Applications abroad for a visa, permanent residence or an electronic travel authorisation (eTA, ESTA and the like) sometimes require documents issued by a Japanese court, the police or an administrative body. Such documents are accepted only as a translation accompanied by a certificate in the form the receiving authority prescribes. AZ LLC takes on the whole task as one job: the translation itself, the translator’s affidavit, sworn certification at the notary public office and, where needed, the apostille.
Documents we handle
Criminal matters
- Judgments and summary orders
- Notices of non-prosecution and documents relating to suspended prosecution
- Police certificates (certificates of criminal record)
- Certificates relating to probation and suspended sentences
- The text of the laws and ordinances on which the disposition was based (including the provisions in force at the time and the amendment history)
Civil and family matters
- Divorce judgments, mediation records and adjudications
- Documents relating to custody and child support
- Family register transcripts, removed registers and pre-revision registers
Administrative and statutory matters
- Administrative document disclosure decisions and the documents disclosed
- The text of laws and ordinances, copies of regulatory compilations, old-and-new comparison tables
- Certificates of all kinds issued by government offices
Documents not listed here can usually be handled as well. For general certificates such as certificates of employment or family registers, see our page on certified translation of Japanese documents.
By receiving authority
Canada (IRCC: visa, permanent residence, eTA, citizenship)
For translations not done by a certified translator in Canada, IRCC requires an affidavit sworn by the translator before a notary. We have the translation (Exhibit A), a copy of the original (Exhibit B) and the affidavit certified together as a single instrument at the Fukuoka Notary Public Office, and deliver it with an apostille if you wish. Seals and stamps on the original are translated, and the affidavit includes a declaration that the translator is not a family member of the applicant. We have completed this package for IRCC.
United States, United Kingdom, Australia and others
The form of certification required (a translator’s certificate, an affidavit, whether notarisation is needed) differs from one authority to another. Tell us the receiving authority and the type of application when you contact us. We check the current requirements and quote for the form that is needed.
How it works
- Contact us (tell us the type and number of documents, the receiving authority and your deadline; a PDF or photograph of the documents is fine)
- We reply with a quotation and a delivery date
- Translation and drafting of the affidavit
- You review the draft (names, dates and terminology)
- Sworn certification at the notary public office (our representative attends in person) and apostille
- Delivery (we first send a PDF of every certified page, then post the original set by Letter Pack)
How fees are structured
| Item | Fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Translation | Quoted individually (by type and volume of documents) |
| Certification preparation (drafting the affidavit and handling the notary procedure) | Quoted individually (a fixed amount, stated in your quotation) |
| Notary arrangement fee (sworn certification, per instrument) | ¥18,700 |
| Apostille | No additional charge (one-stop service of the Fukuoka Notary Public Office) |
The notary arrangement fee is the fee for sworn certification set by the Notary Fee Order (¥17,000) plus consumption tax. A copy of the notary office’s receipt is attached to the delivered set.
Your quotation states the translation fee, the certification preparation fee and the notary arrangement fee separately. The apostille is obtained on the same day as the sworn certification through the Fukuoka Notary Public Office’s one-stop service, at no additional charge.
Confidentiality
The fact of your order and the contents of the documents you entrust to us are information obtained in the course of business and are not disclosed to anyone outside the company. After the work is complete, the data we hold is deleted once the set retention period has passed. You do not need to explain the circumstances behind the documents when you first contact us.
Scope of our services
What we undertake is the translation of documents, the preparation of translation certificates and affidavits, and the notarisation and apostille procedure. Judgments on whether entry will be granted or on the prospects of an application, preparing or filing application documents on your behalf, and advice on the content of explanatory letters are the work of lawyers, licensed administrative scriveners and other professionals, and we do not provide them. Where you need that kind of help, we recommend consulting a professional.
Completed work
- Full English translation with sworn certification of a prefectural ordinance (including the text in force at the relevant time, its amendment history and the administrative disclosure notice) — submitted to IRCC as supporting documents
- Japanese official certificates translated into English with sworn certification and apostille, submitted to IRCC Canada as application documents
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is a translation certificate enough, or do I need notarisation?
A. It depends on the receiving authority. For IRCC in Canada, a translation not done by a certified translator in Canada must be sworn before a notary. For other authorities, tell us the type of application and we will check the current requirements and advise you.
Q. Can you handle older judgments, or the text of the law as it stood at the time?
A. Yes. Where the provisions in force at the time of the disposition are needed, we trace the amendment history to identify the text as it then stood, and note its relationship to the current text in a translator’s note. Obtaining the source material (for example through an administrative disclosure request) is something we ask you to do, but we will tell you where and how to request it.
Q. How long does it take?
A. It depends on the volume of the documents and the notary office’s availability, but usually one to two weeks from confirmation of your order. If your filing deadline is close, tell us when you first get in touch.
Q. Do I need to send the original documents?
A. No. We translate from a PDF or a photograph. For sworn certification a copy of the original is attached, so there is no need to send us the original itself.
Q. Can you handle documents that are not in Japanese?
A. Yes. We also translate Chinese documents (judgments, notarial certificates, household registration records and the like) into Japanese and English.
Contact
Email info@az-llc.co.jp with the type and number of documents, the receiving authority and your deadline. A PDF or photograph of the documents is fine. We will review them and reply with a quotation and a delivery date.
AZ LLC, Fukuoka, Japan