# Apostille and document legalization for use in Japan URL: https://japanhow.com/life/admin/apostille-documents-japan-foreigners/ Author: JapanHow editors Updated: Oct 29, 2026 ## Summary An apostille is a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) certificate on a Japanese public document, such as a 住民票 or family register copy, so another Hague Convention country accepts it. As of October 2026 MOFA charges nothing, certifies only originals issued within 3 months, and posts them back about 3 business days after receipt. Other countries need 公印確認 plus embassy authentication instead. India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vietnam are on MOFA's Hague list; Nepal and Sri Lanka are not. ## Key facts - MOFA fee: Free (you pay postage) - Document age: Original issued within 3 months - Turnaround: About 3 business days after receipt - Tokyo counter: Online reservation from 5 Oct 2026 An apostille is a certificate from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外務省) on a Japanese public document, so that another country that belongs to the Hague Convention accepts it. As of October 2026 MOFA charges **nothing**, in principle certifies only **originals issued within 3 months**, and posts the document back about **3 business days** after it receives it. You only need one if the receiving body, or its embassy in Japan, asks for it. ## When does a foreign resident need one? Most foreign residents meet this in one direction: **a Japanese document that must be used in your home country**. Examples are a 住民票 (see [the juminhyo guide](/life/admin/juminhyo-certificate-of-residence/)), a family register copy (戸籍謄本), a tax certificate or a criminal record certificate, for a marriage, divorce, birth, visa application, company set-up or property purchase abroad. MOFA is clear on one rule: apply only if the receiving body asks. It also warns that some bodies in Hague countries still want embassy authentication instead, so ask them first. ## Apostille or 公印確認? | | Apostille | 公印確認 (seal confirmation) | |---|---|---| | Who accepts it | Countries in the 1961 Hague Convention | Countries outside the Convention | | After MOFA | Ready to use | You must still get the foreign embassy or consulate in Japan to authenticate it (領事認証) | | Extra step | None | Embassy visit (check its process and fee) | MOFA's Hague list, dated 11 September 2026, includes **India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vietnam**. **Nepal and Sri Lanka are not on that list**, so for those countries MOFA's route is 公印確認 followed by the embassy's authentication. Check with the receiving body, because the list changes. If the receiver wants Japan's embassy abroad to certify instead of MOFA, MOFA says a document certified in Japan can't also be certified there, and the reverse. Ask which one they want. ## What can MOFA certify? MOFA certifies a document only if it meets all three conditions: 1. The issue date is shown, and it is **within 3 months**. 2. The issuing body is named. 3. It carries an **official seal**, not a personal seal or signature alone. Local government documents such as family register copies, 住民票 and tax certificates, and national bodies' criminal record certificates, are on MOFA's list. Copies can't be certified, even from a public body. Unstapled or annotated pages are refused, and MOFA won't certify spare copies. **Private documents** (written by you or a company) can't go to MOFA directly. The route is a notary office (公証役場) first, then the Legal Affairs Bureau's notary-seal certificate, then MOFA. Many private schools, private universities and private hospitals are also marked as not certifiable for an apostille. **Passports and residence cards:** MOFA says it is difficult to certify an original. Confirm with the recipient and, if needed, have a copy certified through the notary route. ## How do you apply? Key rules from MOFA's guide: - **Fee:** free for mail and counter. You pay return postage. - **Mail:** MOFA doesn't accept mail from abroad and returns documents only to addresses in Japan, not to embassies. At the counter you show photo ID, and a residence card is accepted. - **Counter:** MOFA Tokyo takes counter applications from 14:00 to 16:00 on business days, but gives the result by mail only. - **Bulk:** 10 or more documents at once may take longer. - **One-stop service:** notary offices in Hokkaido (Sapporo area), Miyagi, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka can handle notarization, the Legal Affairs Bureau seal and MOFA in one visit on request. MOFA's FAQ says this is a paid service. For 公印確認 you still need the embassy's authentication. - **Checking an apostille:** for apostilles issued from 1 June 2026, the receiver can verify it online with the number, date and access code printed on it. **Do the translation question first:** MOFA doesn't translate. Some recipients accept your own translation, some want it notarized and then certified by MOFA, and some name the translator. Ask the receiver before you order anything. See [translating birth and marriage certificates](/life/admin/certificate-translation-japan-foreigners/). ## What about home-country documents used in Japan? The reverse direction depends on the office. The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) Q&A we read asks for a Japanese translation of foreign-language documents. It doesn't mention an apostille. Osaka's Kita Ward, in its guide for US nationals marrying in Japan, only recommends an apostille on the notarized affidavit "where possible", and says the US Embassy in Tokyo stopped notarizing the single-status certificate from 1 September 2025. We can't tell you what your own ward office, bureau or a naturalization case will require. Ask them directly, ideally before ordering documents from home. For marriage paperwork, see [international marriage in Japan](/life/family/international-marriage-japan/). This page is general information, not legal advice. If a high-stakes case turns on which certification you need, ask the receiving body, your embassy or an administrative scrivener (行政書士). ## Questions people ask ### What is the difference between an apostille and 公印確認? Both are MOFA certifications of Japanese public documents. An apostille is accepted directly by Hague Convention countries. 公印確認 is the MOFA step before authentication by the foreign embassy or consulate in Japan, which is needed for countries outside the Convention. ### Does MOFA charge for an apostille? No. MOFA says both mail and counter applications are free. You pay return postage, and the notary-office one-stop service is paid. ### Can I get an apostille on my residence card or passport? MOFA says it is difficult to certify an original passport or residence card. If the recipient needs one, ask first, then have a copy certified by a notary, the Legal Affairs Bureau and MOFA in that order. ### Do my Philippine, Pakistani or Indian documents need an apostille to use in Japan? The ISA Q&A and ward office pages we read ask for a Japanese translation, not an apostille. One Osaka ward only recommends an apostille on a US affidavit where possible. Ask the specific office. ### Does the apostille expire? MOFA says its certification has no expiry date. The recipient or the embassy may set its own validity, so check before ordering. ## Sources - [公印確認・アポスティーユとは](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000548.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [申請手続きガイド 1 証明できる書類](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000549.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [申請手続きガイド 2 申請の流れ](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000607.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [申請手続きガイド 3 申請方法・必要書類](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000608.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [よくあるご質問](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000552.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [ハーグ条約（認証不要条約）の締約国（地域）](https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000610.html), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (外務省) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [アメリカ人と婚姻される方へ](https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/kita/page/0000602399.html), Osaka City, Kita Ward (大阪市北区) (accessed Oct 29, 2026) - [出入国審査・在留審査Q&A](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/immigration/faq/kanri_qa.html), Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) (accessed Oct 29, 2026)