Legalising a document using an Apostille

The Finnish authorities may ask you to legalise a foreign document. This should be done in the country where the document was issued.

If the country in question has signed the Hague Convention of 1961, the document can be legalised using an Apostille. For more information about Apostille certificates and the authorities that issue them, visit the Hague Conventions website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Legalising documents in Japan

Japan has signed the Hague Convention of 1961 and is an Apostille country. Apostille certificates in Japan are issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry(Link to another website.).

If you need a Japanese official document for the Finnish authorities, the legalisation and translation process takes place as follows:

apply for the document you need from the Japanese authority, such as an extract from the family register (Koseki tohon), after which you must apply Apostille for the document from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The document must then be translated into English, Finnish or Swedish by an official translation firm, after which a notary public must authenticate the translation and, finally, apply for an Apostille application.

In practice, the customer retrieves the document and the first Apostille. The translation company may then be asked to translate, obtain notary legalisation and Apostille.

Translation Agencies in Japan who are able to manage the process in the right way.

Translations made by authorised translators in Finland are acceptable as such. Contact information for translators is available on The Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters’ (SKTL)(layout.types.url.description) (Opens New Window)(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)website.