What you need for Japan
Why people send Canadian documents to Japan
Each situation has its own requirements. Here are the ones we see most often, with the detail that avoids a refusal.
Reporting a Canadian-born child's birth to the koseki
When a child is born in Canada to a Japanese parent, the birth must be reported (shussei todoke) within 3 months, counting the day of birth, at the Embassy of Japan or a Consulate General in Canada, or at a city office in Japan. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that if the intention to retain Japanese nationality (kokuseki ryūho) is not recorded within that period, the child loses Japanese nationality retroactively to birth. The file includes the Canadian birth certificate and its translation.
Marrying in Japan, or reporting a Canadian marriage
In Japan, a marriage is made by filing a notification (kon'in todoke) at city hall. For a Canadian, the city office requires proof that you are free to marry: according to the Government of Canada, this is an affidavit sworn in person at the Embassy or a Consulate of Canada in Japan, with a Japanese translation. If you married in Canada and your spouse is Japanese, the marriage must be reported to the koseki within 3 months, with the original marriage certificate and its translation.
Setting up a company or serving as a director in Japan
To register a company at the Legal Affairs Bureau (Hōmukyoku), a foreign founder or director without a seal registered in Japan provides a signature certificate instead of a seal certificate. Japan's Ministry of Justice accepts a certificate issued by the authorities of the home country or by a notary there. If the shareholder is a Canadian company, its proof of existence (certificate of incorporation, board resolution) is often requested too.
Inheriting or buying property in Japan
Japanese estates (sōzoku) and property transfers rely on a registered seal and a residence certificate, which heirs living in Canada do not have. For land registration, Japan's Ministry of Justice accepts a sworn statement of address certified by a notary in the country of origin or residence. A signature certificate is usually added and, depending on the file, a power of attorney in favour of the Japanese agent.
Which Canadian authority apostilles your document
The authority depends on where in Canada the document was issued or notarized, never on where you live now or where the document is going. We confirm it at the free pre-check, before you send anything.
| Document | Canadian authority | Notary first? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth, marriage or death certificate | The province that issued it (Québec, Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan), or Global Affairs Canada for all others | No |
| RCMP criminal record check | Global Affairs Canada | No |
| Degree, diploma, transcript | The province of the institution | Often, depending on the province |
| Power of attorney, statutory declaration, affidavit | The province of the notary or lawyer | Yes, the notarial act is what gets apostilled |
| Corporate documents | The province of the registry, or Global Affairs Canada for Corporations Canada | Sometimes, depending on the document |
Do you need a translation for Japan?
In Japan, a foreign-language document almost always comes with a Japanese translation. Japanese immigration requires one for any document in another language, and koseki reports ask for the original and its translation. There is generally no mandatory sworn translator as there is in Europe: the translation templates published by Japanese consulates simply provide for the translator's name. Depending on the authority, a professional translation done in Canada or in Japan is accepted.
Our honest advice: ask the authority receiving the file (city office, consulate, Legal Affairs Bureau) whether it publishes a translation template and whether the apostille page also needs translating. When a professional translation helps, we coordinate the certified translation.
Three mistakes that delay a file for Japan
Avoid this
Missing the 3-month deadline
For a birth or marriage that took place in Canada, the koseki sets a 3-month deadline. For a birth, missing it without reserving nationality means the child loses Japanese nationality. Never delay a report to get an apostille that is often not even requested.
Avoid this
A name that changes from one document to the next
Japanese registers transcribe foreign names in katakana. If the Canadian certificate, the passport and the translation write the name differently (middle name, birth surname, accents), the authority may ask for explanations or refuse. Check the spelling on every document before translation.
Avoid this
Getting your signature certified in the wrong place
The Government of Canada says its embassy and consulates in Japan no longer notarize the signature declarations that used to replace a signature certificate. In Canada, sign before a Canadian notary; in Japan, go to a Japanese notary. An uncertified signature is generally refused.
Useful guides: Birth certificates · Marriage certificates · Corporate documents · Video notarization from abroad
Does Japan accept Canadian apostilles?
Do I need an apostille to report a birth to the Japanese consulate?
Who can translate my documents into Japanese?
Do I need an apostille for a Japanese work visa?
Does my Canadian degree need an apostille for Japan?
I live in Japan. Can I get a Canadian document apostilled without coming back to Canada?
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