Frequently asked questions

Every translation includes a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy. This certifies that the English text is a complete and accurate translation of the Japanese original, and that the translator is competent to translate from Japanese into English. The certificate includes the date, the translator’s name, signature, contact details, and qualifications. This format meets the requirements of USCIS, UKVI, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

USCIS requires a complete English translation accompanied by a certificate from the translator confirming completeness, accuracy, and competence (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)). USCIS does not require membership in a translation association, notarization, or US residency. Our certificate follows this format.

UKVI requires written confirmation from the translator that the translation is an accurate translation of the original document, along with the date, the translator’s full name, signature, and contact details. For applications submitted within the UK, the translator’s credentials are also required. Our certificate includes all of these details.

We do not hold NAATI accreditation, which is not required for translations produced outside Australia. The Department of Home Affairs specifies that offshore translators do not need NAATI accreditation, provided the translation states the translator’s name, address, telephone number, and relevant qualifications and experience. Our certificate includes all of these details. Please note that Australian state authorities, such as driver licensing agencies and registries of births, deaths, and marriages, follow separate domestic rules and only accept designated providers. We cannot translate documents for those state authorities.

IRCC accepts translations prepared by a translator fluent in both languages when accompanied by an affidavit sworn before a notary public in the translator’s country of residence. We produce the translation and affidavit, then have the affidavit sworn before a notary public in Japan. Because notarization has fixed costs, orders for Canada are quoted individually.

Four checks do not depend on trusting anyone’s marketing. First, ask whose name goes on the certificate: UKVI and the Australian Department of Home Affairs both require the translator’s name and reachable contact details, so a provider who will not tell you may not be able to meet the requirement. Second, ask which published rule their certificate is written to satisfy — a provider working to a specific requirement can name it (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) for USCIS, GOV.UK’s "Certifying a document" guidance for UKVI, Guide CIT 0001 for IRCC). Third, ask what happens if the authority rejects the translation, and get the answer before you pay. Fourth, a provider who tells you when you do not need them — when the bank can issue the document in English, or when the receiving office only accepts a designated provider — is describing the limits of their service rather than selling past them. As an independent check on us specifically, Japan Translations is listed as a translator in Japan on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Find a professional service abroad directory.

The embassy asks for proof of the child’s birth — the koseki where one parent is Japanese, or the certificate of acceptance of birth notification or certificate of birth report issued by the city office that registered the birth — plus the parents’ marriage certificate and proof that any prior marriages ended. A certificate issued by the hospital is not accepted. Originals are required, each accompanied by an English translation. We translate all of these, with the translation delivered in a layout that mirrors the original so the consular officer can follow it entry by entry. Note that a filing with USCIS inside the United States, such as a green card or naturalisation petition, is governed by a separate rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), which requires the translator’s signed certification — that is included with every order.

No. HM Passport Office requires an official translation "signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation". We do not hold such a membership, so our certificate would not satisfy it. Note that this is stricter than the UKVI visa requirement, which sets no membership condition and which we do meet — for the United Kingdom, a visa application and a passport application are judged by different rules.

No, and no translation service can. Japanese law limits who may produce the Japanese translation attached to a foreign licence to three groups: the authority that issued the licence or that country’s consular mission in Japan; a body notified to the National Public Safety Commission by the issuing country (currently the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association for Taiwanese licences and the German automobile association for German ones); and organisations designated by the National Public Safety Commission — JAF, Zipplus, and the Japan Driver Support Association. The National Police Agency states explicitly that foreign sworn translators are not among them. Order from JAF or your country’s embassy or consulate in Japan instead. Translating a Japanese licence into English for use abroad is a different matter, though some overseas authorities also restrict who may translate — Transport for NSW and several Canadian provinces do, and we decline those.

For USCIS, UKVI, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs, yes, within defined limits: if the authority rejects your submission because of the translation or the certificate, we redo the translation and certificate free of charge. If it is rejected a second time for the same reason, we will refund the translation fee in full upon receipt of the written notice from the authority. Final acceptance remains at the discretion of the receiving authority. This policy does not apply to state-level agencies such as US state DMVs, IRCC affidavit orders, or rejections unrelated to the translation.

Standard delivery is within 48 hours of payment confirmation and receipt of legible documents, including weekends. An expedited 24-hour delivery option is available for an additional $14.95 per page.

We need a clear scan or photograph of each document, the destination country and receiving authority, and the official romanization of personal names if one exists (as in a passport).

You will receive an email containing a PDF that includes the translation formatted to match the original document alongside the signed certificate of accuracy, as well as an editable Microsoft Word document (.docx).

Yes, when required by the receiving authority. We can provide a translator’s affidavit notarized in Japan, which takes 1 to 2 weeks to complete and includes international postal delivery of the signed paper original. We quote notarized orders individually prior to payment. Orders for IRCC in Canada always require notarization and are quoted on this basis. Most government agencies, including USCIS, UKVI, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs, do not require notarization and accept our standard signed certificate. For US state agencies that do require notarization, such as certain state DMVs (for example Texas), working with a US-based provider who can notarize locally is usually faster and less expensive. If this applies to your situation, we will advise you before you pay.

Payment is processed through a secure payment link using a credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay. A PayPal account is not required to pay by card. All fees are billed in US dollars, and all orders are prepaid. You may cancel for a full refund at any time before translation work begins. Please see our Terms of Service for the full refund policy.

Yes. Customers residing in Japan can place an order using the same process. Most of our clients in Japan are submitting paperwork to authorities abroad, such as UK Visas and Immigration or foreign consulates. Our statutory disclosures under Japan’s Act on Specified Commercial Transactions are published on our Commercial Disclosure page.

Your source documents and completed translations are deleted 90 days after delivery, or earlier upon request. To allow receiving authorities to verify the authenticity of a certificate we issued, we retain only the certificate reference number, issue date, and document type, without saving document contents. Full details are available in our Privacy Policy.

No. Your documents are handled using professional translation software under terms that prohibit use of your content for any other purpose, and every translation is reviewed and finalized personally by the translator.