When applying for Italian citizenship through marriage to an Italian national, it is important to check which certificates and translation formats the receiving authority requires before obtaining documents in Japan. A Family Register Certificate (Koseki Tohon) with an apostille and an Italian translation will not necessarily be sufficient for every receiving authority.

RP Office［ Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office ］ welcomes enquiries about obtaining family register documents from overseas, apostilles, translation and international delivery. We check the documents and translation certification required for your citizenship application, then explain which steps we can assist with and provide a quotation. This article concerns the preparation of Japanese documents; it does not offer representation for the entire citizenship application or guarantee that citizenship will be granted.

First, identify the authority responsible for your place of residence

If you live outside Japan, start with the instructions from the Italian Embassy or Consulate responsible for your current address. Having Japanese nationality does not automatically mean that the Italian Embassy in Japan will handle your citizenship application.

Switzerland also has several Italian diplomatic and consular offices. According to the published jurisdiction guidance, the Consular Section of the Embassy in Bern covers the cantons of Bern, Fribourg and Neuchâtel. Do not choose Bern simply because you live in Switzerland: check your canton and municipality. See the Italian consular network and jurisdictions in Switzerland (Italian).

Eligibility is not determined by the length of your marriage alone. You also need to check when your spouse acquired Italian nationality, registration of the marriage in Italy, the continuing validity of the marriage, language requirements and exemptions, and requirements relating to criminal records. If you live abroad, also check your spouse’s registration in AIRE (the Registry of Italians Residing Abroad) and address details. For the rules, see the section on marriage and civil unions in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ citizenship guidance (Italian) and the latest instructions from the competent consular office.

Gathering the following information before making an enquiry can reduce the risk of having to obtain documents again.

• Your country, state or canton, and municipality of residence, and the Italian Embassy or Consulate to which you plan to apply
• The URL of that office’s required-document checklist, and the original wording and date of any individual instructions you received
• Your country of birth, current nationality, previous countries of residence, and any changes of name
• The number of originals required, validity periods after issue, and translation and authentication requirements
• Your planned application date and the date by which you need the completed documents in hand

You may need more than a Japanese family register certificate

Choose documents according to their purpose: evidence of birth and documents supplementing your marriage or name history serve different roles. The table below is a preparation checklist, not a complete list of documents required for a citizenship application.

Do not treat a birth notification acceptance certificate and a family register as interchangeable

The Italian Embassy in Japan’s guidance on citizenship by marriage (Italian) expressly specifies “shusseitodoke jurishomeisho” for people born in Japan. Even when applying through a consular office in another country, keep this distinction in mind and ask whether a family register is accepted or additional documents are needed. If you have Japanese nationality but were born outside Japan, you must separately check the documents required from your country of birth.

The office from which you request an acceptance certificate and the persons entitled to request it also differ from those for a family register. For example, Minato City’s family register certificate guidance (Japanese) states that the person entitled to request an acceptance certificate is the person who filed and signed the notification; a representative needs a power of attorney from someone entitled to request it. Do not assume that a power of attorney from the person whose birth was registered is sufficient. Check with the municipality where the birth notification was filed. We can advise whether we can help obtain a Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Notification after this has been confirmed.

Check the police certificate application procedure yourself at an early stage

A Japanese police certificate may not be the only criminal record certificate required. The Italian Embassy in Bern’s guidance refers to certificates according to your country of origin, countries of nationality, and residence in third countries from the age of 14. It also describes obtaining a Swiss certificate in Italian and having it apostilled, but you should confirm with your own competent consular office which countries’ certificates are required. See the Italian Embassy in Bern’s citizenship guidance and attached procedure (Italian).

The Embassy of Japan in Switzerland’s police certificate guidance (Japanese) describes applying in person by appointment and having fingerprints taken by the Bern police. That embassy gives an approximate processing time of two months. This cannot be arranged in the same way as a family register retrieval service. Contact the Japanese diplomatic mission responsible for your area, or the relevant police authority in Japan, and explain the purpose for which you need the certificate.

Do not open an envelope marked “invalid if opened” yourself for translation or scanning. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) states that opened criminal record certificates are generally not accepted. Coordinate the order of authentication, translation and online submission, and the authority that may open the envelope, in accordance with the receiving authority’s instructions. See MOFA’s frequently asked questions (Japanese).

You will also need to prepare items such as proof of the marriage registered in Italy, identification documents and evidence of language ability. Arranging Japanese documents does not complete the preparations required in your country of residence or in Italy.

An apostille on the original and certification of the translation are separate steps

An apostille authenticates the official seal associated with the issuance of a Japanese public document; it does not certify the accuracy of its Italian translation. Check the authentication required for the original and the certification required for the translation separately.

MOFA lists documents such as Family Register Certificates (Koseki Tohon) as eligible for apostilles. Translations prepared by individuals or other private parties, however, are not directly eligible for MOFA authentication. Distinguish between authentication of the Japanese original and authentication of a private document concerning its translation. See MOFA’s guidance on eligible documents (Japanese).

The Italian Embassy in Japan’s translation and legalization guidance (Italian) describes obtaining an apostille on the Japanese original and then preparing the translation and a certificate of conformity of the translation. For this service, the embassy excludes notarial apostille documents based on a self-declaration. Do not assume that notarization in Japan can be used as a substitute.

There are also conditions for sworn translations. For example, the Court of Milan’s guidance (Italian) sets requirements for translators who take the oath. Do not choose a service solely because it is described as including a “sworn translation”; check which authority’s procedure the receiving institution accepts.

Whether an overseas resident can obtain a certificate of conformity from an Italian diplomatic or consular office in Japan, whether a sworn translation made in the country of residence or in Italy will be accepted, and how much our office can arrange must be checked individually. Before work begins, confirm name spellings, place of birth, previous surnames, everything to be translated—including the apostille—and the number of copies required.

How to request assistance from overseas

Share the receiving authority’s requirements and confirm the scope of assistance, costs and schedule before formally engaging our office. Preparations depend on whether you need only family register retrieval or also authentication, translation and delivery.

1. Send our office the required-document checklist and the steps you would like us to handle. If you do not yet have the documents, tell us their names and whether you have already applied for them.
2. We check whether we can arrange retrieval, authentication and translation, then provide a quotation and an estimated schedule. We also identify the steps you must complete personally in your location.
3. After formally engaging us, prepare the power of attorney and other materials according to our instructions. Family register retrieval requires mailing the original power of attorney, so allow time for it to reach Japan.
4. We obtain the documents and proceed with authentication of the originals, translation and any required translation certification using the method already confirmed. We check any inconsistencies, such as differences in name spellings.
5. We confirm the types of completed documents, number of copies and delivery address before dispatch. If you need PDFs, confirm in advance which documents can be scanned and their intended use.

For the application form, identification documents and instructions for completing a power of attorney for family register retrieval, see our family register retrieval service from overseas: required documents and how to apply. The same power of attorney may not be suitable for a different certificate relating to birth.

MOFA does not accept postal applications sent from overseas or return documents directly to an overseas address. Authentication therefore needs to be arranged through a representative in Japan, followed by international delivery. See MOFA’s postal application and return-address guidance (Japanese).

Check costs, turnaround and international delivery for each step

The total cost for this purpose is quoted individually. The existing family register retrieval price does not include all Italian translation, translation certification and delivery costs to Switzerland.

The published price above comes from our family register retrieval fee guide (Japanese). Before engaging us, confirm the final amount in your quotation, including the required number of copies and any requests to multiple municipalities.

The total schedule must allow for the power of attorney to reach Japan, issuance by the municipality, MOFA authentication, translation and certification, and international delivery. For postal applications, MOFA states that complete applications requiring no further enquiries are generally sent back three business days after receipt; postage in both directions is additional. Check the latest MOFA application guidance (Japanese). This processing period is not the total turnaround for your request.

MOFA authentication generally requires an original issued within the previous three months. Separately check the receiving authority’s validity periods. The Italian Embassy in Bern’s procedure (Italian PDF, two pages) requires criminal record certificates issued within six months before the application, while asking for birth-related documents issued within six months where possible. Allow for appointments and translation certification, confirm the point at which validity is assessed, and then decide when to obtain each document.

Our family register authentication service guide (Japanese) lists international delivery by EMS, DHL and FedEx. Available services, charges and estimated delivery dates to Switzerland or other destinations depend on the address, postal code, weight and other details. Distinguish the dispatch date from the arrival date, and leave room for delivery delays.

Frequently asked questions

Should I also obtain a Declaration of Value for my educational qualifications?

It is not necessarily required simply because you are applying for citizenship by marriage. It is a separate document concerning the assessment of educational qualifications, so avoid obtaining it unless it has been requested. If you need one for study or another purpose, see our guide to obtaining an Italian Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore) (Japanese).

What if previous surnames or spellings differ between my family register and passport?

List the differences rather than changing the translation alone to match one document. Ask the receiving authority whether proof of a name change or supplementary documents are needed. It helps to have your documents available in a form that clearly shows their issue dates and differences in names or spellings.

If I receive PDFs, do I still need the originals?

Documents uploaded online and the submission of originals are separate matters. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ guidance (Italian) states that the originals are collected during the consular procedure following the online application. Some sealed documents cannot be scanned, so check how each document must be submitted and keep the originals.

Can I arrange translation locally and ask you only to obtain and authenticate documents in Japan?

You can consult us about individual steps. First check whether your local translator needs the originals and whether the apostille must also be translated. If you would like the documents sent directly to the translator or another local recipient, tell us the recipient and required documents when requesting a quotation.

Can I retain Japanese nationality after acquiring Italian nationality?

Under Japan’s Nationality Act, a Japanese national who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Japanese nationality. Check this consequence before preparing documents. See Question 12 of the Ministry of Justice’s Nationality Q&A (Japanese). For your individual circumstances, consult a Japanese Legal Affairs Bureau or a Japanese diplomatic mission overseas.

Information to provide for a quotation or consultation

Start by telling us the receiving authority’s requirements and which steps you would like us to handle. If the translation format has not yet been decided, let us know; we can explain what needs to be checked before preparing a quotation.

• Subject: Japanese documents for an Italian citizenship application
• Your country, state or canton, and municipality of residence; the competent consular office; and the URL of its required-document checklist
• The names, number of copies and issue dates of the required documents, and whether you already have them
• The translation and authentication requirements, and which steps you need: retrieval, authentication, translation or delivery
• Your required arrival date, destination country and postal code, and whether you need originals or PDFs

Request a free quotation for preparing your Japanese documents. You can also email info@royal-ptns.com or call +81 3 6303 1664 (03-6303-1664 within Japan). RP Office［ Royal Partners Administrative Scrivener Office ］ will check the scope of assistance we can provide and advise you.

Japanese source last checked: September 7, 2026. Please consult the latest instructions from the competent consular office when applying.