Every career is consistent
・ Residence card
・ Special permanent resident certificate
・ Credit card or cash card required for payment
Is necessary.
Besides that
・ Public utility receipt
・ Certificate of residence
Is useful as a supplementary document for your residence card.
There are various characteristics for each carrier, such as where you can sign up at a physical store, where foreign staff can respond, and where you have to apply online.
Choose a career that fits your needs.
Here are five MVNO(Mobile Virtual Network Operator) companies that are popular among Japanese.
MVNO has a cheap price plan, and the biggest advantage for short-term residents is that the contract period is looser than the three major carriers.
On the other hand, it is necessary to keep in mind that there are disadvantages such as slow internet connection and small communication area.
Let’s look at the five MVNO companies at once.
Y! Mobile is a brand operated by SoftBank.
To be precise, Y! Mobile is not a MVNO, but it is a popular carrier because it has a cheaper rate plan than the three major companies and the communication speed is as fast as Softbank.
・ Card foreign passport or special permanent resident certificate
・ Name seal (permitted with name seal, not with self-inking stamp)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer: Bankbook + seal used for bank transactions or cash card + seal used for bank transactions
UQ Mobile is the fastest of the cheapest SIMs
However, if you want to pay in installments, you need to be aware that installments may not be possible if your period of stay does not meet the UQ Mobile standards.
・ Resident Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
* In the case of lump-sum payment by account transfer, the remaining period during the stay is required at least 8 months. In the case of installment payment, if the period of stay is less than the standard of UQ Mobile, it may not be possible to purchase in installments.
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer: The original cash card
LINE Mobile has popular LINE MOBILE plan that does not consume data communication charges even if you use major SNS such as LINE, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Also, it does not support direct debit, but it is convenient that you can pay with LINE Pay or LINE Pay card besides credit card.
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card + supporting documents (utility receipt)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ LINE Pay payment … LINE Pay account
・ LINE Pay card payment … LINE Pay card
mineo is a nice feature for those who are considering a mobile contract for a short stay because there is no cancellation fee when canceling.
Payment can only be made by credit card.
・ Resident Card or Alien Registration Certificate
・ Auxiliary documents (utility receipt or certificate of residence)
・credit card
Rakuten Mobile has the advantage that you can pay monthly from Rakuten points that you have accumulated.
People who frequently use Rakuten services such as Rakuten Ichiba are easy to collect points and are brands with great merit.
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card
・ Auxiliary documents (utility receipt , certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate)
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Debit card payment… Debit card (Only Rakuten Bank Debit Card or Suruga Bank Debit Card can be registered)
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or passbook
docomo, au and SoftBank are the three major carriers of mobile phones in Japan.
The advantages of choosing the three major carriers include high communication speed and quality, support at physical stores, and the ability to purchase the latest smartphones at great pricing.
On the other hand, the disadvantage is that the monthly fee is high and the two-year contract is the mainstream, so it is not suitable for short-term stayers or vactioners.
Let’s take a look at the characteristics and required documents of each mobile company.
docomo boasts the largest market share among Japanese mobile phone companies.
The positive features of this company is that the communication/reception area is wide,
Often receiving signals and connection where other companies do not. Data speed tends to also be fast.
・ Resident Card or Alien Registration Certificate
* If you want to make a monthly payment by fund transfer, you will need a supplementary document (utility receipt or certificate of residence).
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or bankbook + seal used for bank transactions
・ For minors (under 20 years old)
You will also need a parental consent form and parental identification documents.
Among the three major carriers, au has the most support for foreign users.
By checking “Foreign language support” when searching for an au shop, you can find shops with staff who can speak foreign languages.
There are multilingual service guides in English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Tagalog, and information can be collected in your native language in advance. Check it out.
Name seal (Name stamp) or Signature
・ Special permanent resident certificate or residence card + foreign passport
* If the address on the resident card is “Undecided (listed on the back after notification)”, auxiliary documents (utility receipt, certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate) are required.
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… Cash card or bankbook + seal used for bank transactions + supporting documents (utility receipt, certificate of residence or notification evacuation site certificate)
・ For minors
Parental Consent Form + Parental Identity Identification Document
SoftBank has many foreign users.
SoftBank emails are free, so if you have many SoftBank users around you, SoftBank is also recommended.
・ Resident Card + Foreign Passport or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
・ Credit payment… Credit card
・ Bank transfer… passbook + seal used for bank transactions or cash card + seal used for bank transactions
・ For minors: Parental consent form + parental identification document
Mobile phones and data are an indispensable part of everyday life.
It is a lifeline for getting information and receiving help, as well as communication for your day to day activities.
It’s especially essential if you are thinking about working in Japan.
As a foreigner living in Japan, do you have any questions about how to sign up for a mobile phone? The further you leave metro areas, the chances of shop clerks speaking english, or any other foriegn language decreases, so it is important to prepare in advance. So the following are documents you made need to present, as well as a few pros and cons of a few major companies. If you are staying in Japan and are going to sign a mobile phone, please take a look.