If you live in Japan and are applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, your Japanese documents have to reach the officer in English or French. They also have to arrive in a form the officer can verify.
AZ LLC prepares that package: the English translation, a sworn Affidavit of Translation Accuracy, and a copy of your original document, bound together as a single instrument and certified at a Japanese notary public office (公証役場). Because the translation and the sworn declaration are handled by the same company, you do not need to arrange a translator and a notary agent separately.
What IRCC asks for
IRCC accepts translations from two kinds of translator. The first is a translator certified by a recognised professional association. The second is a translator whose translation is accompanied by an affidavit, sworn before an official authorised to administer oaths in the country where the translation was made.
Japan has no system of translators sworn in or appointed by a court or public body, so translators working here fall into the second category. The official authorised to administer that oath in Japan is a notary public (公証人) attached to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
IRCC also expects the translation to be complete. Every visible element on the page counts: stamps, seals, handwritten notes, issuing office names. Partial translations and summaries are a common reason for a request for further documents.
One rule catches people out: you cannot translate your own documents, and neither can a family member or your representative, however fluent they are. IRCC treats this as a conflict of interest.
One point causes confusion often enough to be worth stating plainly: the stamp goes on a photocopy of your document, not on the original. IRCC's own wording asks the translator to photocopy the original and stamp that copy. Your original certificate is never marked, never surrendered, and stays with you throughout.
The affidavit we prepare also carries an explicit declaration that the translator is not a family member, representative, or otherwise an interested party in your application. IRCC treats translations by relatives or representatives as a conflict of interest, and a package that does not address the point can invite a request for more documents. Ours addresses it on the face of the affidavit.
What you receive
A single set, bound and sealed by the notary public office:
- Affidavit of Translation Accuracy — sworn and signed by the representative of AZ LLC before a Japanese notary public, stating competence in both languages and the accuracy and completeness of the translation
- Notarial Certificate — issued by the notary in both English and Japanese, and certified by the Fukuoka Legal Affairs Bureau
- Apostille — issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan under the Hague Convention
- Exhibit A — the full English translation, bearing the AZ LLC company seal
- Exhibit B — a copy of the Japanese original
- Receipts — the statutory notary fee receipt and the AZ LLC receipt
IRCC does not require an apostille. We include it anyway: the notary office arranges it at the same appointment at no additional cost, and it gives the notarised document the highest level of international authentication available. If your file later goes to a second authority that does require one, you already have it.
What the notary certifies is that the translator swore to the content. The notary does not examine the translation itself. What attests that the translation is accurate and complete against the source is the affidavit we issue.
Documents we handle most often
- 在職証明書 — certificate of employment
- 源泉徴収票 — withholding tax statement (the document in our most recent IRCC case)
- 住民票 — certificate of residence
- 戸籍謄本 — family register
- 婚姻届受理証明書 / 出生届受理証明書 — acceptance certificates for marriage and birth notifications
- 年金記録 — pension record statements
- 卒業証明書・成績証明書 — graduation certificates and academic transcripts
If your document is not listed here, it can usually still be handled. Send us a photograph and we will confirm.
Fee
| Service | Fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Sworn certification — translation, affidavit, and certification at the notary office | ¥44,000 |
| Apostille | No additional charge |
| Several documents in one case | Quoted individually |
| Expedited service | +50% |
The fee covers translation, drafting of the affidavit, prior confirmation and booking with the notary office, attendance and the oath on the day, and the notary's own fee. There is no separate invoice at the end. One document of up to approximately two A4 pages is included as standard; longer documents such as financial statements and contracts are quoted separately, based on character count.
Where you have several documents, we quote the case rather than multiplying the single-document fee. The reason is that the notary's fee depends on the number of instruments certified, not on the number of source documents, and it is often possible to bind several translations into one certified instrument — which costs less than ordering each separately. Whether your documents may travel in one instrument, and how many certified sets are needed, is decided by IRCC and the notary office, not by us. We confirm both before quoting, so the figure you receive is the figure you pay.
Your quotation separates the statutory notary fee from our service fee, so you can see exactly what goes to the notary office and what goes to us. The notary fee is fixed by law and is the same wherever you go in Japan.
How long it takes
In our most recent case, in August 2026, seven days passed between the client's first message and delivery of the finished package — five business days. That figure includes everything: working out exactly what IRCC required, quoting, payment, translating the document, drafting the affidavit, the notary's review, the appointment, and delivery.
The notary stage inside that week took three business days. It runs in two steps and neither can be rushed: the draft affidavit goes to the notary office by email for review, and only once they approve it can the appointment be booked.
That is one case, not an average. If you already know the exact format your case requires, it moves faster; if the notary office is busy, slower. Send us your documents and we will confirm a delivery date in writing before you commit to anything. If you have a filing deadline, tell us the date in your first message.
How the documents reach you
We send you the complete set as PDF files by email, in the order the notary bound them. Upload them to IRCC in that order.
The original paper set stays in our office. IRCC accepts the digital copies for online submission, but if they ever ask for the physical original, tell us and we will send it.
The two are kept differently, so it is worth being clear about it: the scans and PDFs of your documents are held for three months after delivery in case you need them reissued, then deleted. The original notarised paper set is kept in our office and is yours on request at any time.
What we need from you
- A clear scan or photograph of each document, all four corners visible, every page included
- The receiving party — for IRCC, the stream you are applying under
- The spelling of your name exactly as it appears on your passport
- Your deadline, if you have one
How it works
- Send us a photograph or PDF of your documents, with the receiving stream and your deadline
- We reply with a quotation and a delivery date
- Payment
- We translate the documents and draft the affidavit
- Our representative attends the notary office, swears to the accuracy of the translation, and the certification and apostille are issued
- We deliver the completed package by post or in person
If your case is not IRCC
A sworn affidavit is what IRCC asks for, but it is not what every authority asks for. Some accept a certification signed by the translator or the translation company alone, which costs less; others ask only that the translator's signature be notarised. We offer all three formats, and they are set out on our general page for certified translation of Japanese documents.
If the words affidavit or sworn do not appear in your requirements, send us the relevant passage and we will tell you which format it maps to before you order.
How your documents are handled
Your documents are used solely for the translation and the affidavit, and are not passed to any third party beyond what completing your order requires. Retention periods are set out under “How the documents reach you” above.
Scope of our services
AZ LLC provides translation, language support, information and coordination. We do not prepare or file applications with Japanese government offices, act as a filing agent for residence status applications, or provide legal services — under Japanese law those are reserved for licensed administrative scriveners (行政書士) and, where legal representation is involved, attorneys. If your case needs that kind of help, we will refer you.
Acceptance of any translation is ultimately decided by the receiving authority. What we undertake is that the package is complete, accurate, and in the form IRCC describes.
Order
Email info@az-llc.co.jp with your scans and your deadline. You can also reach us through the inquiry form. We reply in Japanese, Chinese, or English.
AZ LLC, Fukuoka, Japan — Japanese, Chinese and English translation, interpreting, and document certification support.