Apostille for a Japanese Family Register (Koseki Tohon): Who Can Obtain It, Translation and Requests from Overseas

A Japanese family register certificate (koseki tohon, officially "certificate of all matters in the family register") is a public document issued by a city, ward, town or village office, so if it is submitted in Japanese as it is, you can apply directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) for an apostille. The original must have been issued within the last three months. MOFA charges no fee, and if there are no problems the document is sent out by mail three business days after receipt.

If an English or other translation is attached and certified together, the whole set is treated as a private document: a translator's declaration is attached and certified at a notary office before going to MOFA. If the receiving country is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, a certificate of official seal and consular legalization at its embassy in Japan are needed instead of an apostille.

If you live outside Japan, we can also obtain the koseki for you from the municipal office by mail (see "Obtaining a koseki from overseas: our retrieval service" below).

In short: three ways to certify a koseki

Which one you need is decided by the receiving authority. If you are not sure, send us its instructions and the name of the document requested (free quote and inquiry form).

What a koseki is, and who appears in it

The koseki is Japan's family register. It records the births, marriages, divorces, adoptions and deaths of Japanese nationals, and a certificate of it is used abroad to prove birth, marriage and parentage. Only Japanese nationals have a koseki. Foreign nationals do not have one; when a foreign national marries a Japanese national, the marriage, together with the foreign spouse's name, nationality and date of birth, is recorded in the Japanese spouse's entry. To prove a marriage, divorce or birth registered in Japan by a foreign national, a certificate of acceptance (juri shomeisho) or certificate of entries (kisai jiko shomeisho) is used instead (see our guide to certificates of acceptance).

Types of koseki certificate and which to choose

Even when a receiving authority abroad asks for a "birth certificate" or "marriage certificate", a koseki tohon is often used in Japan to prove the fact instead. For what to submit as a birth certificate, see our guide to birth certificates.

How to obtain a koseki

A koseki can be requested by the person listed in it, their spouse (including a foreign spouse) and their lineal ascendants and descendants (parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren). Others, such as an administrative scrivener, can request it with a power of attorney.

MOFA certifies only originals issued within the last three months. After three months a new certificate is needed, so plan backward, including the time to receive it by mail.

If you live abroad

Nationwide issue requires going in person to a counter in Japan, so it cannot be used from abroad. Ask family in Japan, or give a power of attorney to an agent such as an administrative scrivener, to request it by mail from the municipal office of the registered domicile. Our retrieval service is described below.

How to get the apostille

Japanese original only

1. Obtain a koseki tohon issued within the last three months
2. Fill in the apostille application form (the issuer is the mayor of the city, ward, town or village, with their title and name)
3. Apply to MOFA by mail or at the counter (from 5 October 2026, counter applications in Tokyo require an online reservation)
4. The document is sent out by mail three business days after receipt

With a translation

1. The koseki tohon is translated, and the translator prepares and signs a declaration
2. The declaration, translation and original are bound together and certified by a notary at a notary office
3. The Legal Affairs Bureau certifies the notary's seal
4. MOFA issues the apostille

At notary offices in Hokkaido (Sapporo Legal Affairs Bureau area), Miyagi, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Osaka and Fukuoka, steps 2–4 are done at once (one-stop service).

Countries that require consular legalization

For non-Convention countries, MOFA issues a certificate of official seal instead of an apostille, followed by consular legalization at the receiving country's embassy or consulate in Japan. The difference is explained in Apostille vs. consular legalization.

Typical time and costs

Common mistakes with koseki

• More than three months since issue: MOFA will in principle not accept it
• Submitting a copy: the original is required
• Removing staples or writing on it: a multi-page koseki that has been unstapled and restapled, or that has anything added, is not accepted
• Confusing shohon and tohon: people sometimes obtain a shohon when the receiving authority wants entries for the whole family
• Proof of divorce: MOFA notes that a divorce in Japan can be proved by a koseki tohon or shohon, a certificate of entries in the divorce notification or a certificate of acceptance of the divorce notification. Check which one the receiving authority wants before obtaining it
• Adding a translation later: after the Japanese original has been apostilled, the receiving authority may ask for a "certified translation". Check whether a translation is needed at the start

Guides by country

FAQ

Where can I get an apostille on a koseki?

At MOFA (the main office in Tokyo or the Osaka office). You can also apply by mail. If a translation is attached, the procedure starts at a notary office.

Can an apostille be attached to an English translation of a koseki?

Yes. A translator's declaration is attached and certified at a notary office; after the Legal Affairs Bureau certifies the notary's seal, MOFA issues the apostille. MOFA does not translate documents.

How long does an apostille on a koseki take?

Once submitted to MOFA, the document is sent out by mail three business days after receipt if there are no problems. Add the time to obtain the koseki, the notary procedure and postage.

Can I get an apostille on a koseki while living abroad?

Yes. MOFA does not accept mail applications from abroad, and documents can be returned only to addresses in Japan, so apply through family in Japan or an agent such as an administrative scrivener. MOFA states that a copy of the power of attorney is acceptable if it bears the principal's handwritten signature.

I am the foreign spouse of a Japanese national. Can I obtain my spouse's koseki?

Yes. A spouse can request the koseki of the person they are married to, and this includes a foreign spouse. Your marriage is recorded in your Japanese spouse's entry. If you live abroad, you can ask us to obtain it for you with a power of attorney.

Is a koseki certificate printed at a convenience store acceptable?

We have no record of an apostille being attached to a certificate issued at a convenience store, so we ask for an original obtained at the municipal office counter or by mail. If you have only a convenience-store certificate, please consult us first.

Obtaining a koseki from overseas: our retrieval service

If you live outside Japan, we can obtain the koseki from the municipal office of your registered domicile by mail on your behalf, and then translate it, have it notarized and apostilled, and ship it to you.

Fee for retrieval

JPY 18,050 (tax included) for one copy, consisting of:

• Retrieval of a koseki certificate by mail: JPY 16,500 (tax included)
• Postal money order for the municipal fee: JPY 650 per copy
• Round-trip postage: JPY 900 (Letter Pack Light express)

For two or more copies from the same municipal office, only the postal money order fee is added. For a copy from a different municipal office, the postal money order fee and round-trip postage are added. Translation, notarization and apostille are charged separately (see the fee table below).

Documents to send us (three items)

• Power of attorney (download the form from the website of the municipal office of your registered domicile)
• Application form for a koseki certificate (download it from the same website)
• Photo identification (a valid local driver's license or ID card)

Turnaround

After the power of attorney and other documents reach our office, it takes about one week to ten days (excluding weekends and holidays) for the koseki to arrive from the municipal office. If translation is required, translation, apostille and international dispatch then take about three to five business days. The process depends on your request, so please contact us for details.

Our service: koseki apostille

Our office (Taiga Sato, Certified Administrative Scrivener) handles everything from obtaining the koseki to English or Chinese translation, preparing the declaration, the notary office, Legal Affairs Bureau and MOFA procedures, consular legalization and shipping abroad. We regularly work with clients living outside Japan.

Our typical turnaround, counted from the day we have both your payment and the original: within 5–6 business days when a public document is submitted directly to MOFA; with a translation, about 3 business days for the translation (depending on the number of pages) plus 3 business days for the apostille at the notary office, about 5–6 business days in total. Consular legalization adds the embassy's processing time. If we also obtain the koseki for you, add about one week to ten days (excluding weekends and holidays) from receipt of the power of attorney until the koseki reaches us.

When the translation and the original are certified together under one translator's declaration, they count as one document (no additional-document fee). PDF scans, return within Japan and international shipping are not included in the basic fee and are added if you request them. Actual costs such as notary fees, embassy fees and postage are charged separately. Payment is in advance; see Payment information and Fees. We obtain certifications in Japan on your behalf; we cannot guarantee that the receiving authority will accept the documents.

• Free quote and inquiry form: https://royal-ptns.com/certification/en/contact/
• Phone: +81-3-6303-1664 (weekdays 9:00–20:00 Japan time; weekends and holidays by appointment)
• Email: info@royal-ptns.com

References (official sources, in Japanese)

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Application guide 1: Documents that can be certified" (updated 18 September 2026) https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000549.html
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Application guide 2: Application flow" (updated 18 September 2026) https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000607.html
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "FAQ" (updated 18 September 2026) https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000552.html
• Ministry of Justice, "Act partially amending the Family Register Act (effective 1 March 2024)" https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/minji04_00082.html
• Japan National Notaries Association, "Certification of foreign-language documents" https://www.koshonin.gr.jp/notary/ow09_2

The information on this page is as of 12 October 2026.