Credit cards for foreigners in Japan: what you can realistically get

Yes, you can get a credit card in Japan as a foreigner. Issuers generally ask that you stay in Japan 3 months or more and have a residence card (在留カード), a Japanese address, a Japanese bank account and a phone number. You don’t need permanent residency (永住). As of October 2026, no issuer publishes approval rates by visa type or months in Japan. So this guide compares 8 no-annual-fee cards on what they do publish: who can apply, fees, English support and features.

Can foreigners get a credit card in Japan?

Yes. Sumitomo Mitsui Card (三井住友カード) says in a March 2026 guide that foreigners who meet its conditions can get a Japanese card. The conditions it lists:

• you stay in Japan 3 months or more. Short trips and stays under 3 months don’t qualify, even with a passport and visa.
• you hold a residence card or a special permanent resident certificate (特別永住者証明書)
• you have an address in Japan, registered at your city office within 14 days of moving in
• you have a Japanese bank account for the monthly payment
• you have a mobile or landline phone number

The same guide says you may be asked for income documents such as pay slips. It also says the issuer may phone your employer to confirm you work there (在籍確認). This is general information. Sumitomo Mitsui Card says it does not disclose its screening criteria.

What do issuers check when you apply?

Screening looks mainly at your personal details (本人属性) and your credit information (信用情報), according to Sumitomo Mitsui Card. If you’re new to Japan, your Japanese credit file is short or empty.

You can see your own file at CIC (シー・アイ・シー), one of Japan’s credit bureaus. It shows your contracts with member companies, your payment status, your balances and your application records. Online disclosure costs ¥500. By post it costs ¥1,500 and takes about 1 week to 10 days.

Sumitomo Mitsui Card suggests setting the cash advance limit (キャッシング枠) to ¥0 when you apply. Saison advises answering the card company’s calls during screening in Japanese.

Which credit cards can foreign residents apply for?

All 8 cards below have no annual fee. Saison is the one exception with a condition: it charges a ¥1,650 card service fee if you don’t use the card for 12 months. Published conditions are as of October 2026.

The overseas fee (海外事務手数料) is what the issuer adds when you pay in a foreign currency. Rakuten Card raised it from 2.20% to 3.63% on March 1, 2025. Sumitomo Mitsui Card did the same for Visa and Mastercard from November 1, 2024.

How do the cards score for newcomers?

We score banks and cards with the same published method: can a newcomer get it (visa, months in Japan, residence-card period) 35%, fees 20%, English app and support 20%, and features foreigners need such as overseas use and online management 25%. Each criterion is 0 to 10.

Approval odds aren’t published, so the first criterion scores only what issuers publish: how low the stated bar is and how clear the residence-card rules are. It doesn’t predict whether you’ll be approved. The full method is on our methodology page.

Why each card scored as it did:

• Rakuten Card: low published bar, 1% points, four brands and a free English app, Rakuten Card Lite. The overseas fee is 3.63%.
• Epos Card: an English FAQ on residence-card rules, same-day issue at Epos Card Centers, and a foreigner-only version through GTN. Base points are 0.5%.
• Amazon Mastercard: 1.0% points (more on Amazon.co.jp and at convenience stores), but no English application or support is stated.
• d card: 1% points, but no English support is stated, and Docomo plans to review points and the annual fee from December 2026.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Card (NL): low bar and 3.63% overseas fee, with only a website translation feature in English. Base points are 0.5%.
• AEON Card: instant issue through the AEON Pay app, but no English support is stated, and AEON Card Select needs an AEON Bank account.
• Saison Card International: the only card with a published 6-month residence-card rule. It says it offers multilingual support at application. You pay ¥1,650 if you don’t use it for a year.
• JCB Card W: 1.0% points, but only for ages 18–39 with stable income or student status, and no English support is stated.

Which card is best for you?

• Best if you want English: Rakuten Card. Rakuten Card Lite shows statements, billing and your credit limit in English, and Rakuten AI translates statements. Rakuten notes that customer service may not be available in English.
• Best if you’re very new to Japan: the GTN EPOS Card. GTN describes it as a card only for foreigners, with support in up to 25 languages. You apply when you sign up for a GTN Mobile SIM. If Epos declines the card, only the SIM ships.
• Best for points on everyday spend: d card or Rakuten Card (1%), or Amazon Mastercard if you shop on Amazon.co.jp.
• Best if you shop at AEON: AEON Card, with instant issue through the AEON Pay app.

None of these picks is paid for. We have no affiliate links on this page.

How do you apply as a foreigner?

Have your Japanese bank account open first, since every card here pays from one. A Japanese phone number also matters; see our guide to a SIM card for foreigners in Japan.

What happens when your residence card expires?

Card issuers keep checking your status. Rakuten Card asks members without Japanese nationality for a copy of both sides of their residence card, as part of anti-money-laundering checks. If you don’t send it, Rakuten may end your contract.

Epos cites the Financial Services Agency (金融庁) anti-money-laundering guidelines of February 2018. It checks your status and period of stay continuously. Two months before the expiry date on file, Epos emails or texts you a request for your renewed card. If you don’t submit it, or that date passes, Epos restricts your card.

What if you’re declined? Debit cards as a fallback

A debit card (デビットカード) takes each payment straight from your bank account balance, so you can only spend what’s in the account. Both cards below come with the bank account.

Account-opening rules for Rakuten Bank and Sony Bank are in our bank account guide.

More guides

• How to open a bank account in Japan as a foreigner
• Sending money home from Japan
• SIM cards for foreigners in Japan