Japanese Police Clearance Certificate Apostille and Certified Translation

What is a Japanese Police Clearance Certificate?

The Japanese police clearance certificate (keisatsu shomeisho, 警察証明書) is a public document issued under the name of the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, certifying the absence of criminal records in Japan. Internationally, it is referred to as Police Clearance Certificate or Certificate of No Criminal Record. It may be requested for U.S. immigrant visa, U.S. Embassy / NVC submission, K visa, state licensing, UKVI Settlement and ILR, Singapore ICA Permanent Residence, New Zealand visa and residence-related procedures, Philippines international marriage and long-term visas, and other long-term residence or immigration-related procedures in the supported jurisdictions, depending on the case type and receiving authority instructions.

The certificate is classified as a public document under Japanese law, eligible for direct apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). However, it is uniquely issued sealed in an official envelope; breaking the seal may affect public document integrity and may cause receiving authorities to decline the document. Our office handles this constraint through a seal preservation protocol from receipt through MOFA apostille, certified translation, and international shipment to the destination authority.

Our office is located in Akasaka, Tokyo — within close proximity to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kasumigaseki). Timing depends on the acquisition route, applicant-side police or consular procedure, sealed-envelope condition, original document status, translation volume, MOFA processing, notary-office and Legal Affairs Bureau availability where applicable, courier schedule, and the receiving authority's requirements. Office-side priority handling may be available where operationally possible, but external authority processing times are outside our control. For time-sensitive visa, residence, licensing, or filing deadlines, email-based document review is recommended as early as possible.

A note on terminology: A gyoseishoshi (行政書士) is a Japanese certified administrative procedures specialist licensed under the Gyoseishoshi Act. The profession is a national qualification regulated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, with statutory authority to prepare and submit documents to government agencies, including apostille applications.

The Sealed Envelope Rule: Do Not Break the Seal

In the apostille process for Japanese police clearance certificates, the key caution is: do not break the seal of the envelope. This is a defining constraint that distinguishes police clearance certificates from family registers and diplomas.

How to Obtain — In-Person Application

Obtaining a Japanese police clearance certificate generally involves in-person application and fingerprinting by the applicant. A proxy generally cannot complete the application or fingerprinting step. This is a more involved process than for family registers or diplomas. Our office cannot represent the procurement step itself; however, MOFA apostille application support, certified translation, and international shipping are available for case review after the certificate is obtained.

For overseas residents, consular routing and mailing can take time, so early email-based document review is recommended before your submission deadline. Embassy procedures vary by country; please contact us by email before applying so we can review the intended schedule in writing.

The Japanese police certificate (criminal record certificate / travel certificate) is handled only where the client has already obtained it and can entrust the sealed, unopened original to us; our role is limited to forwarding the MOFA apostille application with the seal preserved. Our office does not assess whether a criminal record exists, the certificate's contents, acceptance by the receiving authority, or any impact on visa, employment, or residence eligibility. Matters requiring explanations or additional documentation concerning criminal history or convictions are, as a rule, not accepted.

Authentication Requirements by Country

Authentication route and translation requirements differ by destination country. The United States and the United Kingdom often use Route A — Translator-Certified Route, depending on the receiving authority's instructions. Singapore, New Zealand, and the Philippines may request Route B — Notary-Verified Route, depending on the visa category and receiving authority. In all cases, the sealed envelope should be preserved.

Validity expectations vary by receiving authority, visa category, filing type, and the authority's current written instructions. Separately from the receiving authority's validity expectation, MOFA apostille applications generally require the original Japanese public document to have been issued within three months. Receiving-authority validity and MOFA apostille eligibility are separate issues, so older certificates should be checked before submission.

Route 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.

Japanese Police Clearance Certificate Process

Japanese police clearance certificates, also referred to as Certificates of No Criminal Record or Certificates of Criminal Records, may be required for permanent residence, long-term visa, citizenship-related, international marriage, employment, licensing, and residence-related procedures. The certificate is obtained by the applicant through a prefectural police headquarters in Japan or through a Japanese embassy or consulate overseas, and it is issued in a sealed official envelope. Because opening the sealed envelope may affect whether the document can be used, the certificate must be handled without breaking the seal. Requirements vary depending on the receiving authority, including whether the sealed original must be submitted, whether a translation reference copy is needed, how Certified Translation should be attached, whether Japanese notary office authentication is required, and how the original document should be delivered. We confirm the destination country, receiving authority, intended use, acquisition status, and seal condition before organizing the required procedure sequence.

* Requirements for sealed-original submission, translation reference copies, Certified Translation format, Japanese notary office authentication, and original document delivery vary depending on the receiving authority.

Pricing for Police Clearance Certificate

Two pricing plans are available for police clearance certificate apostille and certified translation. For overseas submissions, the Country-Specific Standard Package (from JPY 77,000; tax-inclusive where applicable) — a standard fee shared across all 5 countries — is the standard option. Note: police clearance certificate issuance normally does not require a government issuance fee; embassy / consulate fees are paid directly by the applicant.

8 Common Issues with Police Clearance Certificate Authentication

In residence, long-term visa, licensing, and related procedures across the five Anglophone jurisdictions, the police clearance certificate is often a critical document, but also a frequent source of procedural complexity regarding sealed envelope handling, application logistics, validity expectation management, and written instructions. Below are eight common issues identified by our office, along with how we address each.

Related Documents

Documents commonly authenticated alongside the police clearance certificate. Permanent residence and long-term visa applications may request multiple supporting documents in addition to the police clearance certificate. We offer efficient combined scheduling for batch requests.