Japan · New account creation
Can you use Uber in Japan with a foreign phone number?
Likely, if you can receive a text.
Uber verifies sign-up by text to any number and doesn’t appear to require a Japanese one, so keeping your home SIM on for the code should be enough. That rests on Uber’s global help material, not a Japan-specific page.
Where this comes from
Uber global help centre plus consistent secondary write-ups. No Japan-specific policy page found.
How sure we are
This rests on consistent reports from travellers and guides, not on anything the company has published.
Next check
By 6 Nov 2026. Apps change their sign-up rules without notice; if you see something different, tell us at [email protected].
How it compares with other transport options in Japan
| App | Data-only eSIM on its own | With your home SIM on | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GO | Works | Works | Company's own documentation |
| Uber (rides) | Doesn’t work (reported) | Works (reported) | Reported, not confirmed |
| Suica / PASMO (physical card) | Works | Works | Company's own documentation |
| Welcome Suica Mobile | Works | Works | Company's own documentation |
Other apps in Japan
Won’t take a foreign number
Refuse lines without voice calls
Need a number that can receive a text
Work on a data-only eSIM on its own