Key Points
- A Japanese family register and related registry certificates are public documents used to establish a Japanese national's civil status, family relationships, marriage, divorce, and other recorded matters.
- For submissions within our current five-destination service scope, we handle eligible MOFA apostille procedures and Japanese-to-English Certified Translation.
- Depending on the receiving authority, the required record may be a full family register certificate, an individual record certificate, a removed family register, or a pre-revision family register.
- The required record type, date of issue, number of originals, and need for translation or authentication must be confirmed against the receiving authority's instructions.
What is a Japanese Family Register?
戸籍謄本 / Koseki TohonA Japanese family register (koseki) is a civil-status record maintained by the municipality of the registered domicile (honseki, 本籍). A full family-register certificate, commonly called koseki tohon (戸籍謄本), may show family relationships and civil-status events recorded in the register.
The exact record required for an overseas submission depends on what the receiving authority asks to prove. A full current register, individual record, pre-revision register, removed register, or another civil-status certificate should not be selected solely because it is commonly used in another procedure.
MOFA lists family-register certificates issued by Japanese municipalities among the public documents that may be eligible for its certification. For a direct MOFA apostille application, the document generally must satisfy MOFA's requirements concerning the issuing authority, original document, issue date, issuer, and official seal. If the authentication target is the eligible original family-register certificate itself, attaching a translation or other material before MOFA filing can change the document set and may change the applicable procedure. The authentication target should therefore be confirmed before documents are bound or notarized.
We review the Japan-side requirements before filing and can handle eligible MOFA apostille procedures, Certified Translation, and related administrative work within our service scope. Office-side priority handling, where available, affects only our internal work and does not shorten external authority processing times.
A note on terminology: A Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) is a Japanese national qualification under the Gyoseishoshi Act. Within the scope permitted by Japanese law, a Gyoseishoshi may prepare and submit certain documents to government agencies and handle related administrative procedures.
Family Register Requirements by Destination
Receiving-Authority Requirements Are Case-SpecificThe five destinations in our current service scope do not share one fixed family-register authentication or translation process. For each matter, confirm the receiving authority, the Japanese record requested, whether authentication is required, and what translation certification or additional formality is specified.
The examples below identify receiving authorities and other recipients that may encounter Japanese family-register records. Requirements issued for one organization or procedure should not be applied automatically to another.
United States
USCIS · Courts · State and Local Authorities · Other RecipientsUnited Kingdom
UKVI · Government Bodies · Courts · Other OrganizationsSingapore
ICA · MOM · ACRA · Other RecipientsNew Zealand
Immigration New Zealand · NZQA · Other Receiving AuthoritiesPhilippines
PSA · Courts · Government Authorities · Other RecipientsDestination country alone does not determine the Japan-side process. We confirm the document, issuing municipality, authentication target, receiving authority, and current instructions before determining the required steps.
Family Register Process
Document-Specific WorkflowThe workflow starts by confirming the receiving authority and the exact Japanese record requested. We then check whether the family-register certificate is eligible for the required MOFA apostille and whether Certified Translation, notarization, or another formality is separately required.
* Requirements and timing vary by document status, receiving authority, required Japan-side procedures, translation work, and delivery arrangements. External authority processing times are outside our control.
Pricing for Family Register
Public-Document Package and Certified Translation OptionsFor an eligible family-register matter requiring both MOFA apostille handling and one Certified Translation, the Public-Document Package — Where Applicable starts from ¥77,000 (tax included). Certified Translation alone starts from ¥33,000.
If only public-document apostille handling is required, the separate professional fee starts from ¥55,000. MOFA itself does not charge the applicant an apostille application fee.
Municipal issuance fees, domestic postage, international courier or shipping charges, and other third-party disbursements are settled separately from our professional fees.
MOFA Apostille Handling starts from ¥55,000 where the family-register certificate is eligible for direct MOFA apostille and no Certified Translation is included.
Family Register FAQ
Eight Practical QuestionsThese questions address common document-selection, authentication, translation, procurement, and submission issues involving Japanese family-register certificates.
My passport name and family register name don't match. Will this be a problem?
Name differences can matter when the receiving authority compares the Japanese family-register record with a passport or another identity document. Common issues include maiden names, middle names, and different Romanization conventions.
For Certified Translation, the English name should follow the spelling confirmed for the specific submission. If a discrepancy must be explained, the receiving authority may request supporting evidence.
We confirm Romanization and supporting information when needed after the matter and document requirements have been identified.
Should I obtain the family register (koseki tohon) or the abbreviated version (koseki shohon)?
The required record depends on what the receiving authority asks to prove. A full family-register certificate (koseki tohon / certificate of all matters) is often used where the complete current family record is relevant, while an individual record may be sufficient for some procedures.
Historical family relationships may require a pre-revision register (kaisei genkoseki), removed register (joseki), or another civil-status certificate. Do not assume that a full current family register is always the correct record.
Confirm the exact Japanese record from the receiving authority's instructions before ordering multiple certificates.
Can I remove the staples from the document?
Do not remove or reattach staples from a family-register certificate that will be submitted for MOFA certification. MOFA states that altered public documents, including documents showing removal or refixing of staples, may not be accepted for certification.
If the certificate has already been disassembled or altered, its usability should be checked before filing and reissuance may be necessary.
Can I attach the translation before obtaining the apostille?
Attaching or binding a translation to a Japanese family-register certificate changes the document set and may change what is being presented for authentication.
If the authentication target is the eligible original family-register certificate itself, the direct MOFA apostille process should be completed for that original without altering it.
If the receiving authority instead requires authentication of a combined document set, translation certificate, signature, or another private-document element, different Japan-side steps may be required. Confirm the authentication target before binding or notarizing the documents.
How long is the family register valid for overseas submission?
The apostille itself does not have a uniform expiration date. Separately, for a direct MOFA apostille application, an eligible Japanese public document is generally required to be an original issued within the preceding three months.
The receiving authority may impose a different document-age or submission-time requirement on the family-register certificate. These are separate requirements.
Check both the MOFA eligibility period and the receiving authority's own document-recency instructions before ordering or reissuing the certificate.
I live overseas. Can I obtain a Japanese family register and have it apostilled?
Overseas-based clients may be able to obtain a family-register certificate directly from the relevant municipality, or procurement assistance may be available depending on the circumstances.
Our procurement assistance is assessed separately based on the client's eligibility to request the record, the relationship to the record, any required authorization, and the issuing municipality's current procedure.
Where our procurement assistance is available, the professional fee is JPY 5,500 (tax included) per document, plus applicable disbursements such as municipal issuance fees and postage, which are third-party costs not included in the professional fee.
Some requests, particularly historical or third-party requests, may require additional evidence or may not be available through our office.
Do translation and authentication requirements differ among the five destinations?
Yes, but the requirements are not determined by destination country alone. The receiving authority may specify what must be translated, the translator-certification wording, whether notarization is required, and what document or signature must be authenticated.
USCIS, UKVI, ICA, Immigration New Zealand, PSA, courts, educational institutions, and other receiving authorities may issue different instructions for different procedures. Guidance for one organization should not automatically be applied to another.
We therefore confirm the receiving authority and authentication target before deciding how the family-register original and Certified Translation should be handled.
For more details, please refer to our Country-by-Country Guide.
How should I request a written family register review or quotation?
For an initial inquiry, please provide the destination country, receiving authority, document name, desired deadline, and whether the document has already been issued.
Email is recommended where written requirements or detailed instructions need to be reviewed. WhatsApp may be used for initial overseas inquiries, and LINE is available for clients residing in Japan.