Translating US birth and marriage certificates into Japanese: state certificates (long form) and the affidavit for a marriage registration

Sources checked: 31 October 2026

The United States has no nationwide civil register like Japan's family register: births, marriages and divorces are recorded by states and counties. What you submit to a Japanese office is a certificate issued by the state or county (a certified copy) with a Japanese translation that identifies the translator. Since 1 September 2025, the US Embassy and consulates in Japan no longer take the sworn statement of eligibility to marry that Americans could previously make there for a marriage registration.

States and counties issue the certificates

The federal government does not distribute certificates, files, or indexes with identifying information for vital records.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Where to Write for Vital Records

The US Embassy in Japan also says birth certificates for people born in the US are kept by the state of birth. The CDC's Where to Write for Vital Records lists where to apply, state by state. Marriage and divorce certificates may come from a county rather than the state: in Texas, for example, certified copies of marriage licenses are available only from the county clerk, and of divorce decrees only from the district clerk.

Texas also issues verification letters for births, marriages and divorces, but says they are not a substitute for certified copies.

Long-form and short-form birth certificates

Some states and cities issue birth certificates in a detailed version (long form) and a short version (short form). Texas and New York City describe them like this:

Version	What it shows	Main uses
Long form (Texas)	The most comprehensive birth record: a copy of the original birth certificate, showing the history of corrections	US passports, driver's licenses in most states, dual citizenship
Short form (Texas)	A certified abstract: only current information for name, date and place of birth, sex and parents' names, with no history of corrections	School and sports registration, employment, insurance
Long form (New York City)	More information than the short form	Mainly international use: dual citizenship, international adoption, international marriage, time of birth, apostilles
Short form (New York City)	The child's name, place and date of birth, sex at birth, and the parents' names	Most domestic purposes

Texas's heirloom (keepsake) birth certificate shows about as much as the short form. Ask the Japanese office which version it needs. The US Embassy notes that some municipal offices ask for a certified copy of the birth certificate and its Japanese translation with the marriage registration.

Marriage registration: no certificate of legal capacity for Americans

The US Embassy in Japan doesn't issue a document proving eligibility to marry. Until 1 September 2025, Americans could swear an Affidavit of Competency to Marry before a consular officer as a substitute for the certificate of legal capacity (婚姻要件具備証明書); that service has ended.

Effective September 1, 2025, the U.S. Embassy and consulates no longer notarize “Affidavits of Competency to Marry.”

U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan: Marriage in Japan

Instead, the Embassy offers a statement (PDF) explaining that the US government doesn't provide such a certificate, and suggests that if the city office won't accept it and wants a sworn document, you look into the remote notary services some states offer. Musashino City, on the other hand, says:

また、アメリカ大使館のホームページ上にある「婚姻要件具備証明書を提供していないことを示すための『書簡』」は添付書類として認められておりませんので、ご注意ください。

Musashino City: marrying a foreign national (Japanese; the letter on the US Embassy website showing that it doesn't provide a certificate of legal capacity is not accepted as an attachment)

Kita Ward, Osaka asks for an affidavit sworn before a notary public of a US state (stating that you are single and have no impediment to marriage under US law; with an apostille where possible) and the passport, each with a Japanese translation stating the date of translation and the translator's name and address. City websites may still show guidance from before September 2025, so check with the office you'll file with.

An apostille goes on the certificate or affidavit

An "Apostille" or "Authentication" is a means of certifying the authenticity of the signature of the issuing authority, the capacity in which the signer was acting, and the identity of any stamp or seal attached to the document.

New York State Department of Health: Apostille for Vital Records

An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a state certificate or on an affidavit sworn before a notary. The Japanese translation is a separate document. In New York State, apostilles are issued by the Department of State, and the Department of Health advises that if you order online or by phone and need an apostille, you request the long form. For a New York City birth certificate, you get the long form with a Letter of Exemplification, have it authenticated by the County Clerk, then get the apostille from the Department of State. The US Embassy in Japan doesn't issue apostilled documents.

If you married or divorced in the US

If you married under US law, report the marriage within three months with the marriage certificate and a Japanese translation (see the marriage registration guide).

A divorce granted by a US court is also reported, with a divorce registration (離婚届). Kobe City gives the deadline as three months from the date the certificate was made, and lists a copy of the court's judgment and a certificate that it is final, each with a Japanese translation. Chiba City lists the United States as a country that doesn't recognise divorce by agreement (協議離婚).

Registering a child born in the US

Chiba City gives the United States as an example of a country that grants nationality by place of birth. A Japanese child born in the US who acquired US nationality at birth needs a declaration to retain Japanese nationality, filed with the birth registration within three months including the day of birth (see the guide to birth registration and retaining nationality). The birth certificate needs a Japanese translation; Chiba City says anyone may translate, including the parent, but the translator must sign at the end.

Residence status applications

A spouse's residence status application asks for a marriage certificate issued by an authority of the applicant's country of nationality, and foreign-language documents need a translation (see the guide to dependant and spouse residence status). The US Embassy says the US government doesn't issue marriage certificates for marriages performed abroad; for a marriage in Japan, the proof is the certificate of acceptance of the marriage registration (婚姻届受理証明書) issued by the city office.

What we tested

We've tested the documents on this page (state birth certificates in long and short form, a county marriage certificate, a divorce certificate, and an affidavit of single status with an apostille) with our service (October 2026).

Questions

Can I get a certificate of legal capacity to marry (single status certificate) from the US Embassy?

No. The Embassy doesn't issue documents proving eligibility to marry, and since 1 September 2025 it no longer takes sworn statements for this either. What to submit instead differs by office: Kita Ward, Osaka lists an affidavit sworn before a state notary public.

Can I use a short-form birth certificate?

It depends on the office. New York City says the long form is mainly used for international purposes such as international marriage and dual citizenship. Ask the office you're submitting to.

Can I translate the documents myself?

For family register filings, the Ministry of Justice says the translator may be the applicant. Kita Ward, Osaka asks for the date of translation and the translator's name and address on the translation; Chiba City asks for the translator's signature at the end.

Does the Japanese translation need an apostille too?

An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a state certificate or a document sworn before a notary. None of the city office guidance checked for this page asks for an apostille on the Japanese translation.

This page is general information. The documents required and the format of translations differ by country and office, and can change. Check the current guidance of the office you are submitting to before you file.