Apostille for Private Documents in Japan (Power of Attorney, Certificate of Employment, etc.): Notary Office, Legal Affairs Bureau and MOFA

Documents prepared by companies or individuals, such as certificates of employment, reference letters, bank balance certificates, powers of attorney and translations, are private documents. They bear no official seal that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) can verify, so submitting them directly to MOFA will not get you an apostille. The procedure has three stages: first notarization by a notary at a notary office, then the Legal Affairs Bureau director's certification of the notary's seal, and finally MOFA's apostille (or, for non-Convention countries, a certificate of official seal followed by consular legalization at the embassy in Japan). At notary offices in eight areas, including Tokyo and Osaka, all three stages are completed at once (one-stop service). Based on information published by the Japan National Notaries Association and MOFA, this page explains how to tell public and private documents apart, how notarization works, what to bring, fees, and points by receiving country.

This page is a general explanation as of 1 October 2026, based on the Japan National Notaries Association's pages on certification of private documents, certification of foreign-language documents and fees, and MOFA's pages on the certificate of official seal and apostille (updated 18 September 2026). The type of notarization required (certification of signature, sworn certification, signing in the notary's presence, etc.), the form of the document and whether a translation is needed differ by country and institution, so always check the receiving authority's instructions.

In short: private documents are certified in the order notary office → Legal Affairs Bureau → MOFA

What MOFA certifies with an apostille or certificate of official seal is the official seal on a public document issued by a Japanese government body. Private documents prepared by companies or individuals have no official seal, so the certifications are chained: the notary first certifies that "this signature (or name and seal) is the signer's own", the Legal Affairs Bureau director certifies the notary's seal, and MOFA certifies the director's seal.

Check whether the receiving country is a party in the list of Hague Apostille Convention countries. Vietnam has been a party since 11 September 2026. Thailand will switch to the apostille on 28 February 2027; until then, a certificate of official seal and consular legalization are required.

How to tell public and private documents apart

MOFA can directly certify only public documents bearing an official seal and showing the issue date and issuing body. Documents prepared by private parties, such as companies, private hospitals, banks or individuals, are private documents, and documents bearing only a signature or personal seal are not eligible either. MOFA also excludes from direct certification certificates of employment issued by schools and hospitals (including national and public ones) and documents of chambers of commerce (such as certificates of origin). These can proceed to MOFA certification once notarized at a notary office.

Public documents are covered individually in our guides to the family register (koseki), certificate of residence and seal certificate, company registration certificate and graduation certificates (by type of school). For many schools MOFA cannot apostille graduation certificates directly, and the same notary route as on this page is then used.

How notarization works: certification of signature and declarations

Notarization certifies that the signature (signature and seal, or name and seal) on a private document is that of its author; it does not guarantee that the content is correct. Only documents bearing the author's signature or name and seal can therefore be notarized. There are two main methods.

Method 1: notarize the document signed by its author

The notary attaches a certificate to the document signed and sealed by its author: for a certificate of employment, the company's representative (or an authorized officer); for a reference letter, the referee; for a power of attorney, the principal. The signature can be verified by witnessed certification (signing in the notary's presence), acknowledgment (the signer acknowledges an existing signature as their own before the notary) or certification by proxy (an agent with a power of attorney acknowledges it on the signer's behalf).

Certification by proxy is valid under Japanese law, but some authorities in the receiving country do not accept it and require the signer to sign in the notary's presence. Documents titled "Affidavit" or containing wording such as "swear" or "take an oath" usually require sworn certification, in which the signer swears before the notary that the content is true; for this, the signer must go to the notary office in person (see our guide to affidavits and sworn certification). Check with the receiving authority which method is required and tell the notary accurately.

Method 2: notarize with a declaration

If the author cannot sign, or a copy is to be submitted, the client or another person prepares and signs a declaration stating, for example, that "the attached document is a true copy of the original and its content is true", attaches the document, and has the declaration notarized. The Japan National Notaries Association also describes, as a practical method, having a person with a suitable position, such as the company's representative director, prepare a declaration or certificate and have it notarized.

When a translation is attached, the translation and the original (or a copy) are attached to a translator's declaration, in which the translator states that they are proficient in Japanese and the foreign language and have faithfully translated the attached document, and the declaration is notarized. Because the declaration is a private document, this method can also be used for translations of public documents. The notary's certificate is written in Japanese, but most notary offices attach an English translation.

What to bring to the notary office

The notary office needs documents to confirm the signer's identity. More documents are needed for documents in a company's name and when an agent handles the procedure.

If an officer other than the representative (such as the HR manager) signs a certificate of employment in the company's name, a document showing that person's authority may be requested. Requirements differ slightly between notary offices, so call in advance.

Notary fees (after the revision on 1 October 2025)

Notary fees are set by the Notary Fee Ordinance and are the same at every notary office in Japan. Since the revision on 1 October 2025, notarization of private documents costs the following per document. The Legal Affairs Bureau director's certification and MOFA's apostille or certificate of official seal are free.

Before the revision (until 30 September 2025), the fees were JPY 11,500 for foreign-language private documents, JPY 5,500 for Japanese ones, JPY 9,500 for foreign-language powers of attorney and JPY 3,500 for Japanese ones. Fees are charged per declaration or document; a certificate of employment and a reference letter notarized separately cost two fees.

Points to note when preparing a certificate of employment

Visas, work permits, permanent residence and professional recognition abroad often require a certificate of employment notarized and apostilled. Before asking your company to prepare one, check the following to avoid having to redo it.

• The receiving authority's form and required items: period of employment, position, duties, working hours (full-time or not) and salary are often required. Follow any specified form
• Company information: include the company name, address and phone number and use company letterhead. Always include the issue date
• Signer: if the representative signs and seals it, verification at the notary office is simple (the certificate of the representative's capacity and the company seal certificate are enough)
• Language: whether to prepare it in English from the start, or attach a translation to a Japanese certificate with a translator's declaration. Check whether the receiving authority specifies "original in English" or "translation by a certified translator"
• Notarization method required: whether certification of the signature is enough or sworn certification or signing in the notary's presence is needed
• Validity: MOFA's three-month limit does not apply to private documents, but receiving authorities often set their own, such as "issued within three months"

If you have left the company and it will not issue a new certificate, or the company is abroad, check with the receiving authority whether a copy of a document you have, with your own declaration attached, is acceptable.

Points to note when apostilling a power of attorney (POA)

To entrust family or a lawyer abroad with selling property, inheritance, bank procedures or registering a local company, you may be asked for a "notarized power of attorney". A power of attorney is a private document, so it is certified by the route above (notary office → Legal Affairs Bureau → MOFA).

• Follow the receiving authority's form: the receiving authority or local lawyer often provides the form (in English, for example). If you prepare it in Japan, match the attorney's name and address, the scope of authority and the date with the receiving authority's requirements.
• Sign before the notary: notarization is obtained by the signer signing in the notary's presence or acknowledging the signature as their own. ID is also required if you bring an already signed document.
• ID: individuals need a driver's license, My Number Card, passport or residence card with a personal seal, or a seal registration certificate with the registered seal. If a company representative signs, the certificate of the representative's capacity (certificate of registered matters), the representative seal and its seal certificate (all issued within three months) are needed (Japan National Notaries Association, "Required documents").
• Certification by proxy: in Japan, an agent can attend the notary office with a power of attorney, but authorities in the receiving country may require certification in the signer's presence.
• For China and Korea: see our guides to powers of attorney for China and for Korea (in Japanese).

Points by receiving country

Our service: from preparing the declaration to notarization, apostille and shipping abroad

Our office (Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office, Azabu-juban, Tokyo) handles apostilles and consular legalization for private documents such as certificates of employment, reference letters, bank balance certificates and powers of attorney for clients throughout Japan and abroad. We prepare declarations and powers of attorney and handle notarization, the Legal Affairs Bureau's certification and MOFA's apostille on your behalf, so you do not need to go to a notary office (unless the receiving authority requires signing in the notary's presence or sworn certification).

Typical turnaround, counted from the day we have both your payment and the original: without a translation, the apostille is obtained at the notary office and the documents are sent within 3 business days; with a translation, about 3 business days for the translation (depending on pages) plus 3 business days for the apostille, about 5–6 business days in total. Consular legalization adds the embassy's processing time. We translate into English and Chinese; for other languages, we certify the original only and the translation is attached in the receiving country, or ask us about arranging a translator. See Fees for details.

FAQ

Can't I just send my company's certificate of employment to MOFA for an apostille?

No. A certificate of employment issued by a company is a private document with no official seal that MOFA can verify. It must first be notarized at a notary office and certified by the Legal Affairs Bureau director before being submitted to MOFA. At one-stop notary offices such as those in Tokyo and Osaka, the apostille is attached at the same time as the notarization.

Does the notary certify that the content of the certificate of employment is correct?

No. Notarization certifies that the signature or name and seal belongs to the author; it does not guarantee the content. Preparing a document whose content is untrue can lead to refusal or a false-application problem with the receiving authority, so the company and the employee should check the content.

Do I have to go to the notary office myself?

Under Japanese law, an agent can obtain certification by proxy with the signer's power of attorney and seal registration certificate, and we do this for you. However, if the receiving authority requires signing in the notary's presence or sworn certification, the signer must go to the notary office in person.

Is the procedure the same for a university graduation certificate?

It depends on the receiving country and the type of school. MOFA can issue a certificate of official seal but not an apostille on certificates from national and public university corporations, private universities and private high schools, and neither on certificates from private vocational schools. If an apostille is needed, for many schools the procedure starts with notarization. See our guide to graduation certificates.

Can an English bank balance certificate be apostilled?

Banks are private companies, so a balance certificate is a private document. After notarization, it can proceed to the Legal Affairs Bureau and MOFA. Because the bank's signer does not normally go to a notary office, a common method is to attach the balance certificate to the client's declaration and have that notarized. Check in advance that the receiving authority accepts this form. Which banks issue English certificates, and how they differ from withholding tax slips and tax certificates, is explained in our guide to tax certificates and bank balance certificates.

I live abroad. Can I ask you to certify a certificate of employment from a Japanese company?

Yes. Have the company send the original to us, or send it to us yourself. We ship the certified documents abroad by DHL, FedEx or EMS. MOFA does not accept mail applications from abroad, so the procedure is handled by an agent in Japan.

What does it cost to request a certificate of employment and a reference letter together?

The apostille service fee of JPY 17,600 (tax included), plus JPY 3,300 (tax included) for each document from the second. Notary fees are charged per document (declaration). Tell us the types and number of documents and the receiving country, and we will quote the total.

Summary and how to request our service

• Private documents such as certificates of employment, reference letters, bank balance certificates, powers of attorney and translations do not receive an apostille if submitted directly to MOFA
• The procedure is notarization → the Legal Affairs Bureau director's certification of the notary's seal → MOFA's apostille (certificate of official seal + consular legalization for non-Convention countries). Notary offices in eight areas offer a one-stop service
• The notary certifies that the signature belongs to the signer, not the content. Documents without the author's signature, or copies, are notarized with a declaration
• Notary fees are, for example, JPY 12,500 for a foreign-language private document and JPY 10,000 for a foreign-language power of attorney (after the revision on 1 October 2025). The Legal Affairs Bureau and MOFA are free
• Check first whether the receiving authority specifies signing in the notary's presence, sworn certification, a form, or translator requirements

References (official sources, in Japanese)

• Japan National Notaries Association: 9-1 Certification of private documents
• Japan National Notaries Association: 9-2 Certification of foreign-language documents
• Japan National Notaries Association: 9-3 Sworn certification
• Japan National Notaries Association: 11 Required documents
• Japan National Notaries Association: 12 Fees
• Japan National Notaries Association: Revision of notary fees (effective 1 October 2025)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Application guide 1, Documents that can be certified (updated 18 September 2026)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Application guide 2, Application flow (updated 18 September 2026)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: FAQ on the certificate of official seal and apostille (updated 18 September 2026)

Fees and procedures on this page are based on published information as of 1 October 2026. Notary fees are those after the revision of the Notary Fee Ordinance (effective 1 October 2025).