What you need to apply for home internet in Japan

Written by Internet in Japan editorial team · Updated 3 October 2026 (each source's check date is listed at the end of the page)

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Check two things first: that the address on your residence card is your current address, and that you have a payment method the provider accepts. Of the six providers on this site, Sakura Fiber Internet is the one whose official pages say it accepts cards issued outside Japan and cash at convenience stores.

  1. Check that the address on the back of your residence card is where the line will be installed
  2. Check which payment methods the provider accepts (Japanese card, bank debit, foreign card, convenience-store cash)
  3. Find out whether the provider will contact you by phone, SMS or email, and make sure you can receive it
  4. Find out your building's wiring type and whether the work needs permission from the management company or owner
  5. Apply
What to check before you apply, in order

The address on your residence card

If you are a mid- to long-term resident and you move, you must notify your new city or ward office within 14 days of moving in, bringing your residence card (在留カード, zairyū kādo). There is no fee.[1]

Providers check the address when they verify your identity. GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari's online ID check photographs both sides of the residence card, so the address on the back is included. Sakura Fiber Internet asks for an extra document, such as a rental contract, if the address on your card is out of date.[2][3]

If you do not have a docomo phone, docomo Hikari asks foreign nationals for both a residence card and a passport (permanent residents do not need the passport). Applying for SoftBank Hikari in a shop also takes a residence card plus a passport.[4][5]

Payment methods differ by provider

GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari only takes credit cards issued in Japan; debit cards are not accepted. au Hikari through GMO Tokutoku BB takes a credit card issued in Japan or billing combined with your KDDI account.[6][7][8]

SoftBank Hikari takes a credit card or direct bank debit. docomo Hikari limits payment to a credit card in your own name if your period of stay ends within three months. Neither says whether a card issued outside Japan works.[4][9]

Sakura Mobile's payment methods page (linked from the fibre page) says it accepts cards issued outside Japan and cash at convenience stores (Smart Pit). Approval of a foreign card depends on the issuer. The fibre terms of service also set a deposit (two months' fees) for convenience-store cash payment. GTN Home Internet's fibre page does not say which payment methods it accepts.[10][11][12]

How the provider will contact you

GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari confirms the installation date and other steps by email. SoftBank Hikari has you submit documents and register payment through links sent by SMS.[7][9][13]

If you apply for docomo Hikari through GMO Tokutoku BB without a docomo phone, the docomo Hikari service centre calls you after checking your documents to set the installation date. For au Hikari's house service, KDDI calls you about possible installation dates. Neither says the call can be made in another language.[14][15]

With GTN Home Internet, staff contact you in your preferred language by email and phone after you send the form. Sakura Fiber Internet arranges the installation date with you by email.[11][12]

What your building already has

In an apartment building, NTT and the building management decide the wiring type (fibre all the way to the room, VDSL or LAN); you cannot choose it. According to Sakura Fiber Internet, VDSL and LAN are capped at 100 Mbps.[3]

For au Hikari's house service in a rented home, the building owner has to consent before installation.[15]

Official estimates for the time to connection: GMO Tokutoku BB Hikari two to three weeks at the earliest; docomo Hikari two weeks to a month; au Hikari one to two weeks for an apartment (Type V) and one to two months for a house; Sakura Fiber Internet one week to a month. It can take longer depending on the building or in the busy moving season.[3][7][15][16][17]