戸籍謄本 / 戸籍抄本
Certified English translation of your Japanese family register (koseki)
If a visa office, registry, or court abroad has asked for your Japanese birth certificate or family register, you will need a complete English translation of the koseki accompanied by a signed certificate of accuracy. Send us your scans and we will deliver both files, in PDF and Word formats, within 48 hours of payment. Most registers run one to three pages, and your total price is fixed before you pay.
$24.95 per pageVertical-format (pre-1994) registers are quoted individually
Certificate of accuracy included · Fixed total before you pay
- Delivered within 48 hours
- Sent by email in PDF and Word formats following payment. A 24-hour option is available.
- Official documents only, since 2021
- We translate family registers, residence certificates, and civil status certificates for immigration, marriage, and inheritance procedures abroad.
- Acceptance guarantee
- If USCIS, UKVI, or the Australian Department of Home Affairs rejects your submission because of the translation or the certificate, we redo it free of charge. If it is rejected again for the same reason, the translation fee is refunded in full.
What the delivered translation looks like
Below is a sample koseki translation prepared with fictitious data: a one-page Certificate of All Matters for a married couple and one child. Every entry is translated in the order it appears, including the personal status matters (birth, marriage) recorded under each person, so the reviewing officer can check each line directly against your Japanese document.
FAMILY REGISTER (KOSEKI) — CERTIFICATE OF ALL MATTERS
Registered Domicile Name | 1-2-3 Honmachi, Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture YAMADA Taro |
|---|---|
Matters of the Family Register Compilation of the Register | [Date of Compilation] June 15, Reiwa 1 (2019) |
Person Recorded in the Family Register | [Name] Taro [Date of Birth] January 5, Heisei 2 (1990) [Father] YAMADA Shigeru [Mother] YAMADA Yoko [Relationship] Eldest son [Spouse Category] Husband |
Personal Status Matters Birth | [Date of Birth] January 5, Heisei 2 (1990) [Place of Birth] Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture [Date of Notification] January 8, Heisei 2 (1990) [Notifier] Father |
Marriage | [Date of Marriage] June 15, Reiwa 1 (2019) [Name of Spouse] TANAKA Hanako [Previous Family Register] 1-2-3 Honmachi, Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture, YAMADA Shigeru |
Person Recorded in the Family Register | [Name] Hanako [Date of Birth] April 20, Heisei 4 (1992) [Father] TANAKA Ichiro [Mother] TANAKA Michiko [Relationship] Eldest daughter [Spouse Category] Wife |
Personal Status Matters Birth | [Date of Birth] April 20, Heisei 4 (1992) [Place of Birth] Kita City, Osaka Prefecture [Date of Notification] April 23, Heisei 4 (1992) [Notifier] Father |
Marriage | [Date of Marriage] June 15, Reiwa 1 (2019) [Name of Spouse] YAMADA Taro [Previous Family Register] 4-5-6 Sakuramachi, Kita City, Osaka Prefecture, TANAKA Ichiro |
Person Recorded in the Family Register | [Name] Yui [Date of Birth] September 10, Reiwa 3 (2021) [Father] YAMADA Taro [Mother] YAMADA Hanako [Relationship] Eldest daughter |
Personal Status Matters Birth | [Date of Birth] September 10, Reiwa 3 (2021) [Place of Birth] Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture [Date of Notification] September 13, Reiwa 3 (2021) [Notifier] Father |
This is a document certifying all of the matters recorded in the Family Register.
August 1, Reiwa 8 (2026)
SATO Kenji, Mayor of Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture
[Official seal: Seal of the Mayor of Chuo City]
Issue Number 00000000-20260801-00000001-Chuo City, Wakayama Prefecture
If you were asked for a Japanese birth certificate
Japan does not issue standalone birth certificates; the family register records births and serves that role. A certified English translation of the koseki (or of a birth registration acceptance certificate) is what USCIS and other authorities accept as the Japanese birth certificate equivalent. We translate both current-format registers and older vertical-format registers (改製原戸籍, handwritten pre-1994 records). Because vertical-format records require additional deciphering, they are quoted individually.
This is not our characterisation. HM Passport Office publishes a country profile for Japan which states plainly that "The Japanese government do not issue birth certificates" and that "The child will be added to the Koseki (family register) if one parent is Japanese" (GOV.UK, Japan: Knowledge Base profile, updated 10 September 2025). If an office abroad insists on a birth certificate, that page is worth showing them.
Submitting a koseki for a green card or spouse visa
For US immigration petitions (such as the I-130, I-485, and naturalization applications), USCIS requires a full English translation of the register together with the translator's certification of accuracy and competence (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)); notarization is not required. Immigration authorities generally request the full register (tohon, Certificate of All Matters) rather than an individual extract, so obtain the tohon if you can. See what USCIS requires, quoted from the regulation, and read our guide to translating your own koseki if you are weighing a do-it-yourself translation.
How much does a koseki translation cost?
The cost is $24.95 per page of the original register, which includes the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy and delivery within 48 hours. A 1-page register is $24.95, a 2-page register is $49.90, and a 3-page register is $74.85. Vertical-format (pre-1994) registers are quoted individually. The full price list with total examples is available on our pricing page.
Common questions
Which koseki document do I need: tohon or shohon?
The receiving authority decides. A tohon (Certificate of All Matters) covers the entire family unit, while a shohon (Certificate of Individual Matters) covers only one person. Immigration authorities typically request the full register (tohon). We translate whichever document you provide.
My register is handwritten and vertical. Can you translate it?
Yes. Pre-1994 registers (kaisei genkoseki) are arranged vertically and often written by hand. Because the time required to decipher the handwriting varies by document, we quote these individually. Send us your scans, and you will receive a fixed total price before committing.
How many pages is a typical koseki?
Most current-format registers run one to three pages. Pricing is calculated per page of the original Japanese document, so a two-page register is 2 × $24.95.
Do you need the original register, or is a scan enough?
A clear scan or smartphone photo of every page is sufficient; you do not need to mail the physical document. We deliver the completed translation and signed certificate by email in PDF and Word formats.
More in the general FAQ, including certification requirements by country.
Send your document, get a fixed quote.
Submitting more than one document to the same authority? Upload the full packet in one order. Bundle discounts apply automatically from 3 separate documents (10%) and from 5 (15%).
Get a fixed quoteNo payment today. Upload clear scans, and we confirm the fixed total before work begins.