The points to be noted to contract with Japanese mobile communication companies

Documents which you need for making a contract with Japanese carrier

Identification documents which you have to prepare to prove yourself when you make a contract with Japanese mobile carrier are the followings

• Residence card
• Driver’s license issued in Japan

If you renewed driver’s license in Japan you’ve got in your country or took Japanese driver’s licese in Japan, it is pretty much easy to make a contract with Japanese mobile carrier.

If you don’t have Japanese driver’s licese, you will have to submit your Japanese residence card but there are some of points you have to take care of priror to submitting a residence card.

Make sure period of stay written on a residence card

Depending on the mobile plan you would contract to, there are some plans that you are refused unless you have a sufficient period of stay until the expiry date of your visa status. In a case where a visa renewal date approaches, you may not be able to contract with Japanese mobile carrier because you need to wait until your visa is renewed.

Credit card and bank account

The majority of cheap SIM sold in Japan has no pre-paid system which you pay as much data as you use but monthly installment of flat-rate. So basically, your monthly payment is done by your credit card. One of mobile communication service managed by a mobile giant and cheap SIM adopt payment of direct debit.

Moreover, one of SIM provider companies prepares unique payment system and payment through convenience stores. If you don’t have a credit card, you should choose a SIM provider which prepares flexible payment methods.

You may also need to buy a smart phone at a agency where you contract.

If you contract with one of mobile ginants, buying a smart phone at its agency where you contract is almost a must. Because they build a system that they prepare SIM plans that only works on a smart phone which they are selling.

Only the way you can contract with mobile carrier without buying new mobile from an agency is contracting with old mobile phone which has been sold in the past by the mobile giant.

Even if you try to contract with these mobile agencies, you may be refused to contract with a mobile phone you bought in your country. On the other hand, if you contract with cheap SIM provider, you don’t need to newly buy mobile phone but you should choose a SIM which is suitable for your smart phone.

Mobile carriers are so exclusive to foreigner to contract with?

There is no case where you are refused to make a contract because you are foreigner but the Japanese government make confirmation of identity of applicants compalsory to mobile communication companies.

A “Residence card” is issued for a middle to long stayer in Japan, a short-term stayer can’t receive a residence card so that it is quite difficult for those who don’t have a residence card to prove identification.

In addition, some of plans or services produced by a mobile company set a condition that the expiry period of identification documents should remain a certain months to a year so you may not be able to make or renew a contract at the timing you renew your visa

You didn’t pass through the screening of a contract

When making a contract, mobile service providers do screening to applicants. Screening items are not exposed but you don’t have a payment history to a mobile service provider you will make a contract with in the past, you may not probably be allowed to make a installment purchase of expensive smart phones and apply for a multiple-line by the judgement of a screening.