Japan Expands Real-Estate Reporting for Non-Resident Buyers, With a 20-Day Deadline

The scope of reportable acquisitions was expanded in April

The Ministry of Finance amended Japan's foreign-exchange reporting regulations in February 2026, with the revised rules taking effect on April 1. The change expanded the scope of post-transaction reporting for acquisitions of Japanese real estate by non-residents, including categories of residential, non-commercial office and other acquisitions that had previously been treated as exceptions. Current MOF guidance states that when a non-resident acquires Japanese real estate or certain rights connected to it, including leasehold, superficies or mortgage rights, the acquisition may require submission of the prescribed report on acquisition of real property or related rights in Japan.

Covered transactions generally must be reported within 20 days

The current rule requires the report to be submitted, in applicable cases, within 20 days after acquisition through the Bank of Japan to the Minister of Finance. The filing can be made by the non-resident purchaser or by a resident representative in Japan, including a real-estate intermediary, and both paper and online procedures are available. The regime is a post-acquisition reporting system rather than a general prohibition on foreign ownership or a requirement to obtain advance permission for ordinary purchases. Nevertheless, failing to identify the filing requirement can leave a compliance issue after closing, so foreign transactions should treat FEFTA review as a separate workstream alongside title registration, tax and remittance arrangements.

Foreign nationality and non-resident status are not identical

A key point for international buyers is that the legal classification is not determined simply by passport nationality. A foreign national resident in Japan and a person whose residence is outside Japan may be treated differently under the foreign-exchange framework. It is therefore inaccurate to assume that every foreign buyer follows exactly the same reporting process. Before closing, overseas purchasers should identify their residence classification, determine the exact property or property right being acquired and establish when the 20-day period begins. Since the April 2026 expansion, the period immediately after completion has become an important compliance stage for many non-resident Japanese property transactions.