Hague Apostille from Japan

How the Hague Apostille from Japan works

The Hague Apostille (アポスティーユ) is a certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates the signature, seal and capacity of the public official who signed a document in Japan, so it is recognized in every other Hague member state without further embassy legalization. Notary7 files your document with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) (外務省) and returns the fully apostilled original — ready to be relied on abroad.

We handle every document type commonly issued in Japan — including notarized documents, civil records, court and academic documents, and corporate records — in English, Japanese or any language, with certified translation available when your destination country requires it. In Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is the sole competent authority for issuing apostilles. Documents must generally be originals or certified copies issued by public authorities or notarized by a Japanese notary public before MOFA can affix an apostille. The process ensures that Japanese documents, once apostilled, are recognized as legally valid in other Hague Convention countries without further diplomatic or consular legalization. This streamlined process applies to a wide range of public documents, from personal certificates to corporate records, facilitating international legal and business activities.

Cities we serve in Japan

Because our apostille service is fully remote, you can request a Hague Apostille from anywhere in Japan — from the capital Tokyo and major cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka down to smaller towns and villages. All you need is a scan of your document and a shipping address.

Documents commonly apostilled from Japan

Notary7 handles the document types most frequently apostilled from Japan, including 委任状, 出生証明書, 婚姻証明書, 死亡診断書, 卒業証明書, 会社定款. Whether you need civil records, corporate documents, academic certificates, police clearance, court rulings or notarized affidavits, our team walks you through the pre-certifications required by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) and delivers the apostilled original ready for use abroad, in Japanese or any other language.

Competent authority for apostilles in Japan

In Japan, the Hague Apostille is issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA) (外務省). Notary7 files your document directly with the competent authority and returns the apostilled original — accepted by ministries, courts, banks, registries and embassies across every Hague Convention member state. When your destination country is not a Hague member, we switch the file to full embassy legalization automatically and keep everything in one order.