Key Points
- A Japanese Certificate of Residence is an official certificate issued by a Japanese municipality from information recorded in the Basic Resident Register. Depending on the certificate requested, it may show the resident's current address and other registered information.
- Within our current five-destination service scope, we handle eligible MOFA apostille procedures and Japanese-to-English Certified Translation for Certificate of Residence matters.
- The applicant must select whether the certificate covers the entire household or an individual and whether it includes items such as family relationship, registered domicile, nationality, or residence status, according to the receiving authority's instructions.
- As a general rule, our office does not accept or handle Certificates of Residence displaying the Individual Number (My Number). If a receiving authority specifically requests the Individual Number, please contact us before obtaining or sending such a certificate. We must first confirm whether the document can be handled within the applicable legal and operational restrictions, and we may be unable to accept or process it.
What is a Japanese Certificate of Residence?
住民票 / JuminhyoA Japanese Certificate of Residence (juminhyo / 住民票の写し) is an official certificate issued by a Japanese municipality from information recorded in the Basic Resident Register. Depending on the certificate requested, it may show the resident's current address and other registered information.
The exact information shown is not identical in every case. The receiving authority may require an individual certificate, a household certificate, specified relationship information, registered domicile information, nationality or residence-status information where applicable, or another recorded item.
A Certificate of Residence may be requested in immigration, civil-status, employment, education, financial, tax, court, corporate, or other overseas procedures where Japanese address or resident-register information is relevant. Whether it is the correct evidence must be confirmed from the receiving authority's instructions.
MOFA lists Residence Certificates issued by Japanese local governments among the public documents that may be eligible for its certification. For a direct MOFA apostille application, the document generally must be an eligible original issued within the preceding three months and satisfy MOFA's requirements concerning the issuing authority, issue date, issuer, and official seal. An apostille should be obtained only where authentication of the Japanese public document is requested for the specific submission. If the authentication target is the eligible original Certificate of Residence itself, attaching a translation or other material before MOFA filing can change the document set and may change the applicable procedure. Confirm the authentication target before documents are bound or notarized.
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.
Three Certificate Decisions
Type, Scope, and Recorded InformationBefore requesting a Certificate of Residence, confirm what the receiving authority needs the Japanese document to show. The appropriate certificate depends on the evidence requested rather than one universal overseas-submission format.
Decision 1: Which certificate type?
| Type | Content | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Residence (utsushi) | Resident-register information shown according to the requested certificate | Confirm against the receiving authority's evidence request |
| Certificate of Recorded Items | Specified resident-register items only | Use only where the receiving authority accepts the selected recorded items |
Do not assume that the full Certificate of Residence is automatically safer. Confirm the exact record requested.
Decision 2: Whole household or individual?
| Scope | Content | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Whole household | Multiple members of the registered household | Where household or family-member information is requested |
| Individual (self only) | Specified resident only | Where only that person's registered information is requested |
The receiving authority should determine whether household-member information is necessary.
Decision 3: Should My Number or other sensitive identifiers be included?
| Choice | Approach | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Omitted | Our default for the Individual Number (My Number) | Avoid unnecessary disclosure of sensitive personal information |
| Included | Our office generally does not accept or handle certificates displaying My Number | Contact us before obtaining or sending one. Legal and operational restrictions may prevent acceptance or processing |
As a general rule, our office does not accept or handle Certificates of Residence displaying the Individual Number (My Number). If a receiving authority specifically requests the Individual Number, please contact us before obtaining or sending such a certificate. We must first confirm whether the document can be handled within the applicable legal and operational restrictions, and we may be unable to accept or process it. Do not send a certificate displaying My Number to our office merely because a receiving authority requested it. Alternative evidence or direct confirmation with the receiving authority may be necessary. Separately, the necessity and handling of the Resident Register Code should also be confirmed before requesting a certificate that includes it.
Certificate of Residence Requirements by Destination
Receiving-Authority Requirements Are Case-SpecificThe five destinations in our current service scope do not share one fixed Certificate of Residence authentication or translation process. For each matter, confirm the receiving authority, the certificate and recorded information requested, whether authentication is required, and what translation certification or additional formality is specified.
The organizations below are examples of possible receiving parties. Requirements for one organization or procedure should not automatically be applied to another.
United States
USCIS · Courts · State and Local Authorities · Other RecipientsUnited Kingdom
UKVI · Government Bodies · Courts · Other OrganizationsSingapore
ICA · MOM · ACRA · Banks · Other RecipientsNew Zealand
Immigration New Zealand · Educational and Other Receiving AuthoritiesPhilippines
Government Authorities · Courts · Banks · Other RecipientsDestination country alone does not determine the Japan-side process. We confirm the certificate scope, issuing municipality, authentication target, receiving authority, and current instructions before determining the required steps.
Certificate of Residence Process
Document-Specific WorkflowThe workflow starts by confirming the receiving authority and the resident-register information requested. We then review the certificate scope, issuing municipality, document status, MOFA eligibility, authentication target, and any translation or additional formality required for the specific submission.
* Requirements and timing vary by certificate status, issuing municipality, receiving authority, required Japan-side procedures, translation work, and delivery arrangements. External authority processing times are outside our control.
Pricing for Certificate of Residence
Public-Document Package and Certified Translation OptionsFor an eligible Certificate of Residence 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 Certificate of Residence is eligible for direct MOFA apostille and no Certified Translation is included.
Certificate of Residence FAQ
Eight Practical QuestionsThese questions address certificate scope, recorded information, authentication, translation, procurement, and overseas submission issues involving Japanese Certificates of Residence.
How should I request a written Certificate of Residence 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.
Which Certificate of Residence entries should be included?
Include the information required by the receiving authority and avoid unnecessary entries. Depending on the matter, the required information may include current address, household members, relationship to the head of household, registered domicile information, nationality or residence-status information where applicable, or another resident-register item.
As a general rule, our office does not accept or handle Certificates of Residence displaying the Individual Number (My Number). If a receiving authority specifically requests the Individual Number, please contact us before obtaining or sending such a certificate. We must first confirm whether the document can be handled within the applicable legal and operational restrictions, and we may be unable to accept or process it. Do not send a certificate displaying My Number to our office merely because a receiving authority requested it. Alternative evidence or direct confirmation with the receiving authority may be necessary.
Can a Certificate of Residence be used as proof of address overseas?
A Japanese Certificate of Residence may serve as address or resident-register evidence where the receiving authority accepts it for the specific procedure. It should not be assumed to be the required proof of address merely because another overseas procedure accepts it.
Confirm the exact evidence, issuance-date requirement, authentication requirement, and translation requirement before ordering the certificate.
Can a client overseas request the certificate by proxy?
Procurement assistance may be available depending on the applicant's eligibility to request the record, current resident-registration status, the issuing municipality's procedure, and any required authorization.
Some requests may need to be made by the resident personally or may require additional evidence. We therefore confirm procurement availability only after identifying the exact certificate and municipality.
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.
Is notarization required for a Certificate of Residence translation?
Not necessarily. The receiving authority may require only a Certified Translation, or may separately require notarization, authentication of a translation certificate or signature, or another formality.
The correct Japan-side process depends on what the receiving authority asks to have translated, certified, or authenticated. It should not be determined from the destination country alone.
How long is the Certificate of Residence valid for overseas submission?
An 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 its own issuance-date or submission-time requirement on the Certificate of Residence. These are separate requirements.
Check both MOFA eligibility and the receiving authority's current document-recency instructions before requesting or reissuing the certificate.
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 Certificate of Residence information is required, whether the Japanese public document must be apostilled, what must be translated, and whether any additional certification or notarization is required.
USCIS, UKVI, ICA, Immigration New Zealand, Philippine authorities, courts, banks, educational institutions, and other receiving authorities may issue different instructions for different procedures.
We therefore confirm the receiving authority and authentication target before determining the Japan-side steps.
Do you handle countries outside the five supported countries?
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.
For an out-of-scope destination, please confirm the authentication and translation requirements with the receiving authority or an appropriate professional familiar with that jurisdiction.