In short: this guide covers the first setup of the eSIM for your own Rakuten Mobile contract. It is not about travel eSIMs. You activate the eSIM in Japan, on Wi-Fi, after your identity verification is complete. If you are keeping your number, start the number transfer first. Then open your application in my Rakuten Mobile inside the Rakuten Link app, activate the eSIM and check that you can go online with Wi-Fi off.
The steps depend on whether you are getting a new number or keeping your current one, how you verified your identity and which phone you use. Screens also change between app and OS versions, so this guide focuses on what each step is for. Japanese screen labels are shown in brackets. The English next to them is my own explanation, not necessarily the wording in the English version of the app.
Before you start
- You are in Japan. You can apply from abroad, but Rakuten Mobile says the first activation of a SIM card or eSIM must be done in Japan. Products, SIM cards and start guides must also be received in Japan.
- An eSIM phone that works with Rakuten Mobile. Rakuten Mobile lists iPhone XS, XR and later, and other eSIM-compatible products. If your phone was bought outside Japan, see how to check an overseas phone first.
- A stable Wi-Fi connection. Rakuten Mobile asks you to activate while connected to Wi-Fi. This matters most when you keep your number, because your old line stops working when the transfer completes.
- The Rakuten Link app on the phone you want to activate, and the Rakuten ID and password you used to apply. Rakuten Link includes my Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Mobile’s account and contract service. You can sign in to my Rakuten Mobile with your Rakuten ID before your line is active. Setting up Rakuten Link for calls comes later.
- Completed identity verification. If you have not applied yet, see Rakuten Mobile requirements for foreign residents.
- Your start guide, if your application includes one. See which route applies to you.
Sources: Applying and activating from abroad · Activation guide · eSIM activation after Simple Mobile ID Verification (all in Japanese)
Choose the right activation route
First decide whether you are getting a new number or keeping your current one. If you are getting a new number, skip the number transfer entirely.
| Your situation | What to do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| New Rakuten Mobile number | Activate the eSIM from your application | Activate your eSIM |
| Keeping your number from another Japanese carrier (MNP) | Start the number transfer, then activate the eSIM | Complete MNP first |
| Moving or reissuing an eSIM you already use with Rakuten Mobile | A different procedure (SIM exchange or reissue) | Not covered here. See Rakuten Mobile’s SIM reissue guide (Japanese) |
An eSIM does not always mean nothing arrives by post. If you applied for an eSIM only with Simple Mobile ID Verification (スマホでかんたん本人確認), no start guide is delivered. With other identity verification methods, Rakuten Mobile sends a start guide even for an eSIM-only application, and you wait for it before activating. If you bought a phone or other product with your application, wait for that delivery too.
Rakuten Mobile’s activation guide (Japanese) shows the exact steps for your SIM type, application type, phone and verification method.
Sources: If you cannot activate a new line · Activation guide (both in Japanese)
If you are keeping your number: complete MNP first
With MNP (mobile number portability), you start the number transfer yourself before you activate the eSIM. Do it only when the phone you will use is ready, and connect it to Wi-Fi first.
- In my Rakuten Mobile, open お申し込み状況の確認 (check application status), then お申し込み履歴を見る (view application history), and choose your application.
- Tap MNP転入を開始する (start MNP transfer). Read the notes, tick the box to confirm you understand them and tap MNP転入を開始する again.
- Check that the application history shows 開通手続き中です (activation in progress). Rakuten Mobile emails you when the transfer is complete.
When the transfer completes, your old carrier’s line stops working. Completion depends on when you start (Japan time):
| You start the transfer | Expected completion |
|---|---|
| 9:00 to 21:00 | The same day |
| 21:01 to 8:59 | From 9:00 the next morning |
A transfer started shortly before 21:00 may finish the next day. The transfer does not set up the eSIM: after it completes, you still need to activate the eSIM, as described in the next section.
For MNP One Stop, reservation numbers, name matching and the automatic switch on the reservation number’s expiry date, see how to switch and keep your number.
Source: MNP activation (Japanese)
Activate your eSIM
Do this on the phone you want to use, while it is connected to Wi-Fi. The activation button appears only after your identity verification is complete and any required delivery has arrived.
- Open Rakuten Link on the phone you want to activate and sign in with the Rakuten ID you used to apply. Open my Rakuten Mobile from the icon in the bottom menu.
- Open お申し込み状況の確認 (check application status), then お申し込み履歴を見る (view application history), and tap your application number.
- Refresh the screen. When the activation button appears, tap it. Depending on the screen, it is labelled 開通手続きへ進む or eSIM開通手続きに進む (proceed with activation).
- Follow the phone’s prompts to add the eSIM. On an iPhone, Rakuten Mobile’s guide shows モバイル通信プランを追加 (add cellular plan), followed by several 続ける (continue) screens. Some phones skip these screens.
- Wait without leaving the screen until 開通手続きが完了しました (activation completed) appears.
After that message, Rakuten Mobile says the status can take some time to change from 準備中 (preparing) to 完了 (completed).
If you applied for the eSIM in the Rakuten Link app with Simple Mobile ID Verification, you can go straight to activation from the screen after your application. Tap 設定・確認画面へ進む (go to the setup and check screen), choose your application, and continue from step 3.
If you see a button labelled eSIM開通用のQRコードを表示する (show the eSIM activation QR code) instead of the activation button, see Do you need a QR code?.
On iPhone
Rakuten Mobile’s eSIM activation page still includes extra VoLTE and APN steps for iOS 13 and iOS 14. Rakuten Link now needs iOS 16 or later, so do not copy those steps unless Rakuten Mobile’s iPhone setup page tells you to for your iOS version. If a carrier settings update pop-up appears, Rakuten Mobile asks you to tap アップデート (update) and then restart the iPhone.
On Android
The screens for adding an eSIM depend on the manufacturer and the Android version. For phones bought from Rakuten Mobile, it has setup pages for each product. For other phones, follow the prompts on screen and the manufacturer’s own help pages.
Sources: eSIM activation after Simple Mobile ID Verification · MNP activation · If you cannot activate a new line (all in Japanese)
Do you need a QR code?
You may not need an eSIM activation QR code if you use the app on the phone you want to activate. However, if your application requires a mailed start guide, you still need to scan its QR code as instructed. The two QR codes do different jobs.
- The eSIM activation QR code (eSIM開通用のQRコード). This button appears when you are signed in to the web version of my Rakuten Mobile, or on a device that does not support eSIM, such as a computer. If you are on the phone you want to activate, go back and use the Rakuten Link app instead. If you are on a computer, show the QR code there and scan it with the phone. On an iPhone, Rakuten Mobile’s guide goes through 設定 (Settings), モバイル通信 (Cellular) and モバイル通信プランを追加 (add cellular plan), then scanning the code.
- The QR code on the back of the start guide. If you verified your identity by mailing a residence certificate, or by a check at your home when the delivery arrives, Rakuten Mobile asks you to scan this code when the guide arrives. Scanning it with the camera app completes identity verification. It is not the eSIM activation QR code.
If you use the app on the phone you want to activate, you do not need a second device to show an eSIM activation QR code. Keep any QR code private: do not post it or share a photo of it.
Sources: eSIM activation after Simple Mobile ID Verification · Activation guide · MNP activation (all in Japanese)
Check that your connection works
Do not stop at the completion message. Rakuten Mobile asks you to turn Wi-Fi off and open a browser to check that the Rakuten network works.
- Wi-Fi off, then open a web page in your browser.
- On a dual SIM phone, check in your phone’s settings that the Rakuten Mobile line is the one selected for mobile data. Otherwise the page may load over your other line.
- In my Rakuten Mobile, the line status should change to 回線開通完了 (line activation completed). If it shows eSIMプロファイルダウンロード完了 (eSIM profile downloaded), wait a while.
Next, set up Rakuten Link for calls: see how to use Rakuten Link. An active line is not the same as meeting any campaign condition. You do not need a paid test call from your phone’s standard phone app, and never call an emergency number to test your phone.
Sources: MNP activation · If you cannot activate a new line (both in Japanese)
If activation is not working
Start with the status in my Rakuten Mobile. It usually shows which step you are waiting for. Resetting your phone, deleting the eSIM or entering APN settings by hand are not standard first steps.
| Problem | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| No activation button | The button appears only after identity verification is complete. Look for an email titled 【重要】楽天モバイル 本人確認情報の不備による本人確認再実施のお願い (request to redo identity verification), including in your spam folder. | Use the link in that email to redo verification or update your details. If verification keeps failing, see our identity verification troubleshooting guide. |
| Waiting for a delivery | Your verification route, and the delivery status and tracking number in my Rakuten Mobile. The status can take from a few hours to about a day to show delivery as complete. | Wait for the start guide or product to arrive. Then wait for the status to show eSIMプロファイルダウンロード待ち (waiting for eSIM profile download). |
| A QR code button appears on the phone you want to activate | Whether you are signed in to the web version of my Rakuten Mobile. | Go back and activate from the Rakuten Link app. |
| The eSIM is added but there is no data | Wi-Fi off, the Rakuten line selected for data, and your location and signal. In your phone’s settings, check that your phone number is shown, not “unknown”. | Turn mobile data off and back on, then check the connection. If it still does not work, turn airplane mode on and back off. Next, turn Wi-Fi on and then off again, and test mobile data with Wi-Fi off. If none of this helps, update the OS, and separately restart the phone. Try near a window or outdoors. If the line is active but you still have no signal in a particular place, see checking signal and coverage. If the line shows as activated and your Android phone still has no data, check whether you need to set an APN. |
| Waiting for the number transfer | When you started the transfer, and the completion email. | Transfers started from 21:01 complete from 9:00 the next morning. |
| You deleted the eSIM | Do not keep repeating the activation steps. | Follow Rakuten Mobile’s reissue guide (Japanese) or contact support. |
If you used your iPhone with certain other carriers or MVNOs, Rakuten Mobile says you may need to remove that carrier’s configuration profile. Follow the steps in its activation troubleshooting page (Japanese), and do not remove profiles you do not recognize.
If you need help, visit Rakuten Mobile’s contact page and look for “English Support”. Check the current hours and instructions before contacting them.
Sources: Activation button not shown · If you cannot activate a new line · SIM reissue (all in Japanese)
Frequently asked questions
Can I activate my eSIM before I arrive in Japan?
No. You can apply from abroad, but the first activation must be done in Japan, and anything delivered must be received in Japan. Rakuten Mobile recommends applying from within Japan.
Why is my eSIM not active on the same day?
Activation may take longer if identity verification is still being reviewed, a required delivery has not arrived, or your number transfer is waiting to complete. Check your application status in my Rakuten Mobile for the next step.
Do I need a QR code or a second device?
You may not need an eSIM activation QR code if you use the app on the phone you want to activate; that code is for when you are signed in on a computer or on the web. However, if your application requires a mailed start guide, you still need to scan its QR code as instructed. A second device is not required for the app route.
Do I need Wi-Fi?
Yes, for activation. Rakuten Mobile asks you to activate while connected to Wi-Fi. After activation, turn Wi-Fi off to check that the Rakuten network works.
Is my eSIM set up once the number transfer completes?
No. The transfer moves your number and stops your old line. You still need to activate the eSIM on your phone.
I got a new phone. Is it the same process?
No. Moving an eSIM you already use is a SIM exchange or reissue. Apply in my Rakuten Mobile on the phone you currently use, and do not delete your current eSIM first: you need it to receive the one-time password by SMS.
Next steps
- Your line is active: set up calling in how to use Rakuten Link.
- Keeping your number and not started yet: read how to switch and keep your number.
- Still preparing to apply: check the requirements for foreign residents and whether your phone works.
Not applied yet? Our English guide to Rakuten Mobile explains plans and the employee referral offer.
Checked against Rakuten Mobile’s official support pages on September 26, 2026. I have not tested these steps on a specific phone or in the English version of the app for this guide. Screens and procedures may change; if anything here differs from Rakuten Mobile’s official information, the official information applies. This guide is written by Takahiko Tanaka and is not an official Rakuten Mobile website.