Can a Non-Resident Buy Property in Japan? Registration and Tax Basics for Overseas Buyers
Last verified: August 31, 2026
For an overseas buyer of Japanese real estate, ownership registration and Japanese tax-residency rules should be considered separately. Japan’s Ministry of Justice provides procedures for foreign individuals and entities with overseas addresses to become registered owners.
Conclusion
Japanese registration procedures accommodate overseas owners, but additional documentation may be required for address certification, identity verification and a domestic contact. Financing and remittance are separate practical issues.
Address evidence
For a foreign individual residing abroad who becomes a registered owner, the Ministry of Justice describes acceptable government-issued address evidence and, in specified cases, notarial address evidence together with a passport copy. Japanese translations may be required for foreign-language documents.
Domestic contact information
Registration rules also address information concerning a contact in Japan for an owner residing overseas, including the treatment where no such contact exists.
Do not confuse a non-resident buyer with a non-resident seller
Japanese withholding rules may apply when the seller is a non-resident or foreign corporation. The National Tax Agency explains that a payer purchasing Japanese land or buildings from a non-resident generally has a withholding obligation, subject to a statutory residential-use exception. This is different from saying that a buyer is taxed merely because the buyer lives overseas.
Checklist before contract
- Acceptable proof of overseas address
- Translation or notarization requirements
- Domestic contact information
- Seller’s tax-residency status
- Remittance and settlement arrangements
- Review by the relevant registration and tax professionals
This article provides general information and is not individual legal or tax advice.