Koseki (Family Register) Retrieval from Overseas

A koseki is often needed for procedures outside Japan, for a Japanese visa application, or to trace your family line. Requesting one from abroad can be difficult: each municipality has its own forms and rules, and payment by postal money order is required. We handle the request for you, in English.

1. What we do

• Obtaining current koseki, removed koseki (joseki, 除籍) and pre-revision koseki (kaisei-gen koseki, 改製原戸籍)
• Tracing the registered domicile (honseki, 本籍) from earlier koseki records, for example from a parent's koseki
• Nikkei family record research: tracing Japanese koseki records across several generations or municipalities
• Checking with the municipality in advance what it requires
• English translation of the certificates (optional)
• Sending the original certificates to you, in Japan or abroad

2. What is not included

• Advice or decisions on Japanese nationality (whether you have it, choosing or losing it)
• Japanese or foreign passports
• Advice on inheritance or who the heirs are
• Advice on foreign law
• Obtaining records from outside Japan, such as foreign birth certificates or immigration records (we only check the copies you provide)
• The record of addresses linked to a koseki (koseki no fuhyo, 戸籍の附票)
• The koseki of siblings, uncles, aunts or cousins, unless the person recorded in the koseki (or their spouse or direct relative) signs the letter of authorization. See Who can request a koseki.

If you have questions on these matters, please consult the relevant authority or a suitable professional. For questions about Japanese visas, you can book a paid consultation with us.

3. Who can request a koseki

A koseki can be requested by:

• a person recorded in the koseki,
• their spouse, and
• their direct ascendants and descendants (for example parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren).

This also applies if you are not a Japanese national. For example, a grandchild of a Japanese emigrant can request the grandparent's koseki, with documents that prove the family relationship (such as birth certificates). Other relatives usually cannot request a koseki. We will tell you in the free check whether your request is possible.

We request the koseki on your behalf with a letter of authorization signed by the entitled person. The letter must be signed by hand, and some municipalities require their own form or require the whole form to be handwritten.

The Family Register Act allows a gyoseishoshi to request a koseki in their own capacity when it is needed to carry out work they have been retained for. For this koseki retrieval service, we do not use this professional request (shokumu-jo seikyu, 職務上請求); we always request the koseki with your letter of authorization.

Requests concerning a living person

• Your spouse's koseki: we ask your spouse to sign the letter of authorization.
• A living parent's, child's or other direct relative's koseki: we usually ask that person to sign the letter of authorization.
• We ask about the purpose of every request. We may decline a request, for example if it appears to be intended to find where someone lives or is related to a family dispute.

4. How it works

The free eligibility check has two steps.

1. Free check, step 1: the form. Fill in the form below. Within 3 working days, we tell you whether we can look into your case further, or why we cannot help.
2. Free check, step 2: details and documents. If we can look into your case, we ask you by email for more details and for copies of the documents you have (for example an old copy of a koseki), which you upload to a private folder we share only with you.
3. Result within 5 working days. After we receive everything, we tell you whether the koseki can likely be obtained, can be obtained only under certain conditions, or cannot be obtained through us (with the reason). If it can, we list the documents needed and send you a written quote.
4. Contract and payment. The fee is paid in full in advance.
5. Letter of authorization. The entitled person signs it by hand and mails the original to us.
6. Request to the municipality. We request the certificates by mail.
7. Delivery. We send you the certificates (and translations, if requested). If the results show that further records are needed, for example to trace the honseki back to an earlier koseki, we make an additional request after your approval.

How long it takes depends on the municipality and on international mail. We give you an estimate with the result of the free check. If you do not retain us, we delete the documents you sent us as soon as possible after the result.

5. Fees

All fees include 10% consumption tax, also for clients residing outside Japan.

Payment

• The full fee is payable in advance. Each additional request is also paid in advance.
• Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, JCB or bank transfer.
• Paid consultations are a separate service. Consultation fees are not credited toward koseki services.

6. Applying for a visa with us?

If we prepare your spouse visa or Long-Term Resident (Nikkei) visa application, we can also obtain the koseki records your application needs, so you do not need to request this service separately. Depending on the work involved, obtaining or tracing koseki records may be charged in addition to the visa application fee, and actual costs (such as municipal fees and postage) are charged separately. We will include these in our quote. If a koseki is needed for your application, we may be able to request it ourselves as your gyoseishoshi (shokumu-jo seikyu, 職務上請求), without a letter of authorization.

7. Frequently asked questions

I am not a Japanese national. Can I get my grandfather's koseki?

Yes, in most cases, if you are his direct descendant. You need documents that prove each step of the relationship, such as your parent's and your own birth certificates.

I do not know the honseki (registered domicile).

A koseki is kept by the municipality of the honseki, which is not necessarily where the person lived. To request a koseki, you generally need the full honseki address, including the lot number (banchi); knowing only the city is usually not enough. The honseki can often be traced from another koseki whose honseki you know, such as your own or a parent's, because a koseki records where each person came from. Family papers, such as an old copy of a koseki, may also help. If the honseki cannot be identified, we cannot obtain the koseki.

Can I get my uncle's or my brother's koseki?

Usually not. Siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins are not direct relatives. If the person recorded in the koseki (or their spouse or direct relative) signs a letter of authorization, the request may be possible.

Is the check really free? What does it include?

Yes. The free check tells you whether the koseki can be obtained, what is needed and the estimated cost. In step 2, we may look at copies of your documents, but only to answer these questions. It does not include advice on your individual case, such as nationality or inheritance. For such questions, please consult the relevant authority or a suitable professional.

Can you send the original certificates outside Japan?

Yes. We send them by international mail (for example EMS). Shipping is charged at cost.

Do you translate the certificates?

Yes, as an optional service. Old handwritten records (joseki and kaisei-gen koseki) are charged at a higher rate.

8. Related guides

• How to Get a Japanese Koseki (Family Register) from Overseas: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Married to a Japanese National? How International Marriage Is Recorded in the Koseki
• Nikkei 2nd, 3rd or 4th Generation? Which Japanese Visa Fits Your Family Line

See all articles about koseki →

9. Free eligibility check

Answer the questions below. Within 3 working days, we will tell you the next step. Please do not send any documents yet; if we need them, we will ask you in step 2. Fields marked * are required.

Disclaimer: This page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of October 19, 2026. Municipal procedures, requirements and fees may change without notice. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information.