To send money from Japan to an Australian account, you can go through a bank or money transfer provider, or carry cash in. AUSTRAC says transfers made through banks or money transfer providers do not need to be declared. If you carry cash, you need to check the rules of both Japanese customs and the Australian side.
If you carry cash, both Japan and Australia have their own declaration thresholds. If you receive the money in an account, check the fees and the information to give the sender first, as in the ANZ example.
Bank Transfers vs. Carrying in Cash
AUSTRAC says that no declaration is needed when you send money through a bank or money transfer provider. The treatment differs from carrying cash into the country. On the Japanese side, the Bank of Japan provides guidance on the "Report on Payments or Receipt of Payments". This report is submitted after the transaction is carried out, and amounts of 30,000,000 yen or less in equivalent value are said to need no report.
The submission destination and deadline differ between transactions that do not go through a bank or similar institution and Form 3 for transactions that do. The Bank of Japan's guidance as of October 19, 2026 is shown in the table below.
| Route | Where to submit and deadline |
|---|---|
| Not through a bank or similar institution | To the Bank of Japan, by the 20th of the month following the month the transaction was carried out |
| Through a bank or similar institution (online) | To the Bank of Japan, within 20 days of the transaction date |
| Through a bank or similar institution (paper) | To the bank or similar institution that handled the transaction, within 10 days of the transaction date |
Japanese Customs When Taking Cash Out
Japanese customs says that if you leave or enter Japan carrying cash or similar items worth more than 1,000,000 yen in equivalent value, you must submit the "Declaration Form for Carrying Payment Instruments, etc. (Export/Import)". For exports with North Korea as the destination, the threshold is 100,000 yen.
The total includes cash (Japanese and foreign currency) and checks, including traveler's checks. Gold bullion is covered if its purity is 90% or more and it weighs more than 1 kg.
The declaration form is said to be available at customs inspection areas in airports and similar places. When entering Japan, you declare at the customs inspection area. When leaving, the place depends on how you check your baggage.
- Check whether the total of your cash, checks, and similar items exceeds this amount
- Get the declaration form at the customs inspection area at the airport or similar place
- If it is in checked baggage, declare at the customs office in the departure lobby or similar before handing the baggage to the airline
- If it is in carry-on baggage, declare at the customs departure counter before the departure immigration area
Australian Cash Declarations
AUSTRAC says that when you move money into or out of Australia, you must make a declaration if the amount is 10,000 Australian dollars or more, in cash or in a non-cash form. This also includes cases where the combined value of Australian dollars and foreign currency is 10,000 Australian dollars or more.
If you enter or leave Australia carrying money, you are said to need to complete the online declaration form before going through customs. If you receive money from overseas by mail or similar, you are advised to complete the form within 5 business days of receiving it.
If you send money overseas by mail or similar, you complete the form before sending. Precious metals such as gold bullion are said to need no declaration to AUSTRAC.
AUSTRAC says you can carry money for another person, but a declaration is required. If you do not declare 10,000 Australian dollars or more, you may face fines or imprisonment.
What to Check When Receiving Money in an ANZ Account
As an example on the receiving side, let's look at ANZ's official page. The information is as of October 19, 2026.
ANZ's official page says that when you receive a transfer from an overseas account worth 300 Australian dollars or more in Australian dollar terms, a fee of up to 15 Australian dollars may apply. Unless the sender pays the fee, it is deducted from the amount you receive. Intermediary bank fees are also said to be usually deducted from the transfer amount.
You need to give the sender the account name, the address linked to the account, the BSB and account number, and the SWIFT code. ANZ's SWIFT code is ANZBAU3M or ANZBAU3MXXX.
Reasons a transfer may be rejected include missing or incorrect information, cancellation by the sending financial institution, and account closure. Only the sender can track a transfer or confirm the transfer date.
- The account name and the address linked to the account
- The BSB and account number
- The SWIFT code
Next Step
Once you have decided how to send the money, compare the conditions of the account that will receive it. On BLOOM ABROAD's Sydney bank account page, you can compare bank accounts for study abroad and working holidays in Sydney by monthly fee, account-opening bonus, transfer costs, and Japanese-language support.
ANZ's monthly fee, the conditions for waiving it, the account-opening bonus, and international transfer costs are summarized from the perspective of students and working holiday makers on the ANZ page.
Sources
Government and public bodies
- 日本の税関 支払手段等の携帯輸出・輸入の申告（2026年10月19日確認）
- 日本の税関 申告書の用意場所の案内（2026年10月19日確認）
- 日本銀行 支払又は支払の受領に関する報告書（2026年10月19日確認）
- AUSTRAC 海外へお金を移すときの申告（2026年10月19日確認）
Official information from each company
- ANZ 海外口座からの送金の受け取り（2026年10月19日確認）
- ANZ 国際送金の案内（2026年10月19日確認）
