[For International Students & Foreign Residents] Rakuten Mobile Is the Recommended SIM Card in Japan | Apply with Your Residence Card! Multilingual Support Available

“I just arrived in Japan and I have no idea which SIM card (mobile carrier) to choose…”
“I’m not confident in my Japanese, but can I really sign up by myself?”

For foreigners living in Japan, the one I most highly recommend is “Rakuten Mobile”.
In the “Survey on Communication Services for Foreign Residents” conducted by the MMD Institute in April 2025, Rakuten Mobile ranked No.1 in the “Ranking of Communication Services Contracted by Foreign Residents.”

With Rakuten Mobile, you get unlimited data and unlimited free calls within Japan (*) for ¥3,278 per month.
*For calls made through the Rakuten Link app

What’s more, by using the Employee Referral Campaign (referral code: 2162) introduced on this site, you can earn even more points than usual.

In this article, based on the latest information for 2026, I, an active Rakuten employee, will explain as clearly as possible “why Rakuten Mobile is recommended for foreign residents in Japan,” “what you need to apply,” and “the most cost-effective way to sign up.”

Why Rakuten Mobile Is Recommended for Foreigners Living in Japan

To get straight to the point, Rakuten Mobile offers reassuring features for foreigners: “easy-to-understand pricing,” “extensive multilingual support,” and “you can apply with a residence card.”

• Simple pricing where you pay only for what you use (¥3,278 per month even with unlimited data)
• The official website, contract documents, and support are available in 8 languages
• Stores have multilingual staff plus the “POCKETALK” interpretation device
• You can apply online if you have a residence card
• No minimum contract period or cancellation fees (peace of mind even for short stays)
• Free domestic calls with the dedicated “Rakuten Link” app

What Is Rakuten Mobile? First, Let’s Check the Pricing Plan

Rakuten Mobile has just one pricing plan, “the Rakuten Saikyo Plan.” There’s no need for complicated comparisons—its key feature is that the price is automatically determined based on how much data you use.

Monthly Data Usage	Monthly Fee(tax included)
Up to 3GB	¥1,078
Up to 20GB	¥2,178
20GB to Unlimited	¥3,278

*No matter how much you use, the cap is ¥3,278 per month (tax included) for unlimited data. In months when you don’t use much, the fee automatically becomes cheaper.

Great News for Foreigners! Rakuten Mobile’s Multilingual Support

You don’t need to worry, “I’m anxious because I won’t understand the difficult Japanese words during the contract process.” Rakuten Mobile puts a great deal of effort into supporting foreign residents.

Type of Support	Details
Official website in 8 languages	Japanese English / Chinese (Simplified / Traditional) Korean Vietnamese Indonesian Portuguese
In-store support	Multilingual staff are available. The “POCKETALK” interpretation device is installed at stores nationwide
Easy Japanese (yasashii nihongo)	Information flyers, billing notices, and more are provided in easy-to-understand Japanese
Contract documents	Contract documents for the Rakuten Saikyo Plan are available in multiple languages

Thanks to this kind of support, Rakuten Mobile is No.1 in the number of contracts among foreign residents.
It is said that about 1 in 4 people who sign up at stores are foreign-national customers.

Free Unlimited Domestic Calls with the Rakuten Link App

If you make calls through the Rakuten Link app, domestic calls within Japan are free and unlimited.
It doesn’t matter whether the person you’re calling uses the Rakuten Link app or not.

Up to 2GB of Free International Roaming Every Month

As of 2026, Rakuten Mobile lets you use international roaming in more than 100 countries and regions. On top of that, you can use international roaming for free up to 2GB every month.

Whether you’re making a temporary trip back to your home country from Japan or traveling outside Japan, you can use it with your smartphone just as it is. Even after exceeding 2GB, you can add high-speed data for ¥500 per 1GB, so you only need to top up as much as you need.

What’s more, if you call through the Rakuten Link app, calling Japan while staying overseas is also free.

What You Need to Apply (Identity Verification with a Residence Card)

When a foreign national applies for Rakuten Mobile, identity verification is done using a residence card (Zairyu Card) with a photo (or a Special Permanent Resident Certificate).

• A residence card (Zairyu Card) with a photo, or a Special Permanent Resident Certificate (within its validity period)
• A credit card / debit card for payment, or a bank account
• A Rakuten member ID (if you don’t have one, you can create it for free)
• An email address

Points to know before applying
・If your name is written in both Roman letters and kanji, please enter your contract information in Roman letters.
・If the correct address is not registered on the IC chip of your residence card, you cannot use the online “Easy Identity Verification by Smartphone.” In that case, please apply at a Rakuten Mobile shop (store).
・Some documents, such as the second-generation residence cards issued on or after June 14, 2026, are not eligible for online identity verification.

How to Apply for Rakuten Mobile

Comparison with Other Budget SIMs

For reference, let’s compare Rakuten Mobile with SIMs often chosen by foreign residents in Japan.

Service	Approx. monthly fee (tax included)	Multilingual support	Contract period commitment
Rakuten Mobile	¥1,078–3,278	◎ (8 languages)	None
LINEMO	From ¥990	△	None
ahamo	From ¥2,970	△	None
Mobal	For foreigners; English support	◎ (English)	None

*Please check the latest information on each company’s official website for fees and conditions. Rakuten Mobile’s strength is that it offers both “low pricing” and “extensive support.”

Rakuten Mobile’s Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy to understand at ¥3,278 per month (tax included) even with unlimited data
• Peace of mind with 8-language support plus Easy Japanese
• No minimum contract period or cancellation fees
• Free domestic calls with Rakuten Link
• You can also earn and use Rakuten Points

Cons (Points to Note)

• Depending on the location, the signal may be hard to connect (check the coverage area in advance)
• If the address on your residence card’s IC chip is not registered, you cannot apply online (it can be handled at a store)

Summary

For foreigners living in Japan, Rakuten Mobile is the perfect service for choosing your first SIM, with “easy-to-understand pricing,” “peace of mind with 8-language support,” and “you can apply with a residence card.”

• ¥3,278 per month (tax included) even with unlimited data, and no commitment
• The official website and support are available in 8 languages plus Easy Japanese
• Identity verification is OK with a residence card (be careful about the IC chip address)
• By using the Employee Referral Campaign, you get 11,000 points for a new line / 14,000 points for switching

If you’re going to sign up, do it through the employee referral link that gives you more points. Click the button below to enter (log in) and start Rakuten Mobile at a great deal.