Key Points
- A Certified Translation is a Japanese-to-English translation accompanied by a signed Certification of Translation Accuracy concerning the translation.
- The certification does not authenticate the Japanese source document itself and is different from notarization, an apostille, or certification under a foreign sworn-translator system.
- Our standard service covers Japanese-to-English translations prepared by our office for matters within our current five-destination scope.
- Translator qualifications, certification wording, notarization, authentication, and submission-format requirements must be confirmed from the receiving authority's current instructions.
What is a Certified Translation?
Japanese-to-English Translation with a Certification of Translation AccuracyA Certified Translation under this service consists of a Japanese-to-English translation prepared by our office together with a signed Certification of Translation Accuracy. The certificate identifies the translated source document and language pair and includes a statement concerning the completeness and accuracy of the translation.
The certification concerns the translation. It does not authenticate the Japanese source document, verify the identity or authority of its issuer, certify the factual truth or legal effect of its contents, certify a copy as a true copy, or determine whether the source document is sufficient for the receiving authority. It does not convert the translated document into a Japanese public document.
The certification is issued under the professional responsibility of Apostille Japan's Gyoseishoshi, but Gyoseishoshi status should not be described as a national translator licence, sworn-translator registration, or guarantee of acceptance by a foreign authority.
If the Japanese public document itself may require a MOFA apostille, the authentication method should be confirmed before a translation is attached to it. For MOFA certification purposes, a Japanese public document with a translation attached is treated as a private document, which can change the available authentication route. There is no universal rule that every matter must be apostilled before translation or translated before apostille; the receiving authority's instructions and the planned Japan-side procedure must be confirmed first.
Where a full translation is required, text, handwritten entries, stamps, seals, annotations, and other material appearing on the submitted document are addressed in the translation.
The Certification of Translation Accuracy identifies the translation and includes the office's signed statement concerning completeness and accuracy.
Romanized names and established English terminology are checked against reliable supporting records supplied after the initial scope review where needed.
Before finalising the certification format, we review available written instructions concerning translator details, signatures, credentials, notarization, or other required formalities.
Translation Requirements by Receiving Authority
Current Service Scope: United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the PhilippinesOur standard Certified Translation service is limited to Japanese-to-English translations for matters within our current destination scope: the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
These five destinations do not share one uniform translation-certification system. The receiving authority and procedure determine whether a translator certification is sufficient or whether a professional translator, translation company, notarization, embassy attestation, apostille, affidavit, or another formality is required.
United States. For USCIS submissions, 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3) requires a full English translation of a foreign-language document, certified by the translator as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The USCIS regulation itself does not make notarization or an apostille part of that translation-certification requirement. Any additional authentication requirement should be checked separately.
United Kingdom. UK translation requirements depend on the application route. Current Home Office guidance for several routes requires a full translation that can be independently verified and includes confirmation of accuracy, the translation date, the translator's full name and signature, and contact details. Some routes also refer to a professional or qualified translator or translation company and credentials. Do not treat one UKVI checklist as a universal rule for every UK application.
Singapore. For certain Singapore ICA procedures, a standard privately issued translation certificate alone may not satisfy the stated document requirements. Current ICA guidance for several procedures accepts official translations through specified methods, including embassy translations, translations provided by a notary public, or privately translated documents that are attested by the relevant embassy or notarized by a notary public. The applicable method must be checked for the exact ICA, MOM, ACRA, court, bank, or other receiving procedure. Do not describe Singapore as having one automatic notary route.
New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand requirements vary by visa category and document type. Since May 26, 2025, translations of general supporting documents for Visitor Visa applications generally do not need to be certified, although medical and police certificates remain subject to certified-translation requirements. For Visitor Visa translations, the applicant, a family member, or the immigration adviser assisting with the application cannot act as translator. Certified translations are still required in procedures where INZ's current instructions specify them, including residence-related requirements.
Philippines. Philippine translation requirements vary by receiving authority and procedure. Courts, civil registrars, government agencies, educational institutions, immigration-related authorities, and other recipients may require different combinations of translator certification, affidavit, notarization, authentication, or supporting documents. The exact written instructions should therefore be confirmed before the translation certificate is finalised.
If the receiving authority specifically requires a sworn translator, locally registered translator, or translator credential that our office does not hold, we do not represent our Certification of Translation Accuracy as equivalent to that requirement.
As a rule, our Certification of Translation Accuracy is issued only for a Japanese-to-English translation prepared by our office from the source material reviewed for the engagement. We do not issue a certification alone for a translation prepared by the client, another translator, a translation company, AI system, or machine-translation service, and we do not provide a service consisting only of proofreading or correcting a third-party translation for subsequent certification.
Highly specialised medical, technical, scientific, financial, or other documents may require separate feasibility review depending on terminology, purpose, and receiving-authority requirements.
How the Service Works
From Document Review to DeliveryConfirm the destination country, receiving authority, document name, desired deadline, and whether the document has already been issued.
After the initial scope check, we request the pages and supporting spelling or terminology information needed to confirm translation scope and quotation.
We prepare the Japanese-to-English translation of the agreed source material.
Names, dates, document structure, and certification wording are reviewed before the Certification of Translation Accuracy is signed.
The agreed PDF and/or paper output is delivered in the format confirmed for the engagement.
Pricing
Document-Specific Certified Translation FeesCertified Translation for civil-status and employment documents starts from JPY 33,000 (tax included) and includes the Certification of Translation Accuracy. Pricing depends on document category, length, volume, formatting, terminology, and the receiving authority's requirements.
Civil-Status and Employment Documents: from ¥33,000
Diploma / Academic Documents: from ¥38,500
Corporate Registry Documents: from ¥44,000
Corporate Non-Standard Documents: from ¥6,600 per 400 Japanese characters — articles of incorporation, minutes, and comparable company documents
Additional copies, notarization, apostille or other authentication procedures, procurement, and delivery are separate where applicable.
Japanese Police Clearance Certificates are normally issued in Japanese, English, French, German, and Spanish. A separate Certified Translation is therefore not a default requirement. Where an additional translation is specifically required in a police-certificate engagement, it is quoted separately under the applicable police-certificate service.
For an initial inquiry, please first provide the destination country, receiving authority, document name, desired deadline, and whether the document has already been issued. After the initial scope check, we will advise which document pages, spelling references, forms, or receiving-authority instructions are needed for quotation and preparation.
Certified Translation FAQ
Eight Practical QuestionsWhat does your Certification of Translation Accuracy certify?
It concerns the Japanese-to-English translation prepared by our office. It identifies the translation and states its completeness and accuracy. It does not authenticate the source document itself, determine the source document's legal validity, or guarantee acceptance by the receiving authority.
Is your Certified Translation a government-certified or sworn translation?
No. The translation is prepared and certified under the responsibility of our Gyoseishoshi office, but Gyoseishoshi status is not presented as a national translator licence or foreign sworn-translator registration. If the receiving authority requires a particular translator credential, local registration, professional translation company, notarization, or embassy attestation, that requirement must be checked separately.
What does USCIS require for a translated foreign-language document?
Under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3), a foreign-language document submitted to USCIS must be accompanied by a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, together with the translator's certification of competence to translate into English. Notarization and apostille are separate questions and are not part of that regulation's translation-certification wording.
Are UK translation requirements the same for every visa or immigration route?
No. Current Home Office instructions vary by route. Several routes require a full translation that can be independently verified and includes accuracy confirmation, date, translator name and signature, and contact details; some routes also specify professional or qualified translator credentials. The exact checklist for the application should be reviewed.
Will a standard Certified Translation be sufficient for Singapore or New Zealand?
Not necessarily. Some Singapore ICA procedures require an official translation, notarization, or embassy attestation using one of the methods specified by ICA. New Zealand requirements vary by visa and document type. General Visitor Visa supporting-document translations no longer always require certification, while medical, police, residence, and other specified documents may be subject to different requirements.
Can you certify a translation that I or another translator already prepared?
No. As a rule, we issue our Certification of Translation Accuracy only for translations prepared by our office from the source material reviewed for the engagement. We do not add our certification to client-written, third-party, AI-generated, or machine-generated translations.
Does the entire Japanese document need to be translated?
Where the receiving authority requires a full translation, all relevant text appearing on the document should be addressed, including entries, annotations, seals, stamps, and other material. A partial or extract translation should be used only where the receiving authority's current instructions allow it.
What information should I send for an initial inquiry?
Please provide the destination country, receiving authority, document name, desired deadline, and whether the document has already been issued. Do not send passport images or other sensitive identification documents solely for the initial inquiry. After the scope is reviewed, we will advise what source-document pages or spelling references are actually needed.
Documents We Translate
Certified Translation for Other Japanese DocumentsDocument-specific pricing, authentication treatment, and receiving-authority requirements vary. The pages below explain the relevant Japan-side issues for commonly handled documents.
- Family Register (Koseki)
- Single Status / Marriage Eligibility Certificate
- Marriage Acceptance Certificate
- Birth Acceptance Certificate
- Divorce Notification Acceptance Certificate
- Certificate of Residence
- Employment Certificate
- Tax-Related Certificates
- Seal Registration Certificate
- Diploma and Academic Transcript
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Corporate Registry Documents and Articles of Incorporation
Translation companies, relocation companies, overseas law firms, immigration consultants, and migration advisers may contact us regarding client matters, including requests for Certified Translation Only. The engagement structure, authority to provide the documents, and document-handling arrangements are confirmed case by case. For professional enquiries, see our page for legal and professional service providers.