Suica for visitors to Japan, what it is and how to get one
Which Suica to use in Japan, whether you need a physical card or a phone, how to top it up, and what to know about leftover balance.
A Suica is a prepaid transit card. You tap it on the gate at a station instead of buying a ticket for each ride. It also works on buses, in many shops, in convenience stores, and at vending machines. For most visitors it is the simplest way to get around cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
Details can change, so check the official JR East pages before you travel.
Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, they all work
Suica (JR East) and Pasmo are the two cards you will meet in Tokyo, and ICOCA is the one in the Kansai area. They are separate cards, but the major ones work with each other in most cities. Don't worry about which one to pick, pick whichever is easiest to get.
Option 1: Suica on your iPhone
If you have an iPhone 8 or later, you can add a Suica to Apple Wallet from anywhere, before you leave. You top it up with a card and tap your phone on the gate. This is the easiest option, and nobody queues for a machine.
There is also the Welcome Suica Mobile app for iPhone, made for visitors: no deposit, valid for 180 days. It needs a recent iOS version, so check the requirements in the app.
Option 2: Welcome Suica, the physical card
Welcome Suica is the card meant for visitors. As described in several 2026 guides:
- No deposit, unlike a regular Suica, which has a refundable ¥500 deposit.
- Valid for 28 days, counted from the first day.
- Where to buy: at JR East Travel Service Centers and vending machines at Narita and Haneda airports, and at some large stations. In principle one per person.
- Top up with cash only. A foreign credit card will not work on the physical card.
- Leftover balance is lost when the card expires, so don't load too much near the end of your trip.
What about Android?
Suica on a phone needs a Japanese-market handset with FeliCa chip. Most Android phones bought abroad cannot hold a Suica. If that is you, get the physical Welcome Suica.
Top up and check your balance
At a station, use a ticket machine or fare adjustment machine, or ask at a convenience store counter. You can also see your balance on the gate display and on the receipt. If a gate doesn't let you through, don't try to push. Step aside and ask the staff, they handle this all day.
What a Suica does not do
- It does not pay for the shinkansen or limited express trains. They need a separate ticket.
- It is not an unlimited pass. You pay per ride.
- It doesn't always work across separate regions for one continuous trip.
- Every traveler needs their own card or phone.
A small tip
Keep a little cash with you too. If your balance runs low at the exit gate, a fare adjustment machine fixes it in seconds.