In short: you can apply for Rakuten Mobile at a shop instead of online. Rakuten Mobile says every shop has English materials, but that is not the same as a guarantee of an English-speaking staff member. Before you go, check what the shop can do for you, book a visit if you can, and bring the original documents and details listed below.
- Shop and booking: the shop handles the procedure you need, and you have booked or checked how it takes visitors.
- Identity document: the original, valid, with your current address.
- Rakuten ID: you can log in to it yourself.
- Payment and phone: a card or bank account in your name, and a compatible phone if you are bringing one.
- Keeping your number: an MNP reservation number from your current carrier.
Is English support available at Rakuten Mobile shops?
Partly. Rakuten Mobile says English materials are available at all its shops, including the Important Notice and application forms in English, and a point-and-speak phrase sheet to help you communicate. It does not say that every shop has English-speaking staff or that every procedure can be done fully in English.
My suggestion: before you visit, contact the shop you plan to use and check the procedure you need and how much English help is available. Some after-sales support services are not available at Rakuten Mobile counters in electronics stores and post offices, so check those too.
Questions you could ask when booking or on arrival (my own examples, not Rakuten Mobile’s phrase sheet):
- “Can you help me apply in English?”
- “Which documents should I bring?”
- “Do I need an appointment for this procedure?”
For help by phone, Rakuten Mobile’s contact page lists an English Support line: 0800-805-0805, 9:00 to 17:00 Japan time, every day. The call may be a three-way call with you, a support representative and a telephone interpreter, and Rakuten Mobile says the interpretation is free. That line is separate from the staff at a shop counter, so do not assume the same English help is available in the shop. The other contact options on that page, such as chat, say they are handled in Japanese.
- Contract and billing questions must come from the contract holder, according to Rakuten Mobile.
- Calling from outside Japan: 0800 is a Japanese toll-free number, and this guide cannot confirm that you can call it from abroad.
- Numbers and hours can change. Check the contact page before you call.
Sources: Rakuten Mobile shops · Contact page (Japanese, with an English Support entry)
How to find a shop and book a visit
You can book online or by phone. Rakuten Mobile says a booking gives you priority when the shop is busy and lets you check the required documents in advance. You may still wait for a free counter, and some shops do not take bookings.
- Search for a shop with Rakuten Mobile’s shop finder. You can also search by the services a shop offers.
- On the shop’s page, check the address, opening hours and whether it handles what you need, such as a new application or a number transfer.
- Book online from the shop’s page and choose a date and time, or call the phone number shown on the shop’s page.
- Keep your booking details, and note anything the shop asks you to bring.
A shop’s opening hours are not always the same as the last time it accepts an application. If you plan to go late in the day, ask when the shop stops accepting the procedure you need.
Sources: How to book a shop visit (Japanese) · Before your shop visit
What to bring
For an application at a shop, Rakuten Mobile asks you to bring the original identity document. A copy is not accepted.
| Item | What to check | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|
| Identity document (original) | For foreign nationals, a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate that is valid and shows your current address. At a shop, a diplomatic identification card is also listed. | Documents and eligibility |
| Rakuten ID | You can log in yourself, and your registered details are current and match your application. If you do not have one, create a free Rakuten membership before your visit. | What to prepare |
| Payment details | A credit card or bank account in your name for monthly payments. If you want to use a card or bank account in someone else’s name, check with the shop before your visit. Rakuten Mobile’s own pages do not describe this case the same way. | Payment methods |
| Your phone, if you are bringing one | It is compatible with Rakuten Mobile, and SIM-unlocked if needed. You do not need to bring a phone if you are buying one at the shop. | Phone bought outside Japan |
| MNP reservation number (keeping your number only) | Get it from your current carrier before your visit. | Keeping your number |
Keep your Rakuten ID password to yourself. Log in on your own phone when you are asked to; do not hand your password to anyone.
This guide is for adults applying in their own name. Applicants under 18 need written consent and a signature from a parent or guardian, and applications on someone else’s behalf have their own rules. Check Rakuten Mobile’s shop visit guide if either applies to you.
Sources: Before your shop visit · Identity verification
Keeping your number: prepare for an in-store MNP application
To move your number from another Japanese carrier at a shop, get an MNP reservation number from your current carrier before your visit. MNP One Stop, which lets you skip the reservation number, is for online applications. Do not expect to use it at a shop.
- Do not cancel your current line yourself. It is cancelled automatically when the move to Rakuten Mobile completes.
- Check the name. The contract name at your current carrier must match the name on your Rakuten Mobile application.
- Check the validity. A reservation number has an expiry date. Rakuten Mobile says a shop can use a number that is still within its validity period.
For how to get a reservation number, name matching and what happens to your old line, see how to switch and keep your number.
Sources: Before your shop visit · MNP guide (Japanese)
Using an employee referral before your visit
A shop booking, the referral login and the application are three separate things. Doing one does not complete the others.
| Step | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Shop booking | Reserves a time at the shop | It does not apply for a line or record a referral. |
| Referral login | Logging in to your Rakuten account through the referral link records the referral | It is not an application or a booking, and it does not guarantee any points. |
| Application | Applies for your Rakuten Mobile line | It does not record a referral by itself. |
- Log in through the referral link before your visit, with the same Rakuten ID you will use to apply at the shop. Telling the staff a referrer’s name does not record a referral.
- Check the type of counter. The employee referral terms apply to contracts made at Rakuten Mobile shops, Rakuten Mobile online and Rakuten Mobile’s official store on Rakuten Ichiba. If you plan to apply at a Rakuten Mobile counter inside another store, check that it counts as a Rakuten Mobile shop.
- The application is only one condition. The line must also be activated and the call condition met by the deadline.
For all the conditions, point amounts and deadlines, see the employee referral guide on our home page.
What to expect during your visit
The order of steps can differ between shops, so treat this as a list of things to be ready to confirm, not a fixed script.
- What you are applying for: the plan, a new number or a number transfer, SIM card or eSIM, and any phone you are buying.
- Your documents: the staff check your identity document and the details on your application.
- Costs and options: ask which charges apply to you and which options, if any, are being added. Rakuten Mobile says in-store contract fees are free for up to 4 lines in total under the same name, and that a fee applies per line from the fifth line. “In total” counts every line contracted under that name since April 8, 2020, including cancelled lines, not only the lines you have now.
- Setting up the line: ask whether your line can be activated at the shop or whether you finish at home.
Rakuten Mobile advertises that a number transfer can be used the same day at a shop. That does not guarantee your own application will be approved or finished on the day, and this guide cannot tell you how long your visit will take.
Source: Rakuten Mobile shops
Before you leave the shop
My own checklist, to avoid finding out at home that something is unfinished:
- How far did it get? Is it applied only, or applied and activated?
- If it is not finished, what are you waiting for, such as screening or a delivery, and what do you need to do next? If you are later asked to redo identity verification, see what to check after an identity verification problem.
- Your contract: your phone number, your plan and any options that were added.
- Your connection: with Wi-Fi off, can you open a web page? If you chose an eSIM that is not active yet, see how to activate your Rakuten Mobile eSIM.
- Calls: know how you will set up Rakuten Link. See how to use Rakuten Link.
If you are using a campaign that requires a Rakuten Link call, an active line does not mean you have met that condition.
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit without a booking?
Rakuten Mobile recommends booking and says some shops do not take bookings. Whether a shop can see you without one depends on the shop and how busy it is, so ask the shop directly.
Will the staff speak English?
Rakuten Mobile says all shops have English materials and a phrase sheet. It does not promise English-speaking staff, so ask the shop before you go.
Can I bring a photo or copy of my residence card?
No. For an application at a shop, bring the original. Rakuten Mobile says copies are not accepted.
Can I use MNP One Stop at a shop?
No. MNP One Stop is for online applications. At a shop, bring an MNP reservation number from your current carrier.
How long does a visit take?
Rakuten Mobile does not give a fixed time, and you may wait for a counter even with a booking. Allow plenty of time, and ask the shop when it stops accepting your procedure for the day.
Can I use the employee referral if I apply at a shop?
Applications at Rakuten Mobile shops are covered by the terms. Log in through the referral link before your visit with the same Rakuten ID you will use at the shop. See the employee referral steps.
Ready to plan your visit?
Find a shop near you and check what it offers, then check your documents.
Not sure your documents are accepted? See Rakuten Mobile requirements for foreign residents.
Checked against Rakuten Mobile’s official pages and the employee referral campaign terms on September 26, 2026. I have not visited a shop or made a booking for this guide. Shop services, fees 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.