A prepaid IC card — Suica or Pasmo — is the single most useful thing to sort out for getting around Japan. You tap it on the gate for trains, subways and buses nationwide, and you can also tap to pay at convenience stores, vending machines and loads of shops. No fumbling for tickets, no working out fares.
Good news for 2026: the IC-card shortage that made cards hard to get in 2023–2024 is over, and tourists now have four solid options. The short version — if you have an iPhone, add Mobile Suica to Apple Wallet before you even land; everyone else grabs a Welcome Suica or Tourist Pasmo at the airport.
Compiled and cross-checked from official information and 2026 traveler guides, current as of July 2026.
Got an iPhone? Add Mobile Suica to Apple Wallet in about 2 minutes — no kiosk, top up with your card, 180-day validity.
Android or prefer a physical card? Pick up a Welcome Suica or Tourist Pasmo at the airport — no deposit, and you can keep it as a souvenir.
Japan IC cards at a glance
| What it is | A rechargeable tap-to-pay card (Suica/Pasmo and regional equivalents) for trains, subways, buses — plus shops and vending machines |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Nationwide. Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA and the others are mutually compatible across most of Japan |
| Best for iPhone | Mobile Suica in Apple Wallet — set up before you fly, 180-day validity |
| Best physical card | Welcome Suica (no deposit, 28-day validity, sakura design) or Tourist Pasmo |
| 2026 status | The 2023–2024 chip shortage is over — cards are available again |
| Cost | Just load what you’ll spend (e.g. ¥2,000–3,000 to start); no deposit on the tourist cards |
The four options for tourists in 2026
| Option | Validity | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Suica (Apple Wallet) | 180 days | iPhone users — easiest, set up before arrival |
| Welcome Suica (physical) | 28 days | Android / no-app — no deposit, souvenir sakura design |
| Tourist Pasmo (physical) | 28 days | Same idea as Welcome Suica (launched 2026) |
| Regular Suica / Pasmo | 10 years | Longer trips; small refundable deposit; back in stock |
Mobile Suica note: the tourist Mobile Suica app and Apple Wallet setup are iPhone-only (iPhone 8 and later). Android users need a physical card or a Japanese phone.
Suica vs Pasmo vs ICOCA — does it matter?
Honestly, no — don’t overthink it. Suica (JR East), Pasmo (Tokyo metros and private lines) and ICOCA (western Japan) are mutually compatible, so any of them works on almost every train, subway and bus across the country, and for tap-to-pay in shops. Get whichever is easiest to grab where you land — for iPhone users that’s Mobile Suica; at the airport it’s usually a Welcome Suica.
How to get and set up your card
iPhone: Mobile Suica (fastest)
- Open the Wallet app → tap + → Transit Card → choose Suica.
- Choose an amount to load and pay with your credit/debit card (Apple Pay). You can do this before you leave home.
- At the gate, just hold your phone near the reader — no need to wake or unlock it (Express Transit).
Physical card: Welcome Suica / Tourist Pasmo
- Get one at the airport (Haneda / Narita JR East Travel Service Centers) or a major station.
- Load cash at the counter or a ticket machine; top up with cash anytime.
- No deposit on the tourist cards, so there’s nothing to return — keep it as a memento.
- Or reserve one before you fly — you can book a Welcome Suica online (preloaded with ¥1,000 or ¥2,000) and collect it on arrival, which saves queuing at the counter.
Reserve a Suica card →
Affiliate link — see disclosure. iPhone users can skip this entirely and use Mobile Suica (above), which is free to add.
What you can use it for
- Trains, subways and buses nationwide — tap in, tap out, fare calculated automatically.
- Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart), vending machines, many cafés, restaurants and shops — tap to pay.
- Coin lockers at stations, and some taxis.
- It won’t cover long-distance shinkansen reserved fares by itself — for those, buy a ticket or consider a rail pass (below).
Long-distance trains — Is the JR Pass worth it? →
Getting online — Best eSIM for Japan →
Tips for foreign visitors
- iPhone users: set up Mobile Suica before you fly. You’ll walk out of the airport already able to tap through the gates.
- One card can’t pay for two people at a ticket gate — everyone travelling needs their own card or phone.
- Top up with cash at any ticket machine if your balance runs low; physical cards can’t be topped up with a foreign card at machines.
- Keep the tourist card as a souvenir — the Welcome Suica’s sakura design is made for it, and there’s no deposit to reclaim.
- Heading further afield? Decide on rail passes and connectivity too — see our JR Pass guide and Japan eSIM guide.
FAQ
Can tourists still get a Suica card in 2026?
What’s the best IC card for tourists in Japan?
Suica or Pasmo — which should I get?
Can I add Suica to my phone?
Can I use a Suica for the shinkansen?
Do I need to return the card or get a deposit back?
Sources & related guides
Compiled and cross-checked from official IC-card information and current 2026 traveler guides. Card availability, validity and app support can change, so confirm the latest before you travel.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guides to the JR Pass (is it worth it in 2026?) and the best eSIM for Japan.
This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — see our affiliate disclosure. We only recommend what we’d genuinely suggest to a friend visiting Japan — including the free options (Mobile Suica costs nothing to add).
