Key Points
- An employment certificate is a document issued by an employer to certify matters such as current employment, job duties, period of employment, position, and compensation.
- An employment certificate issued by a company or other employer is generally treated as a private document. Depending on the receiving authority's instructions, an authentication procedure through a Japanese notary public may be required.
- For submissions to the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines, we review the authentication route and Certified Translation into English.
- The required contents, issuer or signatory, need for a company seal, date of issue, original-or-copy requirement, and form of translation or authentication must be confirmed against the receiving authority's instructions.
What is a Japanese Employment Certificate?
在職証明書 / Zaishoku ShomeishoThe Japanese Employment Certificate — zaishoku shomeisho (在職証明書) — is a private document prepared by an employer to certify an employee's employment status. The document records company name, representative's name and seal, applicant's position, tenure, and annual salary, depending on destination requirements. Company and representative seals are commonly requested for notary verification, and the format should be checked before the certificate is issued. It is one of the standard documents used to evidence employment relationships in overseas work visa applications.
The Employment Certificate's practical value lies in its use across five work visa and employment-related destinations: the United States H-1B (USCIS Form I-129), the United Kingdom Skilled Worker Visa (UKVI), Singapore Employment Pass (MOM), New Zealand work visa or Immigration New Zealand-related procedures, and the Philippines Alien Employment Permit (DOLE). For ex-employees, the Resignation Certificate (rishoku shomeisho) plays a similar role in post-employment work visa applications.
Because the Employment Certificate is a private document, a notary route may be needed before MOFA apostille. The need for that route depends on the receiving authority, document issuer, and document purpose. When applicable, a Japanese notary public certifies the representative's signature, followed by Legal Affairs Bureau certification, MOFA apostille, and Certified Translation preparation. (Reference: MOFA: Application Procedure and Required Documents) Our optional Employer Coordination Support add-on (+¥11,000) supports employer coordination when needed.
The 4-Step Notary-Verified Route
When Notary Verification May Be NeededThe Employment Certificate is a private document prepared by the employer, so its authentication route differs from public documents like the family register, certificate of residence, or tax payment certificate. A notary route may be needed depending on the receiving authority, document issuer, and document purpose. Here is how the 4-step Notary-Verified Route works when it applies.
| Aspect | Public Documents (family register, juminhyo, tax cert) | Private Document (Employment Certificate) |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Municipal office or tax office | Employer (company representative) |
| Authentication entry | MOFA apostille directly | Notary public certification may be needed first |
| Typical steps | 1 step (MOFA only) | 4 steps (notary → LAB → MOFA → translation) |
| Standard turnaround | 3-7 business days | 5-10 business days |
| Employer involvement | None | Representative signature, identity verification, attendance, or POA handling may require case-by-case review |
| Rejection risk | Low | Moderate (format and content requirements matter) |
The 4 specific steps:
• Step 1: Certificate preparation → Employer issues the certificate with company seal and representative seal
• Step 2: Notary public certification → The representative's attendance, identity verification, power-of-attorney handling, or declaration-based method must be checked with the relevant notary office and according to the chosen authentication method
• Step 3: Legal Affairs Bureau certification → The Legal Affairs Bureau where the notary is registered certifies the notarization
• Step 4: MOFA Apostille + Certified Translation → MOFA apostille is obtained, and the English translation with our Certification of Translation Accuracy is prepared
Smooth execution of these 4 steps depends on getting the format right at Step 1. We provide recommended template guidance, and our Employer Coordination Support add-on (+¥11,000) supports communication with your employer and responses to employer questions. Notary office acceptance and representative or power-of-attorney handling are checked case by case.
Authentication Requirements by Country
Notary-route requirements vary by receiving authorityAuthentication route and translation requirements differ by destination country. The Employment Certificate is a private document, so a notary route may be needed depending on the receiving authority, document issuer, and document purpose. Route A is a Certified Translation-centered review where apostille, notarization, or authentication is not specifically requested by the receiving authority. If the receiving authority requests apostille, notarization, authentication, or a notarized employer-issued document, Route B should be checked. Our optional Employer Coordination Support add-on (+¥11,000) supports employer coordination when needed. The Employment Certificate is used for work visa and employment-related procedures across the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
United States
USCIS · State Authorities Route CheckUnited Kingdom
UKVI · Home Office Route CheckSingapore
ICA · MOM Route BNew Zealand
Immigration New Zealand · Local Authorities Route BPhilippines
DOLE · Bureau of Immigration Route BRoute A and Route B indicate typical workflows only. The final route is not determined solely by the destination country. It is reviewed case by case based on the document, the receiving authority's publicly available guidance or written instructions provided by the client, and current practice at MOFA, notary offices, and other relevant Japanese authorities.
Employment Certificate Process
Employer, Document Format, and Notary-Route CheckJapanese employment certificates may be required as evidence of employment status, job duties, tenure, salary, or work experience for overseas work visas, employment-related filings, licensing procedures, credential review, and background checks. Because an employment certificate is an employer-issued private document, requirements vary depending on the receiving authority, including whether a company seal or representative signature is needed, whether an employer-issued English original can be used, what details must be recorded, whether a resignation certificate should be used instead, and whether Japanese notary office authentication, Legal Affairs Bureau certification, MOFA apostille, or Certified Translation may be required. We confirm the destination country, receiving authority, intended use, and issuing entity before organizing the required procedure sequence.
* Requirements for company seals, representative signatures, recorded details, employer-issued English originals, use of resignation certificates, notary office authentication, translation certification format, and original document submission vary depending on the receiving authority.
Pricing for Employment Certificate
Three Plans, Including Optional Employer Coordination SupportThe Employment Certificate is a private document prepared by the employer, so pricing depends on the steps your case actually requires. Based on the receiving authority's publicly available guidance or written instructions provided by the client, we distinguish between cases that can be handled with Certified Translation only and cases that require the notary office, Legal Affairs Bureau, and MOFA apostille steps (Private-Document Notary-Route Matter). Optional Employer Coordination Support (+¥11,000) is available where communication with your employer requires additional assistance. Notary office acceptance and representative or power-of-attorney handling are checked case by case.
If you require office-side priority handling, we will review the case details, number of documents, required workflow, and target deadline, and advise on availability and fees individually.
Office-side priority handling means translation, document review, and application preparation may be prioritized where operationally possible. External employer, notary office, Legal Affairs Bureau, MOFA, courier, and receiving-authority processing times cannot be shortened.
Employment Certificate FAQ
Employer-Issued Documents, Certificate Content, Apostille Route, Translation, and Written ReviewHow should I request a written Employment Certificate review or quotation?
Email is recommended for written Employment Certificate document review and quotation requests. Please include your destination country, receiving authority, document purpose, employer name, employment period, position or title, employment status, salary or income details if required, whether the certificate has already been issued, issuer or company representative information if known, certificate format if known, requested deadline, and shipping destination.
WhatsApp Business may be used for initial overseas inquiries, but formal quotation, document scope, certificate content review, employer-issued document review, translation requirement review, apostille route review, shipping instructions, and written instructions may be handled by email.
What information should an Employment Certificate include?
Required content depends on the destination country, receiving authority, and document purpose. Some filings require only employer name, employment period, position or title, and employment status. Others may require salary or income details, work hours, contract type, company address, company representative name, issuer department, company seal, or contact information.
Because unnecessary or missing information may create privacy, translation, or acceptance issues, the receiving authority's written instructions should be checked before the certificate is issued where possible.
Should salary or income details be included?
It depends on the receiving authority's written instructions. Some immigration, financial, scholarship, or school filings may request salary or income details, while other filings may only require confirmation of employment status and period of employment.
If salary, bonus, annual income, or withholding information is requested, the certificate wording and supporting tax or income documents should be reviewed together by email before arranging apostille and translation.
Is an Employment Certificate treated as a public document?
An Employment Certificate is usually an employer-issued private document, not a municipal or national government certificate. Depending on the receiving authority's instructions, Route A may center on a translator-certified English translation, or Route B may require notarization, followed, where required, by certification of the notary's seal by the Legal Affairs Bureau and a MOFA apostille.
The applicable route should be checked by email before quotation, notarization where applicable, apostille, translation, and shipping arrangements.
Is notarization required for an Employment Certificate translation?
It depends on the receiving authority's written instructions, destination country, document purpose, and translation certification format. For some U.S. or U.K. submissions, Route A may apply where apostille, notarization, or authentication is not specifically requested. If the receiving authority requests apostille, notarization, authentication, or a notarized employer-issued document, Route B should be checked.
Where a private employer-issued document must be apostilled, the notary-office, Legal Affairs Bureau, and MOFA sequence may be required. The route should be checked by email before quotation and document sequencing.
How long is an Employment Certificate valid for overseas submission?
The certificate itself has no uniform statutory expiration. However, the receiving authority may require a recently issued employer certificate or set its own validity window. We check the issuance date backwards from the final submission date, together with the receiving authority's written instructions.
This is a document review item, not a statement that the receiving authority will accept a specific issuance date. Plan the schedule backwards from the final submission date, accounting for employer issuance, notarization where applicable, apostille, translation, and domestic or international shipping. We review the expected schedule by email at engagement.
Which route applies by country?
Route A and Route B depend on the receiving authority's written instructions, document purpose, translation certification format, whether the document is employer-issued as a private document, and whether apostille, notarization, authentication, or a notarized employer-issued document is specifically requested. Written instructions should be checked before quotation, document sequencing, apostille, and translation arrangements.
| Country | Common Route | Notary Review | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | Route A may apply | Often not requested for translator-certified English translations, unless written instructions require it | Immigration, visa, financial, school, or employment filings |
| the United Kingdom | Route A may apply | Often not requested unless written instructions require it | UKVI, employment, financial, school, or administrative filings |
| Singapore | Route B may apply | May be requested depending on ICA, MOM, financial, or other authority instructions | Immigration, employment, financial, or administrative filings |
| New Zealand | Route B may apply | May be requested depending on document purpose and receiving authority | Immigration, employment, education, or administrative filings |
| the Philippines | Route B may apply | May be requested depending on DOLE, BI, Embassy of Japan, or other receiving-authority instructions | Consular, employment, school, financial, or administrative filings |
Do you handle countries outside the five supported countries?
Our service scope is limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines. We do not handle destinations outside this scope.
Some destination countries outside our service scope may involve sworn-translator or locally qualified translator systems, or embassy or consular authentication routes, in addition to or instead of a Japanese MOFA apostille. In those cases, please confirm the applicable authentication and translation route with the destination country's embassy, consulate, local qualified professional, or a specialist familiar with that jurisdiction.