mineo: what it costs, and who it accepts
mineo's plans for people living in Japan, what it takes to sign up, and the real monthly cost including the setup fee. Everything here comes from mineo's own official pages.
mineo states on its official pages that it accepts foreign residents, and a residence card is accepted as ID; its lowest real monthly cost is ¥2,536 at 3GB a month (12-month cost including setup fees) (checked October 6, 2026). Whether your application is approved is the carrier's decision.
Heads up: mineo's official application and support are in Japanese only, as far as we could confirm. You (or someone helping you) will likely need to read Japanese to sign up.
mineo, 3GB a month, 12-month cost horizon
mineo3–50GB
12-month total ¥30,426Setup fee ¥4,290 (included above)eSIM available only on the Docomo and au networks
- Real monthly cost: the plan price, plus the one-off fees spread over 12 months, plus 20 minutes of calls a month (3 minutes per call); no discount that needs a condition.
- Whether your application is approved is the carrier's decision, not ours.
Who mineo suits
- You hold a residence card — this carrier states officially that it accepts residents.
- You want to use the residence card itself as ID.
- You have no Japanese credit card — this carrier states a credit card is required (the payment question below lists the narrow exception).
- You need English support — application and support are in Japanese only, as far as we could confirm.
mineo plans
Monthly price before the setup fee, tax included. The real monthly cost above is the plan price, plus the one-off fees spread over 12 months, plus the call charges for 20 minutes of calls a month (3 minutes per call) at the carrier's own per-call rate, with no paid call option and no discount that needs a condition (family, fibre bundles). Calls a plan already includes are free, and discounts with no condition are counted.
| Data | Monthly from | eSIM | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–50GB | ¥1,298 | Yes (Docomo and au networks only) | ¥4,290 |
Sign-up conditions
From mineo's own official pages, checked on October 6, 2026. "Not stated" means we could not find it addressed, which is different from a "no".
| Condition | What the official site states |
|---|---|
| Accepts foreign residents | Yes (stated officially) |
| Residence card as ID | Yes |
| Min. remaining validity | Not specified by the provider |
| Support language(s) | Japanese |
| Credit card | Accepted |
| Debit card | Not stated |
| Bank transfer | Only if you already use eo hikari and pay for it by bank transfer: you can keep that payment method (set up by phone). Otherwise credit card only. |
| Convenience-store payment | Not accepted |
| Setup cost | ¥4,290 |
| Minimum term | None |
| Cancellation fee | None |
The exact list of accepted ID documents is long and partly Japanese-only legal text, so we link to the source rather than translating it: mineo official page on ID documents.
Frequently asked questions
Does mineo accept residence-card holders, and does it run a credit check?
Yes — mineo states on its official pages that it accepts foreign residents. Residence card as ID: Yes. Being accepted as a foreign resident is a separate question from credit screening for the line contract itself: screening terms exist; see the official page.
Can I pay mineo without a Japanese credit card?
Credit card only. The one exception is eo hikari customers who pay for eo hikari by bank transfer, who can keep that payment method (set up by phone).
Is eSIM available from mineo?
Yes, at least one mineo plan supports eSIM, but only on the Docomo and au networks (see the plan table).
Sources
- mineo official page 1 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 2 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 3 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 4 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 5 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 6 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo official page 7 (checked October 6, 2026)
- mineo plan page (checked November 1, 2026)
Back to the resident SIM ranking · Paying without a Japanese credit card · What the residence-card requirement means · Full plan details (Japanese page)
Before you apply to mineo
At 3GB a month the real cost is ¥2,536/month. Check the accepted ID documents and payment methods on mineo's official site before applying.
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