Docomo, au and SoftBank for foreign residents: contracts, ID and English support

Docomo, au and SoftBank all sign every foreigner who lives in Japan. Bring your residence card (在留カード) and a foreign passport; permanent residents can skip the passport at docomo and SoftBank. With under 3 months of stay left (docomo) or under 90 days (au), you must pay by credit card in your own name. SoftBank cannot sign you if your card shows no status of residence. Rules are from carrier pages, as of October 2026.

We do not score these three. Our phone method scores monthly cost, and the big three sell unlimited plans whose prices depend on discounts. Scoring them would not be a fair comparison, so this page lists the rules side by side instead.

What do docomo, au and SoftBank ask foreigners for?

A supporting document means a utility bill or certificate of residence (住民票) issued within the last 3 months. docomo does not ask for one if you pay by credit card or cash card. SoftBank accepts originals only. If your status is 資格なし (no status of residence), SoftBank cannot sign you.

Online sign-ups must in principle read the IC chip in your card since April 2026, and in-person contracts follow from April 2027, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省). Our phone contract guide covers documents, payment and the new residence cards in more detail.

How much stay must be left on my residence card?

The carriers publish no single minimum for a basic contract. They publish payment and installment limits instead:

• docomo: under 3 months until your period of stay (在留期間) ends, or no residence card shown, means a credit card in your own name.
• au: under 90 days left means monthly fees only by credit card in your name.
• SoftBank: no payment limit on its ID page, but installments cannot run past your stay.

We did not find a minimum remaining stay for a basic contract at any of the three. If you are close to renewal, see our visa renewal guide.

Can I pay without a Japanese credit card?

It depends on how long you will stay. Under the short-stay limits above, only a credit card in your own name works at docomo and au. Otherwise the ID pages list other methods: docomo lists credit card, cash card and passbook; au lists credit card, bank withdrawal and a payment slip at a counter (with a ¥583 handling fee per billing for individuals).

Bank withdrawal needs a Japanese bank account. See bank accounts for foreigners and credit cards for foreigners. If you have neither yet, a smaller provider may be easier; see SIM cards for foreigners.

What English support do the three offer?

All numbers are toll-free. docomo’s failure, signal, loss and device-protection lines are Japanese only. At au, a lost or stolen phone call first reaches a Japanese operator, then is transferred to an interpreter. docomo’s English page lists no English chat. au’s English page says its chat supports English, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Japanese, 10am to 7pm.

At a shop, say “I’d like to talk to an interpreter” (通訳をお願いします, tsūyaku o onegai shimasu). Bring your original residence card and passport.

What do the plans cost?

Prices change often and depend on discounts, so treat these as list prices from each carrier’s page on 27 October 2026, tax included:

au’s discounts include auスマートバリュー (¥1,100 off), which needs a qualifying home internet service at extra cost. docomo’s English page shows ahamo only, and docomo says its monthly fees change from 1 December 2026, so check before you sign.

Which is best for whom?

We do not rank them. What the rules say:

• Permanent residents: docomo and SoftBank need only your residence card.
• Short stay left: docomo (under 3 months) and au (under 90 days) require your own credit card. Have one, or consider a provider that takes foreign cards.
• English by phone, longest hours: docomo and au run 9am to 8pm; SoftBank 10am to 7pm.
• Interpreter in the shop: only docomo states this on its English page.

Already have a number? Read how MNP works before you cancel. If a shop refuses you, you can ask a consumer hotline (消費生活センター) or a licensed immigration specialist (行政書士) about your options.