Signature Certificate in Japan: How Foreign Residents Get One (Seal Registration, Embassy or Notary Office) and Apostille

A foreign bank or authority, or a Legal Affairs Bureau in Japan, may ask you for a signature certificate (also called a certificate of signature). It proves that the signature on a document is yours, and it is used in place of the Japanese seal registration certificate (inkan shomeisho) by people who cannot obtain one, such as people from countries that do not use seals and Japanese nationals living abroad. How you get one depends on who you are. Japanese nationals living abroad obtain it at the Japanese embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Foreign residents of Japan can register a seal and use a seal registration certificate, obtain a signature certificate from their own country's embassy in Japan, or have their signature certified at a Japanese notary office. This page focuses on how foreign residents can obtain one in Japan, and also explains how to add an apostille when the document is going abroad.

This page is a general explanation as of 5 November 2026, based on the following official information (all in Japanese): MOFA's pages on certificates issued at Japanese embassies and consulates and its application guide; the Ministry of Justice's pages on commercial and corporate registration for foreign nationals and overseas residents and on cases where a seal registration certificate cannot be obtained because the person lives abroad; the Japan National Notaries Association's pages on certification of private documents, certification of foreign-language documents and the notary fee schedule; and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' notice on seal registration for foreign residents. Filing real property and commercial registrations on behalf of clients is the work of judicial scriveners (shiho shoshi). Our office helps with translation and certification (notarization and apostille) of the documents.

In short: who obtains what, and where

Which one you should submit is decided by the receiving authority (a Legal Affairs Bureau, a bank, a foreign authority, etc.). First ask the receiving authority whether a seal registration certificate is acceptable, which institution's certificate it needs, and whether a translation or apostille is required.

What is a signature certificate?

In Japan, people stamp their registered seal (jitsuin) on contracts, estate division agreements and similar documents and attach a seal registration certificate from their municipal office to show that they stamped it themselves. In countries that do not use seals, people sign instead, and a public institution certifies that the signature is theirs. This is a signature certificate. It is also called a certificate of signature, and a signature certified by a notary is often called a notarized signature.

MOFA describes the certificate of signature issued at Japanese embassies and consulates as a substitute for the Japanese seal registration certificate. However, MOFA also notes that certifying signatures is basically the work of local notaries, and that consuls cannot certify the signature on every kind of private document in the way a notary can.

If you live in Japan as a foreign national and are asked for a signature certificate

1. If you have a resident record, check whether a seal registration certificate can be used

Foreign nationals for whom a resident record (juminhyo) is created, such as mid- to long-term residents and special permanent residents, can register a seal at the municipal office where they live. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications states that foreign residents with a resident record can register a seal. Besides your name in the Roman alphabet, you can register your alias (tsusho) shown on the resident record or, for a name written in the Roman alphabet, the katakana spelling entered in the remarks column of the resident record. The procedure differs by municipality, so check your municipal office's guidance.

If your resident record is deleted because you leave Japan (move out), your seal registration is also cancelled (except when you leave with a re-entry permit and your resident record remains).

If the receiving authority for a procedure in Japan (buying or selling real property, a bank, a company registration, etc.) accepts a seal registration certificate, this is the simplest method.

2. Obtain a signature certificate from your country's embassy or consulate in Japan

Some countries' embassies and consulates in Japan issue signature certificates for their nationals. For company registrations, the Ministry of Justice states that a foreign national may attach a signature certificate prepared by an authority of their home country instead of a Japanese seal registration certificate. As the issuer, it lists the home country's administrative agencies and notaries, as well as the home country's embassy in Japan or in a third country. Whether the embassy issues one, the fee and whether an appointment is needed differ by country, so check with your embassy.

3. Have your signature certified at a notary office

At a Japanese notary office, a notary certifies that the signature on a private document is the person's own. This method can be used regardless of nationality.

Some receiving countries do not accept certification through an agent and require you to sign in person in front of the notary. For documents going abroad, it is safest to prepare on the assumption that you will go in person.

When a Japanese notary's signature certificate can be used for a company registration

A foreign national becoming a company officer may be unable to obtain a signature certificate from their home country. A Ministry of Justice notice dated 10 February 2017 states that if the home country has no signature certificate system, or the home country's embassy in Japan does not issue one, a written statement (joshinsho) and a signature certificate prepared by a Japanese notary can be used instead. It advises consulting the competent Legal Affairs Bureau (registry office) on whether your case qualifies. Filing the registration itself is the work of judicial scriveners.

For real property registration and inheritance

We have not found general guidance from the Ministry of Justice on which signature certificate a foreign national should submit for real property registration or inheritance procedures in Japan. Check in advance with the office handling the procedure (the Legal Affairs Bureau, the bank, etc.) or with a judicial scrivener. For inheritance documents, see also English translation and apostille of estate division agreements.

Japanese nationals living abroad: certificate of signature at a Japanese embassy or consulate

Japanese nationals who live abroad and have no resident registration in Japan cannot obtain a Japanese seal registration certificate. Instead, they obtain a certificate of signature at the Japanese embassy or consulate in their country of residence.

If proof of address is needed, a certificate of residence (the equivalent of JPY 1,200 per certificate) is also obtained at the embassy or consulate. It is available to Japanese nationals who have lived (or plan to live) in the country for 3 months or more and, as a rule, have no resident registration in Japan. MOFA (Tokyo and its Osaka branch) does not issue certificates of residence, so they cannot be obtained in Japan during a temporary visit. We have found no official guidance on whether a signature certified by a Japanese notary during a temporary visit can be used instead, so check with the receiving authority. How these certificates are used in inheritance is explained in detail in English translation and apostille of estate division agreements.

Signature certificates for use abroad: notarization + apostille

When someone living in Japan submits a signed document to a foreign bank, authority or court, the usual route is to have the signature certified at a Japanese notary office and then obtain an apostille from MOFA (or a certificate of official seal followed by consular legalization).

1. Check the receiving authority's instructions: the form of the document, whether a translation is needed, and whether it needs an apostille or consular legalization
2. Prepare the document: fill in the receiving authority's form but do not sign it yet. Attach an English translation if the document is in Japanese
3. Have your signature certified at a notary office: go in person and sign in front of the notary
4. The Legal Affairs Bureau certifies the notary's seal
5. MOFA issues the apostille: for a country that is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, obtain a certificate of official seal and then consular legalization at the country's embassy in Japan

At notary offices in Hokkaido (within the Sapporo Legal Affairs Bureau district), Miyagi, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka, you can obtain the notary's certification, the Legal Affairs Bureau's certification of the notary's seal and MOFA's apostille in one visit if you apply for it (the one-stop service). MOFA's certification is free of charge and is normally sent out 3 business days after acceptance. Since 5 October 2026, applications at MOFA's Tokyo counter require an online appointment, and certified documents are returned by mail only.

If the receiving authority asks for a sworn statement (affidavit), you may need sworn certification rather than certification of signature. See Affidavits (sworn statements) in Japan. The overall procedure is explained in What is an apostille?, and you can check whether the destination is a Convention country in the list of Hague Apostille Convention countries.

Points to avoid problems

• Do not sign before you go: a certificate of signature at a Japanese embassy or consulate requires signing in front of the consular officer, and a document already signed will have to be signed again. A notary office can also certify a signature you acknowledge as your own, but foreign receiving authorities may require signing in the notary's presence, so it is safest to bring the document unsigned
• Keep your signature and name spelling consistent: use the same spelling as your passport and the same signature. A signature that differs from the one on the receiving authority's documents may be rejected
• Check what the certificate must cover: whether a certificate of the signature alone is enough, or whether it must be bound to the document, depends on the receiving authority
• Validity period: there is no uniform statutory validity period for a signature certificate, but receiving authorities often set one, such as "issued within the last 3 months". For a registration in Japan, also ask the Legal Affairs Bureau how it treats the date
• Translation: a translation is generally needed when you submit a foreign-language certificate to a Japanese authority, and an English translation when you submit a Japanese document abroad

FAQ

Can a foreign national obtain a signature certificate in Japan?

Yes. If you have a resident record, you can register a seal at your municipal office and use a seal registration certificate. You can also obtain a signature certificate from your country's embassy in Japan, or have your signature certified at a Japanese notary office. Check with the receiving authority which of these it accepts.

What is the difference between a signature certificate and an affidavit?

A signature certificate proves that the signature is the person's own. An affidavit (sworn statement) is a document made after swearing that its contents are true, and at a Japanese notary office it is handled by a separate procedure called sworn certification.

Can a signature certificate be obtained by mail or through an agent?

A certificate of signature at a Japanese embassy or consulate requires the person to go in person; agents and applications by mail are not accepted. Certification of signature at a Japanese notary office can be done through an agent, but this requires your registered seal and seal registration certificate, and some foreign receiving authorities require certification in the person's presence.

A Japanese national living in Japan has been asked for a "signature certificate". What should they do?

For a Japanese national living in Japan, a seal registration certificate is usually enough. If a foreign receiving authority requires certification of the signature, have the signature certified at a notary office and add an apostille if needed.

Our service

Our office (Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office; Taiga Sato, Certified Administrative Scrivener) handles the English translation of the documents to be signed, preparation of declarations, arrangements for certification at the notary office, MOFA's apostille and shipping abroad. Because you need to go to the notary office in person to sign, we will help you schedule the visit and tell you what to bring. Filing real property or commercial registrations is the work of judicial scriveners, and our office does not handle it.

Notary fees, shipping and other actual costs are charged separately. Our office obtains the certifications in Japan on your behalf and cannot guarantee that the receiving authority will accept the documents.

For private documents in general, see Apostille for private documents in Japan; for resident records and seal registration certificates, see Certificate of residence (juminhyo) and seal registration certificate; and for fees, see Fees.

References (primary sources, in Japanese)

• MOFA, "Certificates issued at Japanese embassies and consulates"
• MOFA, "Application guide"
• MOFA, "Difference between public and private documents"
• Ministry of Justice, "Commercial and corporate registration procedures for foreign nationals and overseas residents"
• Ministry of Justice, Circular Minsho No. 100 of 28 June 2016
• Ministry of Justice, Notice Minsho No. 16 of 10 February 2017
• Ministry of Justice, "Handling when a seal registration certificate cannot be obtained because the person lives abroad"
• Japan National Notaries Association, "Certification of private documents"
• Japan National Notaries Association, "Certification of foreign-language documents"
• Japan National Notaries Association, "Documents required for certification"
• Japan National Notaries Association, Notary Fee Ordinance fee table
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Handling of seal registration for foreign residents"