You can buy physical traveler IC cards directly from dedicated vending machines or service counters immediately after clearing customs at both Haneda and Narita airports. Because standard physical cards face ongoing inventory limits, tourists are provided with special transit cards called Welcome Suica or the newly released TOURIST PASMO.
What your airport options look like
When you land in Tokyo, you will not be buying the classic, regular green Suica or pink Pasmo cards at the airport, as those are mostly restricted to standard digital apps now. Instead, the railway companies provide physical versions designed specifically for tourists:
- The Welcome Suica: This is the most popular option, issued by JR East. It features a red background with white cherry blossoms. It requires no deposit fee, meaning every yen you spend goes directly toward your initial train balance.
- The TOURIST PASMO: This brand-new card features stylish kanji character designs and is issued by the non-JR Tokyo subway and private railway networks. Like the Welcome Suica, it requires zero upfront deposit fees.
Both physical traveler cards are valid for exactly 28 days from the day of purchase. Once those 28 days are up, the card permanently deactivates.
Where to find them at the airport
You can easily secure your card before boarding your first train into the city by following this checklist:
- At Haneda Airport (Terminal 3): Head straight to the Arrivals Hall. Follow the signs toward the Tokyo Monorail entrance. Right next to the ticket gates, you will see bright red, multi-language Welcome Suica vending machines where you can buy a card in under two minutes using cash. For the TOURIST PASMO, look for the dedicated traveler ticket machines at the Keikyu Line airport gates.
- At Narita Airport (Terminals 1 & 2): Head down to the basement B1 level where the train stations are located. You can buy a Welcome Suica at the JR EAST Travel Service Center windows or from the red vending machines located just outside the JR station ticket gates.
- If the vending machine lines are massive: Walk over to the manned JR East Travel Service Center counters at either airport. The staff speak excellent English and can issue the physical cards over the counter.
The “use it or lose it” mistake to avoid
The most critical problem travelers run into with Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO cards is the strict no-refund rule.
With a standard Japanese transit card, you can turn the card back into a station office at the end of your trip to cash out any leftover money. With traveler cards, any funds left on the card when you fly home are gone forever.
To avoid wasting your cash, do not load ¥10,000 onto your card all at once. Start with a smaller amount like ¥2,000 or ¥3,000. You can easily reload more cash onto the card at any local convenience store or neighborhood train station ticket machine later if your balance runs low. If you have a few hundred yen left on your final day, spend it at an airport convenience store or vending machine to bring your balance down to zero.
