but your zairyū card must be valid ≥ 3 months. Renew at immigration first.
“File too large” Crop to 1200 × 800 px; keep under 2 MB.
“Glare detected” Tilt phone 15°; take near a window without direct sunlight.

5. How My Number Verification Saves You Real Money

Let’s say you send ¥100,000 to Nepal every month:

  • Before verification: you’re capped at ¥20,000 per transfer with most walk-in agents → 5 separate trips × ¥600 train fare = ¥3,000 wasted.
  • After verification: single online transfer with Wise at mid-market rate, fee ¥750.
    Annual savings: ¥27,000 in fares + ~¥11,000 in better FX margin = ¥38,000—enough for a round-trip ticket to Kathmandu.

6. Common Myths—Busted

❌ “My Number is only for Japanese citizens.”
✅ Foreign residents get the same 12-digit format; you’re legally required to use it for remittances.

❌ “Once I give My Number, the tax office will tax my remittance.”
✅ Sending money you already paid income tax on is not taxable again. My Number is purely anti-money-laundering, not a second tax grab.

❌ “Online uploads are unsafe.”
✅ All seven providers use TLS 1.3 encryption and delete the image after OCR. BrastelRemit even stores a one-way hash of the number, not the image itself.

7. Checklist: Ready to Send? Run This in 2 Minutes

  • My Number Card front & back scanned at 1200 px
  • Zairyū card valid ≥ 3 months
  • Address in Japan matches both cards
  • Phone battery > 30 % (some apps kill session if phone sleeps)
  • Compared today’s JPY→NPR/INR/LKR/BDT/PHP rates on RatesRemit's Comparison Tool

8. What Happens If You Move or Renew Your Visa

  1. Update your address at city hall → new My Number Card not required, but you must re-upload residence certificate in the app.
  2. Renewed zairyū card: log in → “Account” → “Update ID” → new expiry date.
  3. Changed passport: only Wise and SmileRemit ask for new passport scan; the others keep you verified.

9. Bottom Line—Don’t Let My Number Delay Your Next Transfer

Your family in Kathmandu, Kochi, or Colombo shouldn’t wait because an upload failed. Spend 10 focused minutes today, knock out the My Number step, and unlock:

  • Cheaper rates (mid-market with Wise, zero-margin campaigns with JapanRemit)
  • Same-day arrival (KyodaiRemit to BPI in Manila before 13:00 JST)
  • One-click repeat transfers (SmileRemit’s “Quick-send” remembers Nepali bank details)

Ready to see who’s cheapest right now for your exact amount?
Compare live JPY→NPR/INR/LKR/BDT/PHP rates and fees on RatesRemit in under 30 seconds.

Safe transfers, and say hello to your family from the RatesRemit team!

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