Rakuten Mobile Requirements for Foreign Residents

Can foreign residents apply for Rakuten Mobile?

In short: yes, if you can verify your identity with a document that works for one of Rakuten Mobile’s verification methods for foreign nationals. Online, that means a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate read by your phone, or a residence certificate issued by your city or ward office, sent by mail (the certificate itself, not a photocopy). At a shop, you show the original card. Each document must show your current address in Japan. Meeting these conditions lets you apply. It does not guarantee approval: Rakuten Mobile screens applications and may cancel one based on screening.

What decides how you apply is your document, whether its IC chip holds your current address, and whether you apply online or at a shop. Find the row closest to your situation:

This page covers applications by individuals aged 18 or over. Applicants under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent and have extra steps; check Rakuten Mobile’s page for minors before applying.

What to prepare before applying

In short: a Rakuten ID, an accepted identity document, your registered address in Japan, a payment method and a phone that works on Rakuten Mobile. The details in your application, your Rakuten ID and your document must all match.

• A Rakuten ID. Your free Rakuten account. The online application fills in your name and address from your Rakuten membership details. If they differ from your document, update them before you apply or change them on the application screen.
• An accepted identity document. For Simple Mobile ID Verification or a shop: a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate that is valid, shows your address and has your photo. For the mailing method: a residence certificate issued by your city or ward office. See which documents you can use.
• Your address in Japan, written in full. Include the city, ward, building name and room number exactly as they appear on your document.
• A payment method. A credit card, a Rakuten Bank debit card or another accepted debit card, or a Japanese bank account for account transfer. Whether a debit card works is decided by the card issuer.
• A compatible phone. Check your model on Rakuten Mobile’s device compatibility page. A phone bought overseas may not work even if the model is listed, and a phone without Japan’s Technical Regulations Compliance Mark may be refused connection. See how to check an overseas phone.
• For online ID verification: a phone that can read IC cards. Simple Mobile ID Verification needs an NFC smartphone that can read your card’s IC chip. Rakuten Mobile’s FAQ lists Android 7.0 or later and iOS 15.1 or later for this method, and recommends the latest OS version. The check also uses an app: keep the Rakuten Link app up to date. Rakuten Link itself requires iOS 16 or later, or Android 10 or later. A supported OS version alone does not guarantee that your phone can read the card or that it works on Rakuten Mobile.
• If you are keeping a Japanese number: the contract name at your current carrier must match the name you use for Rakuten Mobile. See how to switch and keep your number for the full steps.

Payment details that often matter to foreign residents

• Bank account transfer: available for monthly charges, with a fee. It cannot be used to pay for a phone, and Rakuten Points cannot be applied to your bill if you pay this way.
• Someone else’s credit card: allowed only if the cardholder is present and sets up the payment. A bank account must be in your own name at the time of application.
• A card issued outside Japan: I could not find a clear statement on Rakuten Mobile’s payment pages about using one when you apply. Its payment guide for foreign residents mentions an overseas-issued card only for paying the final bill after leaving Japan. If you plan to use one, check with Rakuten Mobile or at a shop first.
• You pay after use: charges are billed the month after use. If a payment fails and stays unpaid, the contract can be cancelled.

For a full comparison of payment methods, including whose name can be on the card or account, billing dates and Rakuten Points, see Rakuten Mobile payment methods for foreign residents.

Sources: Mailing a residence certificate (Japanese) · Payment methods (Japanese) · Payment guide for foreign residents (Japanese) · Device compatibility · Simple Mobile ID Verification (Japanese) · Supported phones for Simple Mobile ID Verification (Japanese) · Rakuten Link (Japanese)

Which identity documents can you use?

In short: the document depends on the method. Simple Mobile ID Verification uses a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate. The mailing method uses a residence certificate from your city or ward office. At a shop, you show the original card, or a diplomatic identification card.

Rakuten Mobile’s document list is split by nationality, and many of the documents on its general list, such as a driver’s license or a Japanese passport, are for Japanese nationals. The table below shows only the options for foreign nationals.

What “residence certificate” means here: in Japanese, Rakuten Mobile calls it juminhyo no utsushi, which translates literally as “a copy of the residence record”. It is not a photocopy. It is an official certificate that your city or ward office prints and issues to you. Send that certificate itself. Rakuten Mobile accepts only the original, issued within 6 months at the time of screening, and does not accept a photocopy you make yourself.

Requirements for a residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate

• It must be within its expiration date.
• It must show your address and have your photo.
• Your name, address and date of birth must match your application.
• If your name appears in both kanji and romaji, enter it in romaji.
• Specified Residence Cards (a residence card combined with a My Number card), Specified Special Permanent Resident Certificates and second-generation cards issued from June 14, 2026 are accepted. Rakuten Mobile began accepting them at shops on June 14, 2026 and for Simple Mobile ID Verification on September 1, 2026.
• At a shop, if the address on your document is out of date, Rakuten Mobile asks for a supporting document that shows your current address as well.
• If your name has changed, complete the change at your city or ward office first, or use a different accepted document.

IC chip address: why online verification can fail

Simple Mobile ID Verification reads the address stored on the card’s IC chip, not only the address printed on the card. Rakuten Mobile warns that the two may not match in these cases:

• your address was not yet registered when the card was issued, or
• you moved after the card was issued, and filed your change of address on or before June 13, 2026.

Changes filed on or before June 13, 2026 updated the address on the back of the card but not the chip. To update the chip in that case, Rakuten Mobile says you need a reissued card: for a residence card, apply at a regional immigration services bureau; for a Special Permanent Resident Certificate, apply at your city or ward office. Registering the chip address itself is done by filing your change of residence at your city or ward office. Rakuten Mobile notes that this information is based on its own research as of June 12, 2026, so confirm the current procedure with the immigration or municipal office.

If the chip does not hold your correct address, Simple Mobile ID Verification will not work. Rakuten Mobile’s advice is to apply at a Rakuten Mobile shop.

Documents that no longer work

Health insurance cards and Basic Resident Registration Cards can no longer be used for identity verification. Since late March 2026, ahead of a change in Japan’s identity verification rules for mobile phone contracts that took effect on April 1, 2026, Rakuten Mobile has also stopped accepting uploaded photos of identity documents and its AI photo check (eKYC) for online applications. If an older guide tells you to upload a photo of your residence card, it is out of date.

Sources: Identity verification documents · Common identity verification mistakes (Japanese) · Updating the IC chip address (Japanese) · Notice for foreign nationals on Simple Mobile ID Verification · Notice on newer residence cards · Changes to online verification methods (Japanese)

Applying online or at a shop

In short: if your card’s IC chip holds your current address and your phone can read it, you can complete the identity check online. If not, apply at a shop or use the mailing method. Rakuten Mobile says its shops provide English-language materials and a Point-and-Speak phrase sheet. Check with the shop before your visit if you need help from English-speaking staff.

Three ways to apply as a foreign resident:

Completing the identity check is not the same as approval. Whichever method you use, Rakuten Mobile screens the application and may cancel it based on screening.

Online: what to expect

• Simple Mobile ID Verification works from the web application or the Rakuten Link app. If you start on the web, you finish the ID check in the Rakuten Link app and then return to the web screen to continue. On Android, the Rakuten Ichiba app (version 14.3.0 or later) can also read the chip.
• Mailing method: send the residence certificate your city or ward office issued, not a photocopy. It must be issued within 6 months at the time of screening, show your latest address and not show your My Number or resident record code. Mail it within 45 days of the date your application was completed. Write your Rakuten Mobile ID in the top right margin if your application completion email shows one. Mailing costs are yours, and Rakuten Mobile does not return the documents.
• SIM card delivery usually takes about 2 days, but can take several days to a week depending on screening, weather and delivery conditions.

At a shop: what to bring

• The original of your residence card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate.
• Your Rakuten ID and password.
• Your credit card or bank account details.
• A compatible phone, unless you buy one at the shop.
• An MNP reservation number if you are keeping a Japanese number. In-store applications always need one.

Booking a visit is recommended for priority service, but some shops do not take bookings. For booking, what to bring and what English support to expect, see our guide to applying at a Rakuten Mobile shop.

If you cannot finish online

1. IC chip reading fails or the address is wrong: apply at a shop, or update your card first.
2. No NFC phone: choose the mailing method, or apply at a shop.
3. Your documents do not match: fix the details in your application or Rakuten membership, or update the document, before trying again.
4. Rakuten Mobile emails you to resubmit: follow the instructions in the email. Rakuten Mobile may cancel an application after screening.

If your application is held up at this stage, see what to check if identity verification fails.

Sources: Online application guide · Before your shop visit · Mailing a residence certificate (Japanese) · Simple Mobile ID Verification (Japanese) · When the MNP transfer button appears (Japanese)

Check your name and address before submitting

In short: enter your name, address and date of birth exactly as they appear on your residence card. A name that sounds the same but is written differently is treated as a mismatch.

Names Rakuten Mobile treats as mismatches

How to split your name into the two fields

• Family name field: everything up to the first space on the card.
• Given name field: everything after the first space, in the order shown on the card.
• Single name: the first two letters go in the family name field and the rest in the given name field.

If your name does not fit these patterns, for example because of symbols or its length, Rakuten Mobile’s pages that I checked do not say how to enter it. Ask at a Rakuten Mobile shop rather than guessing.

Address and other details

• Nothing left out: include the city, ward, building and room number.
• Room number: in an apartment building, check the room number carefully.
• Out-of-date address on your document: update the document before verifying your identity.
• Date of birth: must match the document.
• Rakuten ID and contract details are separate: changing the name or address on your Rakuten ID does not change your Rakuten Mobile contract details. Those are changed in my Rakuten Mobile.

If the application and your document do not match, the application cannot be accepted. Rakuten Mobile may ask you to resubmit or may cancel the application.

Source: Common identity verification mistakes (Japanese)

If you have not arrived in Japan yet

In short: Rakuten Mobile accepts applications from outside Japan. Whether you can apply before you arrive depends on having an accepted identity document with your address in Japan. The first activation and receiving your SIM card and products must happen in Japan, so Rakuten Mobile recommends applying from within Japan.

• Applying from abroad: Rakuten Mobile says you can apply from outside Japan, but the first activation must be done in Japan, SIM cards, products and the start guide must be received in Japan, and SIM cards cannot be shipped abroad. For these reasons it recommends applying from within Japan.
• A card issued before you had an address: Rakuten Mobile warns that the IC chip may not hold your address if it was not registered when the card was issued. If Simple Mobile ID Verification fails for this reason, apply at a shop.
• Visiting with only a foreign passport: a foreign passport is not on Rakuten Mobile’s list of identity documents. To verify your identity, you need one of the documents in the table above.

Source: Applying or activating from abroad (Japanese)

Using the employee referral campaign

In short: once your documents, payment method and phone are ready, you can apply through a Rakuten employee’s referral link and receive Rakuten Points if all conditions are met. The referral login and the application are separate steps.

• Log in first: log in through the referral link with your Rakuten ID before you apply, and use the same Rakuten ID for the application.
• The login is not an application: it only records the referral. You still apply, verify your identity and complete the campaign conditions.
• The login starts a deadline: log in only when you are ready to apply, not while you are still waiting for your residence card or an updated IC chip.

The Rakuten Mobile employee referral guide explains the rewards, deadlines, steps and when points arrive.

Read the employee referral guide

Frequently asked questions