Certificate of Acceptance of a Marriage, Divorce or Death Notification in Japan: Which Document to Use, English Translation and Apostille

Visa applications abroad, registering a marriage in your spouse's country, and inheritance or insurance procedures in another country may require proof of a marriage, divorce or death notification filed in Japan. In Japan, the fact that a notification was accepted is proved by the mayor's certificate of acceptance (juri shomeisho), and the content written on the notification is proved by a certificate of entries (kisai jiko shomeisho, or for recent notifications the todokesho-to joho naiyo shomeisho). For Japanese nationals, the family register (koseki) is often enough, but marriages between foreign nationals and deaths of foreign nationals are not recorded in a koseki, so the certificate of acceptance is the main document for them. All of these are public documents issued by municipal offices or the Legal Affairs Bureau, so in principle the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) can apostille them directly. We could not find any municipality that issues an English certificate of acceptance, so an English translation is normally attached. This page covers how to choose the right document, how to obtain it, and the steps for translation and apostille.

This page is based on MOFA's "Application guide" and "FAQ", guidance from the Legal Affairs Bureaus (Saga, Morioka, Miyazaki) on certificates of entries, and guidance from Yokohama City, Koto City, Meguro City, Shinjuku City, Chuo City, Chiba City and others on certificates of acceptance and entries, as of 20 October 2026. Who can request them and how high-quality-paper certificates are handled differ by municipality, so check with the municipal office where the notification was filed before requesting. Certificates for birth notifications are covered in our guide to Japanese birth certificates.

In short: choose one of three documents according to what the receiving authority needs

MOFA's FAQ lists three documents that prove a divorce in Japan: the koseki tohon, the certificate of entries in the divorce notification and the certificate of acceptance of the divorce notification. A simple rule: the koseki tohon for Japanese nationals; the certificate of acceptance for marriages between foreign nationals and deaths of foreign nationals; and the certificate of entries if the content of the notification (such as witnesses' signatures or the cause of death) is required.

How to obtain a certificate of acceptance

The certificate of acceptance is issued by the mayor and certifies that "this notification was accepted". It can be issued even before the entry in the koseki is complete, and it is also issued for notifications by foreign nationals, who have no koseki.

For a marriage notification, both spouses are the persons filing; for a divorce by agreement, both spouses as well. A death notification is filed by relatives, people who lived with the deceased and so on, so in principle the person who filed it is the one who can obtain the certificate of acceptance of the death notification. Whether other relatives can obtain it should be checked with the municipal office where it was filed.

Certificates of acceptance on high-quality paper

For five kinds of notification (marriage, divorce, adoption, dissolution of adoption and acknowledgment), you can also choose a certificate of acceptance on high-quality, diploma-style paper (JPY 1,400 per copy). Yokohama issues it in B4 size, and Koto City calls it a "special certificate of acceptance", which takes about three weeks. Shinjuku City also offers a certificate with a design exclusive to marriage notifications (JPY 1,400; only for those who filed at Shinjuku City, generally issued the same day at the family register section of the main office). Death notifications are not eligible for high-quality paper.

High-quality-paper certificates are largely commemorative, so for procedures abroad it is safer to ask the receiving authority whether the standard certificate of acceptance (JPY 350) is enough. If you want an apostille on a high-quality-paper certificate, check with MOFA first.

Is there an English certificate of acceptance?

None of the municipalities we checked (Yokohama, Koto, Meguro, Shinjuku, Chuo and Kagoshima) mention issuing an English certificate of acceptance. Chuo City refers to the certificate by its English name, "Certificate of Acceptance", but does not say that an English version is issued. To submit it in English, attach an English translation to the Japanese certificate (see below).

How to obtain a certificate of entries (certificate of notification information)

The certificate of entries certifies the content written on the notification as it is. For a marriage notification, it shows even the witnesses' names and signatures. A death notification is on the same sheet as the medical certificate of death, so that section (date, place and cause of death, etc.) is generally included too (check with the municipal office before requesting).

Only "interested parties with a special reason" can request it

Notifications contain highly confidential information and are in principle not disclosed. Only interested parties such as the person concerned, the person who filed it or relatives can request the certificate, and only when there is a special reason (Family Register Act, Article 48(2), etc.). The Legal Affairs Bureau gives examples of special reasons such as claiming a survivor's pension or a lawsuit seeking to annul a marriage or divorce. Chiba City states that it does not issue it for reasons such as procedures at private insurance companies.

We found no guidance on whether submission to a foreign public authority counts as a special reason; the municipal office or Legal Affairs Bureau decides case by case. Prepare the receiving authority's written instructions (such as its list of required documents) and consult them in advance.

Where to request it depends on when it was filed

Since notifications were digitized under the amendment of the Family Register Act on 1 March 2024, where to request the certificate and its name depend on when the notification was filed.

Legal Affairs Bureaus keep notifications only for a limited period, so call before requesting one for an old notification.

Points by type of notification

Marriage: for two foreign nationals, the certificate of acceptance is the main document

When a Japanese national marries a foreign national, the marriage is recorded in the Japanese spouse's koseki, so the Japanese side can prove it with the koseki tohon. No koseki is created for the foreign spouse, so when registering the marriage in the foreign spouse's home country, the certificate of acceptance or certificate of entries is often used (follow the instructions of that country's embassy or consulate in Japan on required documents). Chuo City notes that there is no system for municipal offices to notify the other country of the marriage, so you must register it in your home country yourself.

When two foreign nationals marry in Japan, the marriage is not recorded in any koseki, so the certificate of acceptance is the main proof of marriage.

The "certificate of legal capacity to marry (certificate of no impediment)" that the other country may require before the marriage is a different document. See our guide to the certificate of legal capacity to marry.

Divorce: different documents for divorce by agreement and by court

For divorces by mediation, adjudication or judgment, the petitioner also files a divorce notification within ten days of the divorce being concluded or becoming final, attaching a certified copy of the mediation record, or of the adjudication or judgment with a certificate of finality. Only that person can request the certificate of acceptance, so the other party should consider the koseki tohon or certificate of entries instead. MOFA's guidance does not state whether court documents can be apostilled, so check with MOFA in advance.

Procedures for having a divorce recognized in the foreign spouse's home country vary greatly by country. In the Philippines, for example, a judicial recognition procedure before a Philippine regional trial court is required for a foreign divorce, and the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo states that documents obtained in Japan need an apostille from MOFA. Follow the instructions of a local lawyer or the receiving authority on the documents required.

Death: the koseki or the certificate of acceptance for procedures abroad

A death in Japan must be notified within seven days of learning of it. For Japanese nationals, the koseki tohon (or removed register, joseki tohon) showing the death is the usual proof. When a foreign national dies in Japan, the death is not recorded in a koseki, so the certificate of acceptance or certificate of entries in the death notification is used.

The medical certificate of death written by the hospital cannot be apostilled directly by MOFA. MOFA excludes medical institutions' documents certifying "births, deaths and other matters that can be certified by municipal offices or the Legal Affairs Bureau", and this applies to national and public hospitals as well. If the cause of death must be proved, ask the municipal office whether you can request the certificate of entries in the death notification.

English translation and apostille

Japanese original only: directly from MOFA

Certificates of acceptance, certificates of entries and the koseki tohon are public documents issued by municipal offices or the Legal Affairs Bureau. MOFA can apostille originals that show the issue date, the issuing body's name and an official seal, in principle issued within the last three months. Copies cannot be apostilled. For countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention, a certificate of official seal from MOFA and consular legalization by that country's embassy or consulate are needed instead of an apostille (see Apostille vs. consular legalization).

With an English translation: start at a notary office

If the receiving authority requires the English translation to be certified together with the document, the original, the translation and a translator's declaration are bound together and certified at a notary office, followed by the Legal Affairs Bureau's certification of the notary's seal and MOFA's apostille. Notary offices in Hokkaido (Sapporo Legal Affairs Bureau area), Miyagi, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka do all of this at once (one-stop service). Whether it is enough to apostille the original and simply attach a separate translation depends on the receiving authority.

Points to note in the translation

• Document names: the certificate of acceptance of a marriage notification is translated as, for example, "Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage". For other document names, see our Japanese–English dictionary of document names
• Names: follow the spelling in passports. If a foreign national's name is written in katakana, restore the alphabetical spelling in their passport
• Dates: convert Japanese era years to the Western calendar (Reiwa 8 = 2026)
• The mayor's title and official seal: translate the mayor as, for example, "Mayor of XX City" (for the 23 special wards of Tokyo, follow each ward's official English name), and write "[Official Seal]" where the seal appears

FAQ

Is there an English version of the certificate of acceptance of a marriage notification?

None of the municipalities we checked issue an English version. Submit the Japanese certificate with an English translation.

Can I get the certificate of acceptance from a municipal office other than the one where I filed?

No. It can be requested only from the municipal office where the notification was filed. Some municipalities accept mail requests, so if you are far away, ask the municipal office where you filed.

Should I submit the koseki or the certificate of acceptance?

For Japanese nationals whose koseki entry is complete, the koseki tohon is often enough. Use the certificate of acceptance if you need proof urgently before the koseki entry is made, or for notifications between foreign nationals. If the receiving authority specifies a document, follow its instructions.

Can a certificate of acceptance on high-quality paper also be apostilled?

MOFA's guidance does not say, so check with MOFA in advance. For procedures abroad, the standard certificate of acceptance (JPY 350) is often enough, so also check with the receiving authority.

Our service

Our office (Taiga Sato, Certified Administrative Scrivener) handles certificates of acceptance of marriage, divorce and death notifications, certificates of entries and koseki, from English translation and the translator's declaration to notarization, MOFA apostille and shipping abroad. We can also obtain certificates of acceptance and koseki for you with a power of attorney.

Typical turnaround once the documents are ready: about 5–6 business days for public documents only, and about 5–6 business days with a translation as well. Actual costs such as the notary fee (JPY 12,500 per English declaration), certificate fees and postage are charged separately. MOFA and the Legal Affairs Bureau charge no fees. We obtain certifications in Japan on your behalf; we cannot guarantee that the receiving authority will accept the documents.

For obtaining koseki, see our guide to the family register (koseki); for the overall process, What is an apostille?; and for fees, Fees.

Free quote and inquiry form / Phone: +81-3-6303-1664 (weekdays 9:00–20:00 Japan time; weekends and holidays by appointment)

References (official sources)

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Application guide 1: Documents that can be certified" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "FAQ" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Justice, nationwide issue of family register certificates (in Japanese)
• Yokohama City, notification of divorce by judgment (in Japanese)
• Saga District Legal Affairs Bureau, certificates of entries in family register notifications (in Japanese)
• Morioka District Legal Affairs Bureau, certificates of entries in death notifications (in Japanese)
• Miyazaki District Legal Affairs Bureau, issue of certificates of entries in family register notifications (in Japanese)
• Yokohama City, certificates of acceptance (in Japanese)
• Koto City, certificates of acceptance (in Japanese)
• Meguro City, certificates of acceptance (in Japanese)
• Meguro City, certificates of entries in family register notifications (in Japanese)
• Shinjuku City, original certificate of acceptance of marriage notification (in Japanese)
• Chuo City, marriage with a foreign national (in Japanese)
• Chiba City, certificates of entries in family register notifications (in Japanese)
• Kagoshima City, certificates of acceptance (in Japanese)
• Kitakyushu City, death notifications (in Japanese)
• Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, "Judicial Recognition of Foreign Divorce"