Apostille San Francisco
Taking new files today(415) 439-0289
Apostille for Japan · from California documents
Japan.
Japan.
Hague since 1970.
No consulate step.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes an apostille as a certification that can be used as the equivalent of legalization by an embassy or consulate. Which Japanese office you file with, a city hall for a family-register entry, immigration or a court, sets the exact form it wants. We confirm that, then check the certified copy underneath before the fee.
At a glance
RouteHague apostille · California Secretary of State
ConsulateApostille is the equivalent of consular legalization (Japan MOFA)
DocumentsBirth, marriage, death certificates · divorce judgments · degrees and transcripts · FBI background checks (federal route) · powers of attorney · corporate documents
TranslationSet by the receiving office. For a marriage registration through the consulate, the consulate supplies its own translation form and states that anyone can complete it in Japanese; courts, immigration and employers may set their own standard. We confirm before filing.
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for Japan.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Check whether the office wants the apostille or a notarized copy. The Japanese consulates’ own marriage-registration checklist asks for county-issued marriage certificates and accepts a notarized copy; municipal offices, immigration and courts in Japan may want the apostille instead. We confirm which the receiving office will read before you pay for a step it does not need.
$6503 documents · one emergency trip · filed together
Family register and residence sets
Marriage, birth and background records for family-register filings and residence status, filed together in one Sacramento trip.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to Japan or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every Japan call.
01Does the Japanese consulate in San Francisco need to legalize it?
No. Japan has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 27 July 1970. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes an apostille as a certification that can be used as the equivalent of legalization by an embassy or consulate general between Convention countries. Which office in Japan you are filing with decides whether it wants the apostille at all; we confirm that first.
02Does the apostille need a Japanese translation?
The receiving office sets this. For a marriage registration filed through the consulate, the consulate provides its own translation form and states that anyone can complete it in Japanese. A court, immigration office or employer may want a professional translation. We confirm the standard before filing. Translation is Quoted per document by page and language before anything starts; delivered certified with a signed certificate of authenticity.
03Do certificates expire for Japan?
Japanese offices set their own windows. The consulate states that its own certificates carry no expiry date but that the organisation you submit to may impose one, and for its own filings it asks for a family register issued within three months. We confirm the window your receiving office applies before ordering the certified copy.
04I live in Japan already. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, file it, and ship the finished apostille tracked to your address in Japan. International delivery is quoted per destination before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp if you prefer.