Post Office Remittance

Important Notice

As of 4/1/2019, Japan Post no longer issues International Postal Money Orders (国際送金). This page will be serve as an archive as ordinary money orders are still available, but you will not be able to send money home using 国際送金 (Kokusai koukin).

To send money back to your home country, consider other remittance services such as Wise (formerly TransferWise) and GoRemit.

For further details, please see the JP Post announcement for discontinuation of the service and the U.S. Embassy announcement.

Ordinary Money Order (Tsujo kawase)

Postal money orders are, in principle, issued in Japan and then sent (by snail mail) to the payee’s address. This method usually takes between 5-30 days. There is a remittance amount and handling charge depending upon the amount, starting at 500 yen. (The JET Programme General Information Handbook 2003 p.189)

Be sure to bring:

• your Gaijin card (Gaikokujinshoumeisho)
• Cash (in yen) to make into money order
• at least 1000 yen for fee and postage

Only if sending money order in your own name to your bank:

• a paper copy of your ID (ie: Passport or driver's license).
• A letter of explanation to your bank

Directions:

(1)　Go to the post office. There should be a sign with "Money transfer" in English. Ask the clerk for a 国際送金請求書兼告知書 "kokusai soukin kawasenkin toushuryou shiyousho".. or just say something like 「外国にお金を送りたいんですけれども」”Gaikoku ni okane wo okuritain desukedo.."

(2) You should be given a yellowish form with the title of "International remittance application and declaration form".

You need to fill-in 5 sections :

• "Payee" info
• “Remitter” info
• message box
• re-write your Address/Name(as on your gaijin card), and finally
• Purpose

Important Note: “Payee” = person who will be RECEIVING (and cashing) the money order

• ONLY, if you plan on mailing the money order directly to your bank for deposit fill out YOUR NAME and the bank’s address in the Payee information.

"Remitter"= person who is SENDING the money- (you).

(3) Hand-in the completed form to the post-office clerk with the amount of money (in cash) you want to be made into a money order. ** Some post offices will only exchange yen into US dollars, so be sure to ask if you prefer a different currency.

(4) The post office clerk will probably ask to see your gaijin card to make a copy (it's a new policy). The address you write on the forms need to match the address on your gaijin card!

If this is a first for your post office, the post office clerks may go crazy- reading manuals, asking around the office for help, and pointing at you from time to time. Just sit down and enjoy the ride. The clerk will then call for you and hand you an empty money order form to fill out.

(5) You now need to fill out the money order:

(a) If you’re sending the money order to someone OTHER than yourself: Fill in your name/Japan address & note section with your info. When filling in the To: section write the name and address of the person who will be depositing your money order.

Remitter: Erin Erickson 74 Kita Katakai Japan 018-5745	Payee: Whitworth College Spokane, WA 99251 USA
Message: Loan payment, etc

• Important: DO NOT SIGN BACK-SIDE!

(b) If you're sending money to YOURSELF: Fill in your name/ Japan address on the left. Fill-in the "note" section ie: "deposit to savings acct # 1242351" . IMPORTANT: When filling in the TO: section write YOUR name.

Remitter: Erin Erickson : 74 Kita Katakai Japan 018-5745	Payee: Erin Erickson (customer) Bank of America 5th Avenue Seattle, WA USA
Message: Loan payment, etc

(6) Return filled out form to clerk.

As soon as the clerk(s) finishes making the money order (which will now be in a different currency ie: US dollars) they will charge you 500 yen and hand you: (a) The money order with an air-mail envelope (b) A receipt copy for your records *

※ ONLY If the money order is being mailed to YOURSELF in YOUR NAME: WHEN THE CLERKS AREN'T LOOKING, ENDORSE/SIGN the back. (Just like when depositing a check back home it needs to be endorsed.) Be careful, if they see you sign it, they'll fuss and tell you, you did it wrong! .

※※ Payee ID on back: Since you will not be present when depositing the money order, you should include a letter of explanation to your bank & a copy of your official ID (passport or driver’s license) in the money order envelope.

(7) Put money order (and other necessary forms if needed) in envelope.

(9) Go to the "stamp" section. (a) Send it by certified mail. 配達証明便で(haitatsu shomei yubin). The 500 yen fee will ensure your money order will arrive safely to its destination. (b) Or, send it by regular mail. For most countries it is a 110 yen stamp (prices may vary). This is the cheapest way, but be forewarned, though the Japanese Postal Service is reliable, there is a small chance your money order may not reach its destination.

(10) Congratulations! You did it! You've just sent your money home the cheapest way possible!