How to obtain documents required for visa/naturalization application (Part 1)

Resident Registration Certificate (jumin-hyo)

A Resident Registration Certificate is a document that officially certifies your residence in Japan and current address, and is issued by the city, town, or village office in your jurisdiction.

If an agent (other than the person in question or his or her family member in the same household) is requesting a Resident Registration Certificate, a power of attorney is required. On the other hand, if the person requesting the document is the person in question or his or her family member in the same household, they can do so without power of attorney.

★How to Obtain:

[Request at Your Local City/Ward/Town Hall]

You can request your Resident Registration Certificate at the local city/ward/town/village hall that have jurisdiction over your address.

– You will be required to provide identification, so you will need to bring proof of identity.

– If requesting through an agent, a power of attorney is also required.

– There is a fee (amount varies by each city/ward/town/village).

– Same-day issuance.

*Business hours vary by each city/ward/town/village hall. Please check their official website for details.

[Request by Mail]

If you can’t make it to your city hall during business hours, you can request by mail.

– Required Documents

A completed application form, a copy of your identification document, a power of attorney (if necessary), a postal money order for the processing fee (purchased at post office), and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

– The document will be mailed approximately 1-2 weeks later.

*Required documents vary by city, town, or village hall. Please check the official website for details.

[Convenience Store Issuance Service (My Number Card Required)]

If you have a My Number Card (or Basic Resident Registration Card), you can obtain a Resident Registration Certificate from a kiosk (multi-function copier) at convenience stores nationwide.

– Available daily from 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM

– Same-day issuance

– Depending on the city, town, or village, the fee may be lower than requesting it in person.

*Please note that some cities, towns, or villages may have limited hours of operation. For details, please click here.

https://www.lg-waps.go.jp/01-04.html

★ Important Points to Note When Obtaining

[Visa Application]

⇒ Include all household members

⇒ Omit your Individual Number (My Number), but include all other information.

[Naturalization Application]

⇒ Include all household members

⇒ Include date of birth, nationality, status of residence, period of stay, expiration date, and for Japanese people, permanent domicile and name of the head of household, etc.

⇒ Need to prove the residence history satisfying the requirement of the period of legal residence

(If you have moved, you will need a Deleted Residence Record (johyo) of each Resident Registration Certificate.)

Deleted Residence Record (johyo)

A Deleted Residence Record (johyo) is a Resident Registration Certificate (jumin-hyo) that has been removed from the Basic Resident Register due to moving or death.

★Important Points to Note When Obtaining

[For Naturalization Applications]

You must have a residence history satisfying the legal residence period, and if you have moved, you will need a Deleted Residence Record of each Resident Registration Certificate.

Example

In the above case, you will need the following documents!

・Resident Registration Certificate for △△ Prefecture

・Deleted Residence Record for ✖✖ Prefecture

・Deleted Residence Record for ◯◯ Prefecture

★How to Obtain

The acquisition process is basically the same as for a Resident Registration Certificate.

*Please note that a Deleted Residence Record (johyo) cannot be issued through convenience store issuance services.

Family Register Certificate (koseki-tohon)

A Family Register Certificate (koseki-tohon) certifies the information recorded in a family register (such as name, date of birth, and permanent domicile).

★Do foreigners also have Family Register Certificates?

As stipulated in the Family Register Act, a Family Register Certificate cannot be created unless you have Japanese nationality, so foreigners do not have a family register.

Even if a foreigner marries a Japanese person, their nationality does not change, so a Family Register Certificate will not be created for them.

If a foreigner is married to a Japanese person or has Japanese children, a Family Register Certificate will be required when applying for a visa or naturalization.

★ Points to note

[Types of Family Register Certificate]

The information certified by a Family Register Certificate varies depending on its type. The types of Family Registers Certificates are as follows:

①　Certificate of All Family Register Details (koseki-tohon)

→ Certifies the status information of all individuals listed in the Family Register.

②　Certificate of Individual Family Register Details (koseki-chohon)

→ Certifies the individual’s details of the family register.

③　Certificate of All Deleted Family Register Details (joseki-tohon)

→ A copy of a Family Register in which all individuals listed in the Family Register have been transferred or have died.

④　Certificate of Individual Deleted Family Register Details (joseki-chohon)

→ Certifies the individual’s details of the Deleted Family Register.

Please make sure to obtain the necessary documents, which vary depending on your situation!

[For Naturalization Applications]

If the applicant’s father (including adoptive father), mother (including adoptive mother), child (adopted child), siblings, husband (including former/common-law husband), and/or mother (including former/common-law mother) have already naturalized or acquired Japanese citizenship, a family register containing the details of naturalization or acquisition of Japanese citizenship is required.

*If they have transferred or married after naturalization or citizenship acquisition, you may need to obtain a Certificate of All Deleted Family Register Details.

If you’re unsure which type of Family Register Certificate to obtain, we recommend consulting a professional!

★How to obtain

The method for obtaining is basically the same as a Resident Registration Certificate, so please refer to the above explanation regarding how to obtain a Resident Registration Certificate.

Summary

Visa and naturalization applications almost always require documents issued by public institutions, such as those mentioned above. This time, we explained how to obtain a Resident Registration Certificate (jumin-hyo), Deleted Residence Record (johyo), and Family Register Certificate (koseki-tohon).

We will introduce other required documents (e.g. Tax Certificates, Tax Payment Certificates, etc.) in Part 2.

Visa applications take time, and any deficiencies in the application documents or application form can significantly affect the visa application review process.

Gathering all the various documents can also be a hassle, so if you’re busy with work, etc., it may be more efficient to leave it to a professional.

At our office, we not only help you gather these documents, but we also provide personalized advice. Consultations are free, so please feel free to talk to one of our experts.

We are Yanagi group, which have offices in Osaka (Abeno and Tennoji), and our affiliated offices in Tokyo (Shibuya and Ebisu) are also available for an on-site consultation. We have handled many applications for permanent residence permits, naturalization permits, work visas, college student visas, management visas, etc., as well as visa renewal procedures related to the status of residence with the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Bureau) as a one-stop service. Our experienced administrative scriveners are also available to help you with any problems you may have.

We also have staff members who can speak each of the native languages and can assist you in obtaining a visa.

※If you wish to be consulted in Nepali or Bengali, please inform us in advance via our website or social media, and the translator will contact you ahead of time.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your status of residence or visa, even if they are trivial.

Toll free number: 0120-138-552 

For English speaker: 080-9346-2991

For Chinese speaker: 090-8456-6196