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Keep your Vietnamese number active while in Japan: how to receive OTP and Zalo without interruption

Keep your Vietnamese number active while in Japan: how to receive OTP and Zalo without interruption

When preparing to travel to Japan for tourism or business, many people often worry about losing connection to services in Vietnam. Not receiving the bank OTP code, Zalo activation message or application authentication code can cause many unnecessary interruptions. This article will show you how to keep your Vietnamese phone number working stably throughout your trip.

Why should you keep your Vietnamese number when going to Japan?

Most banking applications, e-wallets and social network accounts in Vietnam require an OTP authentication code sent via SMS when making a transaction or logging in on a new device. If you remove your Vietnam SIM card or completely turn off mobile service, transferring money or handling work remotely will be very difficult.

Besides, maintaining the original phone number also helps relatives and partners in Vietnam to contact you in emergencies without losing connection completely.

Register for international roaming to receive free SMS

To receive SMS messages while in Japan, you need to proactively register for international roaming service (roaming) with a Vietnamese carrier before flying. Most major networks today are free of charge for receiving SMS messages when abroad, you only incur charges when making outgoing calls, receiving incoming calls or sending outgoing messages.

The registration process is quite simple, you can do it through the network operator's application or send a message according to the syntax instructions on their official website. You should complete this while still in Vietnam to ensure the service has been successfully activated.

Use Vietnam SIM and travel eSIM in parallel

Instead of having to remove and install the complicated physical SIM, the optimal solution today is to use the dual SIM feature on the same phone. Models such as iPhone XR, XS and above or most high-end Android phones manufactured since 2019 all support eSIM technology.

You keep the Vietnamese physical SIM in your device to receive calls and OTP messages. At the same time, you can install an additional travel eSIM to specifically use for high-speed Internet access in Japan. This helps the two SIMs operate independently, without affecting each other. You can refer to detailed information and see Japanese eSIM package to choose the appropriate connection option.

Configure your phone properly to avoid incurring costs

After landing at the airport in Japan, setting up settings on your phone is very important to avoid having data charges deducted from your Vietnamese SIM:

  1. Go to Mobile Settings on your phone.
  2. Select travel eSIM as the default route for Mobile Data (Data).
  3. Turn off the Data Switching feature so that the device does not automatically use the Vietnamese SIM network when the eSIM signal is weak.
  4. With Vietnam SIM, make sure Data Roaming mode is still turned on at the network service level to receive messages, but turn OFF Mobile Data of this SIM.

Tips for preparing connections and devices before your trip

When traveling in Japan, basic Internet usage needs for looking up maps, translating or sending messages are estimated at about 1GB per day. Preparing a network connection plan in advance will help you be more proactive as soon as you step off the plane. In addition, the grid system in Japan uses 100V voltage and standard Type A socket (two flat pins). You should bring a suitable adapter so that the device is always fully charged, ensuring uninterrupted message reception and lookup.

Tip: You should scan the QR code and add eSIM to your phone while you are still in Vietnam. As soon as the plane lands in Japan, you just need to turn on the eSIM data line and you will have an instant Internet connection without having to rely on public wifi at the airport.

Combining an original Vietnamese SIM to receive OTP and a travel eSIM to access the network is a convenient method, giving you complete peace of mind throughout the journey. If you are looking for a quick connection solution with QR codes received via email, easy payment support via VietQR transfer and advice in Vietnamese, please refer to service packages from shibaSIM to prepare for your upcoming trip to Japan.

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