Identity Verification by Your Residence Card’s IC Chip: Contracting for a Mobile Phone in Japan

Once you start living in Japan, situations requiring a mobile phone number keep coming up — contact for work, calls from a school or government office, authentication for a banking app. Contracting for a mobile phone requires identity verification by law. And the rules for that identity verification are getting stricter in stages between 2026 and 2027.

Below, based on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ (MIC) "Mobile Phone Identity Verification Rules" page and its FAQ, and the provisions of the Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of Their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services (the "Mobile Phone Fraud Prevention Act") and its enforcement regulation, we explain what’s worth knowing about contracting with a residence card. This is as confirmed in September 2026. Which documents or methods let you contract, and the terms and payment conditions of individual companies, differ by mobile carrier, and this article does not determine that. Check with the store or website of the company you’re contracting with.

The Identity Verification the Law Requires, and the Residence Card

Article 3 of the Mobile Phone Fraud Prevention Act (the formal name is the Act on Identification, etc. by Mobile Voice Communications Carriers of Their Subscribers, etc. and for Prevention of Improper Use of Mobile Voice Communications Services) requires a mobile carrier, when concluding a contract, to verify the name, address, and date of birth of the other party if that party is an individual. The method of verification is left to be set by MIC ordinance.

That MIC ordinance (the act’s enforcement regulation), Article 5, lists, alongside a driver’s license and the like, the residence card provided for under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, as a document that can be used for identity verification. For a foreign national living in Japan medium- to long-term, the residence card is the basic identity document. Because the matters verified include your address, completing your address notification with your city, town, or ward beforehand makes the process go more smoothly. Address notification is covered in our article on the terms that come up in Japan’s resident registration.

Starting April 2026, Reading the IC Chip Is the Rule for Online Contracts

According to MIC, for online contracts (non-face-to-face contracts) made through a website or similar, reading the IC chip of an identity document has already, in principle, been mandatory since April 1, 2026. This means you can no longer rely on an application that simply sends a photo of the document.

Starting April 2027, In-Store Contracts Change Too

For in-store contracts (face-to-face contracts), as of September 2026, methods such as visually checking an identity document are still permitted. MIC says that, because forged documents are being used for "impersonation contracts," it will make reading the IC chip mandatory, in principle, for in-store contracts too, starting in April 2027. The ministerial ordinance revising the enforcement regulation to establish this (Reiwa 8 MIC Ordinance No. 94) was promulgated on July 27, 2026, and takes effect April 1, 2027.

According to MIC’s page and FAQ, the main changes from April 2027 are as follows.

• Reading the IC chip becomes mandatory, in principle: usable documents include ones with an IC chip, such as a My Number card, driver’s license, residence card, or special permanent resident certificate. Reading may require a PIN.
• If you don’t have a document with an IC chip: identity can be verified with a document that has anti-counterfeiting measures, such as a copy of your resident record. In that case, after the contract, the carrier sends registered mail or similar to the address on the document, which you must be sure to receive.
• Data-only SIMs also become covered: mobile phones and SIMs that have no phone function and are used only for internet access, which were previously outside the scope of identity verification, now become covered. For data-only lines that are already under contract without identity verification having been done at the time, the carrier will send notices in stages; service may be suspended if identity verification is not completed.
• A cap on the number of lines: an individual contracting for a total of more than five lines may be unable to contract for more.
• Methods due to be abolished, in principle: uploading a photo of an identity document; mailing a copy of the document; and using an identity document with no photo (limited to ones without an IC chip and without anti-counterfeiting or anti-tampering measures).

The part that adds data-only SIMs to the scope is an amendment to the act itself. According to a National Police Agency notice, the amending act was promulgated on May 29, 2026, and, with some exceptions, takes effect on a date set by cabinet order within one year of promulgation. This amending act also includes provisions for verifying identity, when contracting with a foreign national who has no residence address in Japan, using something in place of an address.

For foreign nationals staying in Japan short-term, MIC’s FAQ explains that identity verification is required when contracting for a SIM that can make calls or send SMS, and that a passport can be used for this.

The Residence Card’s IC Chip and PIN

MIC’s FAQ explains that even without a My Number card, an identity document with an IC chip — such as a driver’s license or residence card — can be used to contract. Because a PIN may be required for reading, it asks that you check this before contracting. If you’ve forgotten your PIN, it says, the mobile carrier can neither look it up nor reset it, so check the procedure on the website of the government office that issued the document. For a residence card, that means checking with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA).

MIC also urges people not to assume that, without a document with an IC chip, nothing can be done. If the guidance is unclear, it says, don’t push ahead on your own — check at a store counter before proceeding.

Don’t Hand Over Your Phone or SIM to Someone Else

Article 7 of the Mobile Phone Fraud Prevention Act requires a contract holder, before transferring a mobile phone to someone else, to obtain the mobile carrier’s consent in advance, except when transferring it to a relative or someone in the same household. Article 20 provides that anyone who, in violation of this, transfers a phone for payment as a business is subject to imprisonment of not more than two years, a fine of not more than ¥3 million, or both. Article 23 also subjects anyone who solicits or invites another person to be a party to such conduct to a fine of not more than ¥500,000.

MIC warns people to be wary of requests to contract for a mobile phone or SIM on someone else’s behalf and send them the device. If you need to transfer one, MIC’s guidance is to contact the mobile carrier beforehand and go through the procedure to change the name on the account.

Watch Out for Scams That Pretend to Be Identity Verification

MIC warns that, at times when a system is changing, scams can arise targeting people who don’t know the details well, contacting them with messages like "you need to complete a procedure" or "send your information right now." Emails or SMS messages impersonating a mobile carrier’s identity-verification notice may also arrive. It says the important thing is not to open a link in a message or email you receive directly, and instead to access your mobile carrier’s member page yourself.

These MIC pages are written in Japanese. If reading Japanese guidance is difficult, you can also use consultation services in your area; see our article on where to ask first when you start living in Japan for places to turn to. Renewing a residence card or handling status-of-residence procedures is covered in our article on the residence-status procedures for evacuees.