Many immigration authorities, universities, and government offices outside Japan require more than a translation — they require proof that the translation is accurate.
AZ LLC translates Japanese, English, and Chinese documents and provides a complete notarised package: the translation itself, a signed Affidavit of Translation Accuracy, and the notary's certification, bound together as a single document. Because the translation and the sworn declaration are handled by the same company, you do not need to arrange a translator and a notary agent separately.
What the package contains
- Translation of your document
- An Affidavit of Translation Accuracy, signed by the representative of AZ LLC as the translator
- Sworn certification at a Japanese notary office, with the translation (Exhibit A) and a copy of the original (Exhibit B) bound into the affidavit
- Apostille, issued through the notary office's one-stop service at no additional charge
This is the format specified by authorities such as IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), which require the translator's declaration to be sworn before a notary. If you are applying to IRCC, our page on certified translation for Canadian immigration sets out exactly what that package contains and what IRCC asks for.
Documents we handle
Issued in Japan, for submission abroad
Certificate of employment, certificate of former employment, withholding tax statement (gensen-choshuhyo), taxation and tax-exemption certificates, tax payment certificate, certificate of residence (juminhyo), family register (koseki), acceptance certificates for marriage, birth and divorce notifications, certificate of eligibility to marry, graduation and academic transcripts, pension record statements, driving record certificate, bank balance certificate, medical certificates, corporate registration certificates and financial statements.
Issued abroad, for submission in Japan
Notarial certificates of birth, marriage, no criminal record, academic qualifications and family relationships; divorce certificates; household registers (hukou).
Church-issued documents
Certificates of baptism, confirmation, and marriage status.
If your document is not listed here, it can usually still be handled. Send us a photograph and we will confirm.
Where these documents are usually submitted
IRCC (Canada), USCIS (United States), the Department of Home Affairs (Australia), UKVI (United Kingdom), credential evaluation services such as WES and ECE, universities, and notarial and civil affairs offices in China.
Not all of these require certification by a notary. Some accept a certification signed by the translator or the translation company alone, in which case the lower-cost option described below is sufficient.
Requirements for what counts as a "certified translation" differ between receiving authorities. Please tell us where the document will be submitted before you order. If the required format falls outside what we can provide, we will tell you before you pay.
Which format do you need?
This is what changes the price. And the format is decided not by us but by the authority receiving your document. Check the wording of their requirements. If you are unsure, send us the relevant passage and we will tell you which of the three it maps to.
| What the authority asks for | Format you need |
|---|---|
| “a certified translation”, “certified by the translator” | 01 Translation certificate |
| “notarised” / “notarized” translation | 02 Notarised signature |
| “an affidavit”, “a sworn declaration” | 03 Sworn certification |
Fees
| Service | Fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| 01 Translation certificate (translation + certificate, no notary) | ¥12,000 |
| 02 Notarised signature (01 + signature certification at a notary office) | ¥39,000 |
| 03 Sworn certification (01 + affidavit sworn and certified at a notary office) | ¥44,000 |
| Additional copy of the translation certificate | ¥1,100 per copy |
| Multiple documents in one case | Quoted individually |
| Expedited service | +50% |
| Apostille | No additional charge (02 and 03 only) |
One document of up to approximately two A4 pages is included as standard; longer documents incur an additional charge per page.
Longer documents such as financial statements, contracts and business plans are not covered by the flat fee above; they are quoted separately, based on character count.
The fee for 01 covers translation and one translation certificate bearing the translator's signature and the company seal. The fees for 02 and 03 additionally cover drafting of the affidavit, prior confirmation and booking with the notary office, attendance and signature or oath on the day, and the notary's fee.
Turnaround depends on the number of documents and the notary office's availability, and is confirmed in your quotation.
The notary's fee depends on the number of documents certified at the notary office, not on the number of source documents. Where you have several source documents, it is often possible to bind them into a single certified instrument and have them certified together. In that case the notary's fee is charged once, which costs less than ordering each one separately.
Whether the receiving authority accepts documents bound together, and how many certified copies it requires, is decided by that authority rather than by us. We check the authority's requirements and confirm with the notary office in advance before deciding whether your documents can be combined. Because the same document can require different formats depending on where it goes, we quote each case individually. Telling us the receiving authority when you first contact us allows us to give you a more accurate answer.
What the certification actually attests
Japan has no system of translators sworn in or appointed by a court or public body. What the notary certifies is, in 02, that the signature is the translator's own, and in 03, that the translator swore to the content. In neither case does the notary examine the translation itself. What attests that the translation is accurate and complete against the source is the translation certificate and the affidavit we issue.
Where an authority asks for “notarised” translation, 02 is usually sufficient. 03 becomes necessary when the authority explicitly specifies an affidavit — IRCC being the common example. If the words affidavit or sworn do not appear in the requirements, 02 will often do, at a lower cost.
How it works
- Send us a photograph or PDF of your document, together with the receiving authority and your deadline
- We reply with a quotation and a delivery date
- Payment
- We translate the document and draft the affidavit
- Our representative attends the notary office, swears to the accuracy of the translation, and the certification and apostille are issued
- We deliver the completed package by post or in person
How your documents are handled
Your documents are used solely for the translation and the affidavit, and are not passed to any third party beyond what completing your order requires. Our representative checks the finished translation against the original. Photographs and PDFs of your originals are retained for three months after delivery in case you need a reissue, and are then deleted.
Scope of our services
AZ LLC provides translation, language support, information and coordination. We do not prepare documents for submission to Japanese government offices, act as a filing agent for residence status applications, or provide legal services or legal negotiation. Where those services are required, please consult a licensed professional.
We also cannot guarantee that a translation or certification will be accepted by the receiving authority. Please confirm the format your authority requires before ordering.
Contact
Email info@az-llc.co.jp with a photograph or PDF of your document. We will review it and reply with a quotation and delivery date. You can also reach us through the inquiry form.
AZ LLC, Fukuoka, Japan