Rakuten Mobile Identity Verification Failed? What to Check

First, identify what has stopped

Four situations can look similar from the outside, but they need different actions:

• Verification is incomplete, with a reason shown. Rakuten Mobile could not match your identity document with your application. It asks you to correct the problem and repeat verification.
• Your card cannot be read. Your phone cannot complete the IC chip scan. This is different from successfully reading the chip and finding that its stored address does not match.
• You are waiting after submitting. Nothing may be wrong. Do not resubmit or start a new application just because it is taking time.
• You were told the application was cancelled or not approved. Rakuten Mobile screens applications and may cancel one. That is a different outcome from an identity verification problem, and this guide cannot tell you the reason for it.

If Rakuten Mobile finds a problem, it may email you. Its FAQ gives the subject as 【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 (a request to redo identity verification). Check your spam folder too.

Source: Activation button not shown after Simple Mobile ID Verification (Japanese)

Find the reason in your application

Rakuten Mobile shows the reason in my Rakuten Mobile, its account service. You can use it inside the Rakuten Link app or in a web browser.

1. Sign in to my Rakuten Mobile with the Rakuten ID and password you used to apply.
2. Choose 本人確認を行う (carry out identity verification), shown near the top of the screen.
3. Read the reason shown. Rakuten Mobile notes that the problem can be in the contract details you entered, not only in the document.

The Japanese labels come from Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ. The English next to them is my explanation, not necessarily the wording in the English version of the site or app.

Source: If your identity verification is incomplete (Japanese)

Check your name, address and date of birth

The name, address and date of birth in your contract details must match your identity document exactly. Rakuten Mobile says a name that sounds the same but is written differently still counts as a mismatch.

Changing your Rakuten account details does not fix this. Rakuten Mobile says that changing the name or address in your Rakuten ID does not change your Rakuten Mobile contract details. Correct the contract details in my Rakuten Mobile.

Do not change your legal name or address to something that seems easier to match. Enter them exactly as they appear on your document.

Sources: Common identity verification problems (Japanese) · If your identity verification is incomplete (Japanese)

If your residence card will not scan

There are two different problems here. The phone may not be reading the chip at all. Or it reads the chip, but the address stored in the chip is out of date.

The phone cannot read the chip

• Position: hold the card’s IC chip against the reading position for your phone model, as shown on screen. The position depends on the model, and Rakuten Mobile says reading can take 5 seconds or more.
• NFC on Android: open Settings, search for “NFC” and check that it is on. Rakuten Mobile says iPhone users do not need to check this.
• Accessories: remove your phone case and disconnect earphones or a charger, then try again.
• Software: update your phone’s software, and update the Rakuten Link app if you are using my Rakuten Mobile inside it.

An NFC-capable phone is not the same as a phone that works with Rakuten Mobile’s network. That is a separate check: see how to check an overseas phone.

The card reads, but the chip’s address is out of date

Rakuten Mobile says some foreign residents cannot use Simple Mobile ID Verification online because the address in the card’s IC chip does not match the address on the card. This can happen if your address was not registered when the card was issued, or if you moved after it was issued.

Scanning again does not change the address stored in the chip. Rakuten Mobile says that if you reported a change of address at your city or ward office on or before June 13, 2026, only the back of the card was updated, not the chip. To update the chip in that case, the card has to be reissued. Rakuten Mobile links to details of that process from its notice for foreign residents.

For people in this situation, Rakuten Mobile asks you to apply at a Rakuten Mobile shop. If you already have an application in progress, ask Rakuten Mobile how that application will be handled before you visit.

Sources: IC chip cannot be read (Japanese) · Simple Mobile ID Verification for foreign residents · Common identity verification problems (Japanese)

Correct your details and repeat verification

Rakuten Mobile’s Japanese FAQ describes this flow. Follow what your own screen shows, because the options depend on your application.

1. In my Rakuten Mobile, choose 本人確認を行う (carry out identity verification) and read the reason.
2. Tap 変更する (change). A message asks you to review your application and the Important Notice again on the next screen; tap OK.
3. Correct your contract details if they caused the problem, and choose a verification method. Rakuten Mobile says some methods may not be available for your application.
4. Follow the instructions on screen until you see お申し込みを受け付けました (your application has been received).

“Received” is not “approved”. That message means your updated application was accepted for processing. Screening and activation still come after it.

Rakuten Mobile also has an English FAQ on this topic. It describes re-uploading document images and says to contact the Communication Center by chat to change a date of birth. That is not the same as the Japanese flow above. If you are unsure, follow what your own screen shows, and ask support.

Sources: If your identity verification is incomplete (Japanese) · What should I do if my identity verification fails (English)

When to use another method or contact support

Which methods you can use depends on your nationality, your document and your application. For foreign nationals applying online, Rakuten Mobile lists two methods:

• Simple Mobile ID Verification with a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate.
• Mailing a residence certificate (住民票の写し). This is a certificate issued by your city or ward office, not a photocopy you make at home; Rakuten Mobile says photocopies are not accepted. It must be issued within 6 months at the time of screening and must not show your My Number or resident record code. See the mailing guide (Japanese).

Verification at home when your delivery arrives is listed for Japanese nationals only. At a shop, you show the original document. See our shop guide, but do not assume a shop can take over an application you started online.

If you see a lock message after repeated incorrect entries, stop guessing. Rakuten Mobile’s lock FAQ (Japanese) covers My Number cards and driving licences. If you used a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate, ask Rakuten Mobile which instructions apply.

Contacting Rakuten Mobile

Rakuten Mobile’s contact page lists an English Support phone line: 0800-805-0805, 9:00 to 17:00 Japan time, open every day. The call may involve you, a support representative and a telephone interpreter. Rakuten Mobile states that the interpretation service is free. The other contact options on that page say they are handled in Japanese.

Before you call, note:

• The exact message or reason shown on screen.
• The step where it stopped, such as scanning the card or after submitting.
• The verification method you used.

Only share your documents and personal details with Rakuten Mobile through its official channels. Never send them to this site.

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Once your verification is complete, you can move on to activation. If you chose an eSIM, see how to activate your Rakuten Mobile eSIM.

Read Rakuten Mobile’s identity verification help (Japanese)