Attesting Japanese Documents (FAQs)

Yes - Japan is a member of the Apostille Convention.

Japanese documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Japanese documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information about Apostille certification in Japan, see:
Japan Apostille Services

Japanese Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be obtained for official documents issued in Japan including:

• Japanese Family Registration Certificates (Koseki)
• Japanese birth, death and marriage certificates
• Certificates of criminal record issued by the Prefectural Police
• Certified Copies of the Commercial Register
• apanese University diplomas and high school certificates
• Certificates issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (e.g. Certificates of Origin)
• Other documents certified by a Japanese notary, including powers of attorney

Documents must be no more than 3 months old. Except for documents which are issued one time only (e.g. university diplomas), documents with an issue date older than 3 months cannot be authenticated, and new copies must be obtained from the issuing authority in Japan to obtain an Apostille. The date of issue must be shown on the document, as well as the name of issuing agency (name and title of the issuer), and the official seal (not a private seal or signature).

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in Japan, please Contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our Japanese apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Japanese documents, see:
Japan Apostille Services

Japanese Apostilles from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are normally obtained in 3 business days

Japanese university degrees can be legalized at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Tokyo. Diplomas must have been issued in the last six months. If your diploma is more than six months old, a new diploma or certificate of graduation should be obtained from the university.

Document legalization (or attestation) is a procedure which authenticates a public Japanese document so that it can be submitted in another country for official or legal purposes - for example, if you need to submit a Japanese birth certificate to the authority or embassy of another country, it will often need to be legalized.

Legalizing a document in Japan certifies the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document as that of an authorized public official in Japan and confirms the capacity of that official.

• Because Japan is a member of the Apostille Convention, Japanese documents can be legalized by means of an Apostille Stamp when being submitted to countries that are also members of the Hague Apostille Convention
• If a Japanese document is required for a country that is not a member of the Apostille Convention, it will need to be legalized both by Japanese authorities and by the embassy of the recipient country (embassy in Japan or non-resident embassy accredited to Japan).
  See: Document legalization - Wikipedia

Isarey Certification Services provides a range of services in Japan including Apostille and legalization services, notarization services, certified translation services and document retrieval services.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
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Japan Apostilles follow the standard format laid down in the Apostille Convention. Some examples of Japanese documents certified with Apostille stamps:

• Japanese birth certificate with Apostille Stamp (PDF)
• Japan Koseki Family Register with Apostille Stamp (PDF)

See What does an Apostille look like?

Japanese birth, death and marriage certificates, as well as Family Registry (Koseki) Certificates can be obtained from the Municipal Office where the event was notified or Legal Affairs Bureau.

Consular certificates are also available from Japanese Embassies and Consulates in English, but cannot be authenticated with a Japanese Apostille Stamp.

Isarey can obtain certificates directly in Japan for overseas clients requiring Apostille Stamps or Legalization. Please Contact us for assistance.

Family Registry Certificates (Koseki) are only issued to Japanese citizens. They can be obtained from the municipality responsible for your registered domicile (honseki). Family Registry Certificates do not have a fixed validity, but must have been issued within the last 3 months if an Apostille Stamp is required from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There are two types of Koseki certificate available:|Koseki Tohon - is a record of all family members.|Koseki Shohon - is a record of one individual family member.

Isarey can obtain a copy of Japanese Koseki certificates directly in Japan for overseas clients requiring an Apostille stamp or consular legalization.

For further information, see:
Japanese birth, death and marriage certificates

The original unopened certificate is required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to obtain an Apostille Stamp.

Criminal Record Certificates can be obtained in Japan from the Prefectural Police covering your areas of current residence (or last registered residence in Japan if currently residing overseas). Outside Japan, certificates can only be obtained from Japanese Embassies and Consulates

In both cases, applications must be submitted in person by the applicant (fingerprints are required). Proof must be provided showing that a Japanese criminal record certificate is required by a foreign embassy or immigration authority. Note that applications submitted abroad through Japanese embassies can take 2 months to process.

To obtain an Apostille stamp, the certificate must be submitted unopened to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Japanese Criminal Record Certificates can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Certificates must be no more than 3 months old and must be submitted unopened.

Japanese university degrees required for submission to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates must be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then attested by the UAE embassy in Tokyo. Diplomas issued by incorporated public universities and private universities will need to notarized before they can be legalized.

Japanese university degrees required for submission to the authorities of Saudi Arabia can be legalized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with an Apostille Stamp. Since Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention, attestation by the Saudi Embassy in Tokyo is no longer required.

Apostilles on Japanese university diplomas are obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Diplomas require prior notarization in Japan when issued by the following institutions:

• National and public universities which have been incorporated (except diplomas issued before the date of incorporation).
• Private universities
• Colleges of Technology
• Private vocational schools

Japanese Medical Certificates can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when issued by a public hospital or Red Cross hospital. The certificate must include the hospital’s official seal and date of issue, as well as the name of the hospital and doctor. Certificates from other hospital need to be notarized before an Apostille can be obtained.