Key Points
- This page covers the main types of Japanese documents, including family registers, certificates of residence, civil-status acceptance certificates, academic, employment, tax, seal, and police records, and corporate registry documents and Articles of Incorporation, together with Certified Translation services.
- Our supported destination countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
- The required authentication route depends on whether the document is public or private, the issuing authority, the receiving authority, and the intended use.
- Before providing a quotation, we confirm the destination country, receiving authority, document type, number of originals, requested deadline, and current document status.
For Certified Translation Only
If you need Japanese-to-English translation with a Certification of Translation Accuracy, please see the Certified Japanese-to-English Translation page. Whether translation is required independently or together with authentication depends on the receiving authority's instructions and the Japanese document involved.
Japanese Documents and Related Services
The appropriate Japan-side process depends on what the receiving authority requires the document to prove, the Japanese document itself, its issuing authority and form, and any authentication or translation requirements. Public documents issued by municipalities, the Legal Affairs Bureau, tax authorities, or police are handled differently from private documents prepared by employers, companies, or educational institutions. Certified Translation may be required independently or together with authentication procedures.
Family and Civil-Status Documents
家族・身分関係書類Municipal and other public records used to establish family relationships, residence, birth, marriage, or marital status. The exact document required must be confirmed from the receiving authority's instructions.
Family register records are issued by the municipality of registered domicile and may be requested as evidence of family relationships, marriage, birth, or other civil-status matters. The required certificate type, issuance date, apostille, and translation requirements should be confirmed for the specific receiving authority.
A Certificate of Residence is a municipal public document recording registered residence information. The required entries, omitted information, issuance date, authentication, and translation requirements depend on the receiving authority and purpose.
A Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Notification confirms that a Japanese municipality accepted a birth notification. It is distinct from a foreign birth certificate. Whether this certificate, a family register, or another record is required should be confirmed with the receiving authority.
A Certificate of Acceptance of Marriage Notification confirms that a Japanese municipality accepted a marriage notification. It may be requested for overseas procedures, but the required document, issuance date, apostille, and translation format depend on the receiving authority.
Public document certifying that a Japanese municipality accepted a divorce notification. A different instrument from any foreign-issued Divorce Certificate or Divorce Decree. The receiving authority's written requirements determine which record, authentication, and translation are needed.
Certificates concerning legal capacity to marry or single status may be issued under different names and procedures depending on the issuing authority. The required certificate name, issuer, authentication, and translation requirements should be confirmed with the marriage authority or other receiving authority.
Employment and Tax Documents
就労・税関係書類Employment certificates are generally employer-prepared private documents, while tax-related certificates may be issued by national tax offices or municipalities. The issuing authority and document type affect the available authentication procedure.
Employment and separation certificates are generally private documents prepared by an employer. We review the required contents, signatory, translation requirements, and whether notarization or further authentication is requested by the receiving authority.
National tax certificates issued by a Japanese tax office and municipal tax or income-related certificates are different records with different issuing authorities and contents. The receiving authority should specify the required certificate type, tax category, and relevant year or period.
Academic and Police Documents
学歴・警察関係書類Academic records and police certificates require different handling. Academic-document authentication depends on the issuing institution and document, while police certificates are issued through the relevant Japanese police authority and have their own handling requirements.
Diplomas, graduation certificates, and academic transcripts are issued by educational institutions. The available authentication procedure depends on the issuing entity, document type, date of issue, and current MOFA requirements. Translation requirements are confirmed separately.
A Japanese police clearance certificate is issued through the competent Japanese police authority and requires the applicant's fingerprints. Apostille Japan does not apply for the certificate on the applicant's behalf. The sealed certificate must not be opened. The certificate is issued in Japanese, English, French, German, and Spanish; additional Certified Translation is handled only if separately required by the receiving authority.
Corporate and Commercial Documents
法人・商取引関係書類Corporate and commercial records may include public documents issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau and company-prepared private documents. The required document, issuing entity, authentication target, issuance date, and any translation or notarization requirements depend on the receiving party's written instructions. Personal seal registration certificates and corporate seal certificates are separate systems and should not be treated as interchangeable forms of identity, signature, or authority evidence.
An individual seal registration certificate is issued by a municipality. A company or corporate seal certificate is issued through the Legal Affairs Bureau / registry office. These are different systems. The receiving authority's required document, issuing authority, authentication, and translation requirements should be confirmed before proceeding.
Japanese corporate records may include public documents issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau, such as corporate registry certificates, as well as company-prepared private documents such as articles, statements, or certificates. The authentication process differs depending on the issuing entity, document type, and receiving authority's instructions. Apostille Japan handles the Japan-side document process only and does not represent clients before foreign registries, banks, CSPs, or other overseas authorities. Private-document matters are quoted according to the required notarization and authentication steps.
Professional fees are explained separately on our Pricing page. Fees depend on the document, issuing authority and form, receiving-authority requirements, and the authentication or translation work actually required.
Authentication Depends on the Document
Public Documents, Private Documents, and TranslationThe required authentication process is not determined by destination country alone. We review the issuing authority, document type and form, whether the document is public or private, what is being authenticated, and the receiving authority's written requirements. (Reference: MOFA: Certification (Authentication / Apostille))
| Document category | What we confirm |
|---|---|
| Public documents | For documents issued by municipalities, the Legal Affairs Bureau, tax authorities, police, or other public authorities, confirm the issuing authority, document eligibility, issuance date, and whether a MOFA apostille is requested. |
| Private documents | For documents prepared by companies, employers, or other private entities, confirm the signatory, notarization requirements, authentication target, and any further Japan-side authentication requested. |
| Translation | Where a translation is required, confirm the translator or certification requirements, wording, whether notarization is requested, and which document or signature is being authenticated. |
Each document detail page covers document-specific practical notes. Our Country-by-Country Guide provides general guidance on destination-related practical considerations. For the MOFA filing procedure itself, see our MOFA Apostille Application Guide.
Common Questions About the Documents Catalog
Frequently Asked QuestionsI'm not sure which of the supported documents I should obtain. How do I decide?
The required Japanese document depends on the receiving authority and procedure. Please provide the destination country, receiving authority, document name or requested evidence, deadline, and whether the document has already been issued. We can then confirm which part of the Japan-side process falls within our service scope.
How is pricing handled for multiple-document orders?
Multiple-document matters are quoted based on the documents involved, issuing authorities and forms, authentication steps, translation work, and receiving-authority requirements. We do not use fixed multi-document bundles or apply a uniform volume discount automatically. Please see the Pricing page for current professional-fee categories and optional services.
Do you handle countries other than the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines?
Our current destination scope is limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Other destination countries are generally outside our service scope. Please confirm their requirements with the receiving authority or an appropriate professional familiar with the relevant jurisdiction.
I'm based overseas. Can you procure Japanese documents on my behalf?
Many matters can be handled remotely by email and mail. Document procurement assistance is assessed separately based on the issuing authority's procedure, the client's eligibility to request the document, relationship to the record where relevant, and any required authorization. Some documents must be requested or collected personally. Japanese police certificates require personal application and are not obtained by our office on the applicant's behalf. Where procurement assistance may be available, the scope and fee are confirmed separately before engagement.
How do you determine the authentication process?
We review what the receiving authority requires, the Japanese document, its issuing authority and form, whether the document is public or private, what is being authenticated, and any translation or certification requirements. Destination country alone does not determine the process.
How long does the process take?
The required time depends on the document's current status, issuing authority, authentication or translation steps, and delivery method. Processing times of MOFA, municipalities, notary offices, the Legal Affairs Bureau, police, educational institutions, and receiving authorities are outside our control and are not guaranteed.