LINEMO adds up to 7 free overseas data days each month from September 1
LINEMO is adding an overseas data benefit on September 1, 2026. Customers on LINEMO Best Plan or LINEMO Best Plan V can receive up to seven days of Overseas Anshin Flat Rate data each month without an added charge. SoftBank says the eligible Flat-rate Country L service covers more than 200 countries and territories.
The benefit can remove up to JPY 6,860 from a monthly roaming bill, but it is not automatic free roaming. The traveler still needs an eligible plan, the international roaming service on the line and an actively started pass. Calls and SMS are outside the data benefit.
The traveler decision: for an eligible LINEMO customer taking a trip of seven days or less, check this included benefit before buying separate data. For a trip longer than seven days, a new LINEMO line, an old LINEMO plan or a route outside Flat-rate Country L, compare the uncovered part with a Roaming eSIM before departure.
What changes for LINEMO travelers on September 1
SoftBank announced the LINEMO expansion on August 7. It applies to current and future customers on the two named plans without changing their monthly base prices.
| Question | Confirmed answer |
|---|---|
| Start date | September 1, 2026 |
| Eligible plans | LINEMO Best Plan and LINEMO Best Plan V |
| Monthly benefit | Up to seven overseas data days |
| Maximum announced discount | JPY 6,860 per month |
| Destination scope | More than 200 countries and territories in Flat-rate Country L |
| Data window | Each day is a 24-hour period from the selected start time |
| Calls and SMS | Not included in the data pass |
| Activation | The traveler must start a pass through the dedicated site |
| Existing customers | Included when already on an eligible plan |
| Old LINEMO plans | Not named as eligible; a plan change is required |
The announcement also adds SoftBank Starlink Direct to the two plans for domestic dead zones in Japan. That is a separate service. It does not turn the international data pass into satellite coverage abroad.
Free means a monthly pass discount, not automatic roaming
The benefit is attached to ๆตทๅคใใใใๅฎ้ก, translated by LINEMO as Worry-free Global Roaming and described here as Overseas Anshin Flat Rate. A traveler does not receive seven permanently open roaming days.
The official flow is:
- Confirm that the LINEMO line is on Best Plan or Best Plan V.
- Confirm that
Global Roaming(ไธ็ๅฏพๅฟใฑใผใฟใค) is active in My Menu. - Enable data roaming for the LINEMO line after reaching the destination.
- Wait for the arrival SMS from LINEMO.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and pause VPN or Private Relay if the activation site will not load.
- Open the dedicated roaming site, choose the eligible pass and tap the start button.
The 24-hour clock begins when the traveler starts the pass, not at Japanese midnight and not merely when the phone lands on a foreign network. SoftBank says a started pass cannot be canceled. Starting a new pass also ends any time remaining on the previous one.
Do not let the line use ordinary roaming data before the pass is confirmed. The current LINEMO international roaming page separates Overseas Anshin Flat Rate from the older pay-per-use and daily-cap service.
The rule is different before and after the winter change
SoftBank describes a transition period from September 1 until a still-unannounced date in winter 2026. The exact date matters for trips longer than seven days.
| When the pass starts | What receives the benefit |
|---|---|
| September 1 until the announced winter change | Only 1-to-7-day Flat-rate Country L passes receive the discount; 8-to-31-day passes do not |
| After the winter change | Flat-rate Country L passes from 1 to 31 days can receive up to JPY 6,860 off each month, equivalent to seven days |
An eight-day traveler before the winter change should not select an eight-day pass and assume that seven days will be removed from the price. SoftBank explicitly excludes 8-to-31-day passes from the transition discount. Check whether a seven-day pass plus another connection for day eight is a better fit.
The winter date is not published yet. A trip in December should be planned from the live LINEMO pass screen, not from the word "winter" alone.
Who qualifies, and who may need to change plans
Both current and new customers qualify when the line is on LINEMO Best Plan or Best Plan V and meets the international roaming conditions. LINEMO's older Mini Plan and Smartphone Plan are not named in the benefit.
The current LINEMO plan page says a plan change normally takes effect on the first day of the next month. A request placed around 21:00 or later on the final day can slip to the following month. A traveler should not request the change at the airport and expect immediate eligibility.
LINEMO also publishes an anti-fraud restriction for a line opened with a new phone number. That line may be unable to join international roaming until the end of its fourth billing month. A number ported by MNP is treated differently. Confirm the service in My Menu rather than assuming the SIM or eSIM format settles eligibility.
This makes the benefit most useful to an established LINEMO customer. Opening a new line only for an imminent trip may not work in time.
What unlimited data does and does not mean
SoftBank calls Flat-rate Country L unlimited because the pass does not end at a fixed data bucket. Its August 7 release attaches a policy of measuring data in 24-hour units and reducing speed to a maximum 4.5Mbps after 10GB in one unit.
The current general service terms say the 10GB speed policy begins on a separately announced date in spring 2027. Because that timing is later than the September 2026 LINEMO benefit, travelers should read the live pass screen for the applicable rule rather than assume either unrestricted full speed or an immediate cutoff.
Coverage and speed still depend on the visited partner, phone bands, local congestion and the exact place. SoftBank may prioritize specified foreign networks, and a traveler may not be able to choose every available carrier manually.
The service permits hotspot use when the line and device support tethering. Every connected device uses the same roaming session, so large laptop updates can still affect performance and any policy threshold.
Calls, SMS and LINE Giga Free remain separate
The included benefit covers overseas data. Normal voice calls, outgoing SMS and international SMS are not included. The domestic five-minute calling benefit on Best Plan V does not become free international roaming calls.
Keep the LINEMO line available when a Japanese bank or account may send an SMS, but verify incoming and outgoing rates before relying on it. Receiving a call can create a charge abroad. Voicemail and call forwarding can also matter.
LINEMO's official LINE roaming answer says LINE Giga Free does not apply abroad. When the overseas data pass is active, LINE can use that data, but the domestic zero-rating label is not a separate roaming entitlement.
Our calls and SMS with a travel eSIM guide explains how to keep the usual line for the number while selecting another line for mobile data.
What happens when the trip crosses a country group
Flat-rate Country L includes more than 200 destinations, with current examples across Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. The exact country and carrier list controls eligibility.
SoftBank says data stops if a traveler moves into a destination assigned to another roaming group while a pass is running. That matters on islands, border routes, cruises and itineraries mixing a Country L destination with Country S or an aircraft or ship network.
Do not force the phone onto an onboard cellular network. Aircraft and ship roaming has separate pricing. The September benefit is for the named terrestrial Country L pass, not every network a phone can see.
LINEMO or Roaming eSIM for an overseas trip
Start with the benefit already attached to the working line. An eligible LINEMO customer who needs no more than seven covered days should usually use the included data first. A separate purchase cannot beat a zero added price on price alone.
Roaming eSIM becomes the stronger fit when the traveler is not eligible, needs a separate data line, wants a package for the uncovered days, or wants to choose country and regional products without changing the Japanese mobile plan.
| Traveler decision | LINEMO benefit | Roaming eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Best Plan or Best Plan V plus active international roaming | Compatible, unlocked eSIM phone and a purchased package |
| Included period | Up to seven days each month | Validity shown on the selected package |
| Longer trip before winter | 8-to-31-day pass does not receive the transition discount | Choose a package covering the required period |
| Japanese number | Remains the active carrier line; calls and SMS have separate rules | Most packages are data-only; keep LINEMO available for the number |
| Package detail | LINEMO publishes its pass and carrier lists | Public cards show price, allowance, validity, speed, named operators and package-level top-up status |
| Support | LINEMO online support for its line | Roaming eSIM publishes 24/7 support and a WhatsApp route |
๐ Roaming eSIM wins on open route and package choice: it does not require a LINEMO subscription, an eligible Best Plan or a four-month wait on a new Japanese number. Travelers can inspect the exact destination package before checkout and use it as the data line while keeping LINEMO available for the Japanese number.
LINEMO wins on price for an eligible trip covered by the seven free days. This is not a blanket price or speed claim for either service. Compare the uncovered travel days, calls, SMS, hotspot needs and route before buying.
The live Roaming eSIM catalog returned 34 Australia, 18 France, 31 Singapore and 34 Thailand listings on August 13, for 117 choices across the four cards below. Counts are plan choices, not unique networks, and availability can change.
The broad travel eSIM versus home-carrier roaming guide provides the full comparison. Japanese travelers considering another time-limited home-line offer can also review the separate povo overseas roaming campaign.
A safe LINEMO setup checklist before departure
- Confirm Best Plan or Best Plan V is already active for the travel month.
- Open My Menu and confirm international roaming instead of relying on memory.
- Check the exact destination in Flat-rate Country L.
- Review the transition rule if any pass would exceed seven days.
- Save the dedicated activation URL and LINEMO support details offline.
- Update the phone and test My Menu access before leaving Japan.
- Keep data roaming off until the selected pass is ready to start.
- After arrival, use the LINEMO SMS and dedicated site to start the pass.
- Keep Wi-Fi, VPN and Private Relay off only while the activation page requires it.
- Download tickets, hotel details and maps in case the roaming connection does not appear immediately.
Ten LINEMO overseas data questions travelers need answered
1. Is the benefit available before September 1?
No. SoftBank gives September 1, 2026 as the start date. Current paid roaming rules apply before then.
2. Do existing LINEMO customers qualify?
Yes, when the line is on Best Plan or Best Plan V and meets the international roaming conditions.
3. Do Mini Plan or Smartphone Plan customers receive it?
Those older plans are not named as eligible. A plan change normally begins on the first day of a later month, so complete it before the travel month.
4. Can a new LINEMO customer use it immediately?
Not always. A newly issued number can face a wait through the fourth billing month before international roaming is available. MNP customers have different treatment.
5. Does turning on data roaming start the free day?
No. The official flow requires the traveler to select and start the pass on the dedicated site. Confirm the active-pass screen before using data.
6. What happens on an eight-day trip before winter?
An 8-to-31-day pass does not receive the transition discount. Compare a seven-day pass plus a day-eight option rather than assuming the longer pass includes seven free days.
7. Is the data really unlimited?
It has no fixed bucket in the headline offer. SoftBank publishes a 10GB-per-24-hour speed policy, with the general terms currently pointing to a spring 2027 start date. Check the live pass conditions.
8. Are calls and SMS included?
No. The benefit is for data. Overseas calls and SMS remain subject to their own availability and charges.
9. Is LINE automatically free abroad?
No. LINEMO says domestic LINE Giga Free does not apply abroad. LINE can use the active overseas data pass like other internet apps.
10. When should I choose Roaming eSIM instead?
Choose it when LINEMO eligibility is missing, the trip has uncovered days or destinations, or a separate data line with visible destination packages better fits the route.
Sources and updates
The September 1 date, eligible plans, 200-plus destination statement, seven-day monthly allowance, JPY 6,860 cap and transition mechanics come from SoftBank's August 7 announcement. The current LINEMO plan and global-roaming pages supplied plan-change timing, international-roaming enrollment, the arrival SMS, activation and older-plan boundaries.
SoftBank's live Overseas Anshin Flat Rate page supplied the 24-hour clock, dedicated portal conditions, hotspot permission, group-change behavior, pass cancellation rule and current speed-policy timing.
Several otherwise useful pages still describe the pre-September paid offer.
Update policy: We will revise this story when SoftBank publishes the exact winter transition date, changes the eligible plans, monthly discount, Country L list, new-line restriction, pass activation, speed policy, calls, SMS or hotspot rules. The live product cards will continue to supply current Roaming eSIM availability rather than frozen prices in this story.
