# Japan documents attestation for use in the UAE Japan documents attestation for the UAE uses a route that many Japanese offices see less often than the apostille. Because the UAE stays outside the Hague Apostille Convention, a Japanese document needs a seal certification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, then legalisation at the UAE embassy in Tokyo, then MOFA attestation in the UAE. Home country The issuing body or a notary Home country The foreign ministry Home country The UAE embassy or consulate there In the UAE MOFA in the UAE Japanese families in Dubai often ask us first where their birth or marriage certificate is. Japan records both events in the family register (koseki), so the paper you attest is usually an extract from that register, and the right extract saves a second trip through the chain. ## At a glance - MOFA in the UAE attests a document from abroad only after two earlier stamps: the Japanese foreign ministry, and then the UAE embassy in Tokyo. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). - An apostille from Japan does not replace the UAE embassy stamp, because the UAE is not a member of the Apostille Convention. Source: [HCCH status table](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41). - Private documents, such as notarised copies, translations and most company papers, start with a Japanese notary and the Legal Affairs Bureau. - MOFA works with Arabic or English, so Japanese text needs a translation. Source: [MOFA attestation service](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation). - MOFA fee in the UAE: AED 150 for a personal document, AED 2,000 for a commercial one. Source: [MOFA FAQ](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs). ## Public or private: sort the document first The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan can check the seal of a Japanese government office directly, but not a private signature. That decides the first step. | Document | How Japan usually treats it | First step in Japan | | --- | --- | --- | | Family register extract (koseki tohon or koseki shohon) | Public | Seal certification at MOFA Japan | | Certificate of acceptance of a marriage notification | Public | Seal certification at MOFA Japan | | Residence record (juminhyo) | Public | Seal certification at MOFA Japan | | Degree or graduation certificate from a private university | Private | Japanese notary, then the Legal Affairs Bureau | | Company papers, declarations, powers of attorney | Private | Japanese notary, then the Legal Affairs Bureau | | A translation made in Japan | Private | The translator signs a declaration before a Japanese notary | For a private document, the notary (koshonin) certifies the signature, and the Legal Affairs Bureau (homukyoku) then certifies the notary. In some prefectures a notary office can add the bureau certificate and the ministry certificate in the same visit. Tell the notary office the document is for the UAE, so it is not given an apostille by default. ## The family register in place of birth and marriage certificates Two extracts exist. The full copy (koseki tohon) lists everyone in the register. The individual copy (koseki shohon) lists one person. For a child's residence visa or a spouse visa, the full copy is often the better choice, because it shows the parent and child, or the husband and wife, on one page. The extract comes from the municipal office of the registered domicile (honseki), which may be a different city from where the family lives. Receiving offices tend to prefer a recently issued extract. A marriage with a non-Japanese spouse is recorded in the Japanese spouse's register only, since the foreign spouse has no koseki. If the register has not been updated yet, the certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification (kon'in todoke juri shomeisho) is the other document people use. See [marriage certificate attestation for a UAE family visa](https://dubainotaryservices.com/marriage-certificate-attestation-family-visa/) and [birth certificate attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/birth-certificate-attestation-dubai/). ## Japanese script, era years and names You can translate in Japan, where the translator's declaration goes through the notary and the chain with the document, or attest the Japanese original and translate it in the UAE with a legal translator. See [legalized translation in the UAE](https://dubainotaryservices.com/legal-translation-in-uae/). Check the years. Many Japanese records write the year by imperial era: Showa, then Heisei from 1989, then Reiwa from 2019. A translator converts these to Gregorian years, and one slip gives a birth date that no longer matches the passport. Read every converted date against your passport before the translation is stamped. Names need the same check. The register shows names in kanji; the passport uses Latin letters, sometimes with a long vowel written as "oh" or dropped. The translation must copy the passport spelling letter for letter. ## Degrees and police certificates Many Japanese universities issue English degree certificates on request, which removes the translation step for MOFA. See [degree attestation in Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/degree-attestation-dubai/). The Japanese police certificate needs care before you apply. It is issued in a sealed envelope for the receiving authority to open. A sealed envelope cannot easily carry a chain of stamps, so ask the UAE office first whether it wants the certificate attested at all. See [police clearance certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/police-clearance-certificate-attestation/). ## The UAE embassy in Tokyo After the ministry's seal certification, the UAE embassy in Tokyo legalises the document. This step happens only in Japan. ## Documents going to Japan For a UAE document used in Japan, MOFA attests it first. Whether the Japanese embassy in Abu Dhabi or the consulate general in Dubai then legalises it depends on what the Japanese office asks for. See [legalising UAE documents for use abroad](https://dubainotaryservices.com/document-legalization-uae/). ## How we help with Japanese documents From photos, we sort each document into public or private and list its first step in Japan. We check the extract type against the visa or office you are applying to. We read era years and name spellings on any translation you already have. When the document returns with the UAE embassy stamp, we take it through MOFA. We book an Arabic legal translation in the UAE if the receiving office wants one. ## Where this page sits Service hub [Embassy attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/embassy-attestation-dubai/) Embassy attestation for Dubai means one of two things, and it helps to know which one you need. Also under Embassy attestation - [Jordan](https://dubainotaryservices.com/jordan-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Malaysia](https://dubainotaryservices.com/malaysia-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Russia](https://dubainotaryservices.com/russia-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [South Africa](https://dubainotaryservices.com/south-africa-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Syria](https://dubainotaryservices.com/syria-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [India](https://dubainotaryservices.com/india-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Pakistan](https://dubainotaryservices.com/pakistan-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Philippines](https://dubainotaryservices.com/philippines-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [United Kingdom](https://dubainotaryservices.com/uk-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Sri Lanka](https://dubainotaryservices.com/sri-lanka-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [United States](https://dubainotaryservices.com/usa-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [Canada](https://dubainotaryservices.com/canada-certificate-attestation-uae/) - [View all 29](https://dubainotaryservices.com/embassy-attestation-dubai/) ## Prices | Service | Our service price | Government fees, paid on top at cost | | --- | --- | --- | | MOFA stage, personal document | From AED 150 | MOFA AED 150 | | MOFA stage, commercial document | From AED 300 | MOFA AED 2,000 | | Full chain including the Japan side | Quote after we see the document | Japanese office, notary, ministry, UAE embassy and MOFA fees at cost | How we price All service prices are starting prices and are negotiable. Government fees are paid on top, at cost, exactly as the authority charges them. We confirm your final price before you pay. How the costs build up across the chain: [notary attestation fees](https://dubainotaryservices.com/dubai-notary-public-fees/). Other countries: [embassy attestation for Dubai](https://dubainotaryservices.com/embassy-attestation-dubai/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I get an apostille in Japan for my UAE visa? No. The UAE is outside the Apostille Convention, so ask MOFA Japan for the seal certification that leads to the UAE embassy in Tokyo, then MOFA in the UAE. ### Is a koseki extract accepted as a birth certificate? In most files the family register extract is the document that goes through the chain, because the register is where Japan records a birth. Check with the UAE office which extract it wants before you order one. ### My degree certificate is already in English. Do I still need a translation? Not for MOFA, which attests English documents. The receiving office in the UAE may still ask for an Arabic translation, so ask before you book one. ### Can the Japanese consulate in Dubai attest my Japanese degree for a UAE job? No. For use in the UAE, the stamps come from MOFA Japan, the UAE embassy in Tokyo and MOFA in the UAE. The Japanese mission deals with documents for use in Japan and with services for Japanese nationals. ### What does mofa attestation japan mean in practice? Usually the seal certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: the home country step, followed by the UAE embassy in Tokyo and MOFA in the UAE. ### Send us your document Send a photo of your document and the name of the office that asked for it. We reply with the route and a written quote. Phone and WhatsApp [+971 52 947 5935](tel:+971529475935) Email [info@dubainotaryservices.com](mailto:info@dubainotaryservices.com) Location Dubai, UAE ## Send us your Japanese document Send a photo of each page and tell us which office in the UAE asked for it. - Phone and WhatsApp: +971 52 947 5935 - Email: info@dubainotaryservices.com ## Other services - [MOFA attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/mofa-attestation-dubai/) - [Certificate attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/certificate-attestation-dubai/) - [Company documents](https://dubainotaryservices.com/company-document-legalization-dubai/) - [UAE documents for abroad](https://dubainotaryservices.com/document-legalization-uae/) - [Notary attestation](https://dubainotaryservices.com/public-notary-services/) - [Family visa documents](https://dubainotaryservices.com/family-visa-document-attestation/) ### Sources for this page - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FAQ (attestation chain and fees): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/faqs) - UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attestation service (language requirement): [https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/services/attestation) - HCCH, Apostille Convention status table: [https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41](https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41)