Since 2023, China has acceded to the Hague Convention, making it possible to use Apostille Certification

Until recently, China had not been a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Therefore, when submitting Japanese documents to China, it was necessary to obtain consular authentication (commercial or civil) for the documents.

This meant that individuals had to visit Chinese consular offices—such as the China Visa Center in Ariake—to authenticate documents like family registers (koseki tohon), company registration certificates, or graduation certificates before submission to Chinese authorities.

However, as the Hague Convention entered into force in China on November 7, 2023, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs began accepting apostille applications for documents intended for China from the end of October 2023.

Obtaining an Apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requires a minimum processing time of four business days from the date of application

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was sometimes possible to obtain an apostille from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within about two days if applying in person. However, currently, without exception, a minimum of four business days is required from the time of application to receive the apostille.

There are two ways to apply: by mail or in person at the counter. However, the earliest possible receipt date is the same for both methods.

For example, if you submit your application by mail on November 1, and it arrives at the Ministry on November 2, the documents will typically be dispatched by the Ministry on November 5, so you can expect to receive them by November 6 (assuming standard postal delivery within one day).

Similarly, if you apply in person at the Ministry's counter on November 2, the apostilled documents will also be ready for pickup or dispatch from November 6.

Please note that some online sources may contain outdated information claiming you can receive the apostille the next day after applying. This is no longer accurate, so please be cautious.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has application counters in both Tokyo and Osaka, and the processing time is the same at both locations.

Private documents cannot be apostilled directly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Apostille applications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Certification Division are accepted only for public documents.

Please note that private documents cannot be processed at the MOFA Certification Division. Instead, apostilles for private documents must be obtained through a notary public office.

Public documents refer to documents issued by Japanese government offices or other public institutions.
Private documents refer to documents created by individuals or private entities.

Please also note that academic transcripts and graduation certificates issued by private universities or private schools are considered private documents, not public documents.

In addition, translations of documents such as family register certificates (koseki tohon) are also treated as private documents. Therefore, if you attach a translation to a family register certificate and apply for an apostille, the MOFA Certification Division will not accept it. In such cases, the apostille must be obtained through a notary public office.

Frequently requested services at our office

In document authentication for China, the following are common types of requests we receive:

• Translation into Simplified Chinese of a Japanese family register (koseki tohon) and proxy service for notarization and apostille, for submission to a Chinese court, typically to prove that the person with a Chinese name and the person with a Japanese name are the same individual.
• Translation into Simplified Chinese of a Japanese company registry certificate (Certificate of All Historical Matters) and proxy service for notarization and apostille, for the purpose of establishing a company in China.

Our office can also prepare a declaration (声明书) and arrange for its notarization and apostille.

We provide proxy services for obtaining apostilles on documents to be submitted to China.

At our office, we offer proxy services for the following related to documents to be submitted to China:
Notarization and apostille acquisition, consular authentication, and translation into Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

We handle your request within the following timeframes:

• Translation is typically completed within three business days (may take slightly longer for documents with a high volume of text).
• Apostille acquisition via notary public usually takes about three business days.

Feel free to contact us using the form below.
Consultations are free of charge, and we never engage in aggressive sales tactics.

For detailed pricing, please refer to the price list page below.

2-19-4-506 Azabu-juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0045, JAPAN
Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office　　　　　 Certified Administrative Scrivener, SATO Taiga 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TEL 03-6303-1664
info@royal-ptns.com　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Email is available 24/7, 365 days a year