Payment of services by post

Payment for consular services by post must be made exclusively by postal order, specifically the teigaku kogawase (定額小為替) or futsū kawase shōsho (普通為替証書), available from any Japanese post office.

Please read this notice carefully before choosing which type of postal order to buy.

Teigaku Kogawase (定額小為替)

These are postal orders with pre-fixed values. To apply for teigaku kogawase (定額小為替), you need to fill in the form below, which is available from post offices. Mark the necessary vouchers on the form according to the total value of the consular service to be requested. Each voucher costs ¥200 to issue.

Example: to request a certificate of nationality, which costs ¥2400, mark two ¥1000 vouchers and one ¥400 voucher on the post office form. The total cost of issuing the vouchers in this case will be ¥600.

Once issued, mail the original vouchers together with the documentation. Do not detach the stub so as not to invalidate the postal orders.

Futsū Kawase Shōsho (普通為替証書)

This is a postal order with a fixed value of ¥550 and can be used to send any amount up to ¥50,000. It is recommended that you purchase this type of voucher if you need to issue more than three teigaku kogawase (定額小為替) type vouchers - the three vouchers would add up to ¥600.

Example: applying for an ordinary passport for people over 18 (¥19,200) by teigaku kogawase (定額小為替) would mean 19 ¥1000 vouchers and one ¥200 voucher, with an additional cost of ¥4,000 for issuing the vouchers. Therefore, in this case, the futsū kawase shōsho (普通為替証書) is the cheapest alternative, since its cost is always fixed: ¥550.

The postal order form (futsū kawase furidashi seikyū-sho 普通為替振出請求書) must be requested and filled in directly at the post office counter. Go to your nearest post office.

Once issued, send the original postal orders together with the documentation by post.

For face to face services, check the detailed payment instructions here.

See also the table of consular fees, the amounts of which are determined by Order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The stamps (label and seal) affixed to the documents constitute the receipt for the fees paid, and all proceeds are collected by the National Treasury.