FAQ: Apostille and Consular Legalization Service (Fees, Turnaround, How to Order)

Here are the questions we are asked most often about our apostille and consular legalization service: fees, turnaround and how to order, as well as the basics of documents and procedures. If your question is not here, please contact us through the inquiry form.

Ordering, payment and sending documents

Q. What is the process from request to delivery?

(1) Contact us (form, email or phone; consultation is free) → (2) Free quote (we generally reply within one business day) → (3) Payment → (4) Send the original documents to our office → (5) We obtain the certification → (6) Return within Japan or international shipping. Letting us know the destination country, the type and number of documents, and whether you need a translation helps us quote faster.

Q. How can I pay?

You can choose bank transfer, credit card (Square) or PayPal. Clients living outside Japan can also pay by PayPal or credit card.

Q. Can I use your service if I live outside Japan?

Yes. Please send the original documents to our office by international mail or courier, and we will ship the certified documents to you by DHL, FedEx or EMS. MOFA does not accept applications mailed from abroad, so people living outside Japan need to apply through an agent in Japan.

Q. Where should I send my documents?

Please send them to: Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office, 2-19-4-506 Azabu-juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan (TEL +81-3-6303-1664). Please use a trackable method such as Letter Pack Light (within Japan) or a courier.

Q. Can my university or employer send the documents to you directly?

Yes, they can send them directly to our office.

Q. Will my information be kept confidential?

Administrative scriveners are bound by a statutory duty of confidentiality, so the details of your consultation and the documents you entrust to us will not be disclosed.

Fees

Q. How much does your apostille or consular legalization service cost?

Per request, the apostille service is JPY 17,600 (tax included) and the consular legalization service (MOFA certification of official seal + legalization by the embassy in Japan) is JPY 28,600 (tax included). If the same request includes two or more documents, JPY 3,300 (tax included) is added for each document from the second. See Fees for details.

Q. What is not included in the basic fee?

Translation (from JPY 3,850 per A4 page, tax included), notary fees at actual cost (when a translation or private document is notarized; JPY 12,500 for a declaration in a foreign language), embassy fees (for consular legalization), return within Japan (Letter Pack Light, JPY 450), PDF scans (JPY 990, tax included) and international shipping (JPY 3,300, tax included, plus actual shipping cost) are charged separately.

Q. Can you also obtain a koseki tohon or juminhyo for me?

With a power of attorney from you, we can request a family register (koseki tohon) or certificate of residence (juminhyo) from the municipal office by mail (Koseki retrieval service). Please note that a koseki exists only for Japanese nationals. We can also obtain a company registration certificate by mail for JPY 990 per copy (tax included). A seal registration certificate (inkan shomeisho) requires your seal registration card, so please obtain it yourself.

Turnaround

Q. How many days does it take to get an apostille or consular legalization?

Counted from the day we have received both your payment and the original documents, our standard turnaround is: apostille for private documents (powers of attorney, certificates of employment, etc.): shipped within 3 business days. Apostille for public documents (koseki tohon, juminhyo, etc.) submitted to MOFA directly: shipped within 5–6 business days. With a translation: about 3 business days for translation (depending on the number of pages) plus 3 business days for the apostille via the notary office, shipped in about 5–6 business days in total. Consular legalization adds the embassy's processing time.

Q. Can you do it faster if I am in a hurry?

In some cases we can shorten the turnaround for an express fee. Please contact us with your deadline.

Q. When does translation take longer?

When there are many pages. For example, if a company registration certificate runs to five pages or more, translation takes longer than usual. We will tell you the turnaround when we quote.

Documents and procedures

Q. What is the difference between an apostille and consular legalization?

If the destination country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, MOFA's apostille alone is enough. For other countries, you need MOFA's certification of official seal followed by consular legalization at the embassy or consulate in Japan. You can check the parties in the list of Hague Apostille Convention countries. For details, see Apostille vs. Certification of Official Seal and Consular Legalization, and for the whole application process, What Is an Apostille?

Q. Can any document receive an apostille?

MOFA can directly attach an apostille to an original public document issued within the last three months that shows the issuing authority's name and bears its official seal. Private documents created by companies or individuals (certificates of employment, powers of attorney, letters of recommendation, etc.) must first be notarized at a notary office (Apostille for private documents such as certificates of employment). For each type of document, see the list of documents we handle (in Japanese).

Q. Can a graduation certificate receive an apostille?

It depends on the type of school: some certificates can receive an apostille from MOFA directly, some only a certification of official seal, and some must go through a notary office. See Apostille for graduation certificates (by type of school).

Q. Which languages do you translate?

English and Chinese. For other languages, we recommend that we obtain the apostille on the original only and that the translation be done in the destination country. If you would like the translation attached in Japan, please ask us. The receiving authority may require a translation by a certified translator, so please check their requirements before ordering a translation.

Q. Do I need a reservation at the MOFA counter?

Since October 5, 2026, an online reservation is required for counter applications at MOFA's main office in Tokyo (not required at the Osaka Branch). Applications by mail do not need a reservation. If you use our service, you do not need to make a reservation or apply yourself.

Q. I don't know which documents or certifications the receiving authority needs. Can you look into it?

Yes, we can also check the requirements for you. Based on the guidance of the destination country or authority, or the English instructions or checklist you have received, we confirm which documents to prepare in Japan, which certification is needed (an apostille, a certification of official seal with consular legalization, or the notary route) and whether a translation is required, and we explain the steps and costs. The fee depends on the scope of the research and is quoted in advance. The receiving authority makes the final decision on which documents it accepts, so please also check with their staff or your agent.

Guides by country and purpose

Q. Do you have guides for documents submitted to China or South Korea?

Yes, in Japanese: documents for China and documents for South Korea list the certification and translation needed for each document.

Q. Do you have guides for other countries?

Procedures for Thailand, Vietnam, the UAE, Qatar and other countries are in our guides by country (in Japanese). Please contact us about countries not listed.

Tell us the destination country and purpose, the type and number of documents, and whether you need a translation, and we will quote the procedures, total cost and turnaround.