International Roaming

Vodafone AU roaming in Japan: Everything you need to know

Vodafone AU keeps you covered while in Japan, at an extra fee. Learn all about Vodafone roaming in Japan, from prices to plans

Planning a trip from Australia to Japan and worried about being able to stay connected? You’ll be glad to know that you can use your mobile in Japan directly through your Vodafone Australia set up. That said, it comes at an extra cost. Follow along to learn all you need to know about Vodafone AU roaming in Japan, including plans, prices, and how to get it.

If you’re still looking for other alternatives by the end of this article, consider Holafly — an international eSIM provider with unlimited data included in every plan. Enjoy having a non-stop connection, 24/7 customer support, and up to 500 MB of data sharing daily in Japan.

In this article

Does Vodafone AU work in Japan?

Yes, your Vodafone AU plan can work in Japan. There are several Vodafone AU international roaming options that allow you to use your Vodafone Australia card instead of having to get a SIM card in Japan. These include $5/day roaming, pay-as-you-go roaming, and prepaid plans.

Thanks to partnerships with local telecom operators in Japan, Vodafone AU international roaming will connect you to local networks in the country whenever you visit Japan.

Disclaimer: The data in this article is accurate as of June 4, 2025 and is subject to change.

Vodafone AU roaming in Japan: Plans and pricing

Your roaming options with Vodafone AU depend on the type of plan you have, with pay-monthly and prepaid plans being subject to different roaming offers.

For pay-monthly plans, you have the $5 roaming and pay-as-you-go roaming options.
If you’re a prepaid user, you can add prepaid roaming add-ons to your plan for an additional price.

Let’s take a closer look at all of these options.

$5 Roaming

Vodafone AU $5 Roaming is available to all pay-monthly users. It allows you to use your regular allowance of calls, texts, and data in Japan for $5/day.

This option is activated by default, and you’ll be charged the daily fee whenever you make or receive a call, send a text, or use mobile data. This excludes data capped at speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 10 Mbps, and 25 Mbps. The plan stays active for 24 hours, after which, you’ll be charged another $5 whenever you use your phone.

If you run out of data allowance on your plan, you will be charged an additional fee depending on the type of plan you have:

$5 for 1GB of data for Vodafone Infinite, Vodafone Infinite Plus, or Vodafone Infinite Data plans.
$0.005/MB, charged for each MB used, for all Business Flex plans.

If you have an Unlimited+ plan, you can use up to 30 GB of hotspot data, after which, you’ll be charged $5 for every 1 GB of hotspot data used.

You can check whether $5 roaming is active by logging into your My Vodafone account and checking the account settings. If you wish to deactivate $5 roaming, you can also do so in the settings.

Pay-as-you-go roaming

Pay-as-you-go roaming can be used if $5 roaming isn’t included in your plan, or if $5 roaming is switched off. You can also use it when traveling to a destination not covered by $5 roaming, but this doesn’t apply to Japan.

Here’s what you’ll get charged if you use pay-as-you-go roaming in Japan.

$1/minute for calls
$0.75 per standard text message or MMS message. No charge to receive messages
$1 per MB data.

In simple terms, if you have a call that lasts more than five minutes, use more than 5 MB of mobile internet in Japan, or send more than seven messages, you’re better off using $5 roaming.

Prepaid roaming add-ons

As a prepaid customer, you have three different add-ons to choose from:

$5 add-on: Gives you 200 MB of data, 25 minutes of calls, and 30 messages with a 1-day validity period.
$15 add-on: Gives you 750 MB of data, 90 minutes of calls, and 120 messages with a 3-day validity period.
$35 add-on: Gives you 2 GB of data, 200 minutes of calls, and 300 messages with a 7-day validity period.

Without an active add-on, or if your add-on expires and you don’t get a new one, you’ll be charged for roaming usage at prepaid international roaming rates, which are identical to pay-as-you-go rates for pay-monthly plans.

How to get Vodafone AU roaming in Japan

The process of getting Vodafone AU roaming in Japan depends on the type of roaming you plan to use. Here’s how you do it for each option:

$5 Roaming: Log into your My Vodafone account, go to the account settings, and make sure $5 Roaming is active. As long as it is, roaming will work automatically.
Pay-as-you-go roaming: If you intend to use pay-as-you-go roaming, log into your My Vodafone account, go to the account settings, and turn off $5 roaming. After doing so, you will automatically be charged at pay-as-you-go rates.
Prepaid roaming: You can buy a prepaid roaming add-on through your My Vodafone account, Vodafone’s Express Recharge page, or by texting ROAM1 (1-day add-on), ROAM3 (3-day add-on), or ROAM7 (7-day add-on) to 1511.

Regardless of which option you choose, make sure to activate roaming on your phone whenever you travel abroad. You can do so by turning on data roaming through your phone’s settings. If you don’t you’ll still be able to make calls and send messages, but won’t be able to access mobile data.

Stay connected in Japan with Holafly

Don’t feel like either Vodafone AU roaming option is right for your next trip? Holafly offers a simple, convenient, and reliable alternative for staying connected. Simply get a Holafly eSIM for Japan and enjoy unlimited data, 24/7 customer support, and up to 500 MB of hotspot sharing with any plan.

The daily plans start at $10 AUD, but any plan that extends beyond 19 days will cost less than $5 AUD/day, while the longest plans cost as little as $2 AUD/ day.

It only takes a few minutes to buy, set up, and activate your eSIM with Holafly. All you need is an internet connection and an eSIM-compatible phone. And since eSIMs are completely digital, you can do so from anywhere in the world without having to fiddle with plastic SIM cards.

Planning to stay in Japan for a while? Holafly Connect might be an even better option for you. It’s a pay-monthly eSIM subscription that offers coverage in 170+ destinations worldwide, including Japan.

Simply choose a plan that suits your needs, with options ranging from 10 GB at $39.90/month to unlimited data at $64.90/month. Use it almost anywhere in the world for as long as you need and cancel any time, no long-term commitments or contracts needed.

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Rokas Aniulis

Senior SEO copywriter

A senior SEO writer from Lithuania, combining my passion for writing and travel at Holafly. With years of experience in technical fields, I'm here to answer all of your questions about staying connected. I specialize in turning even the most complicated topics into something everyone can understand.

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