Japanese Translator and Japanese Translation Service in Singapore
Need a Japanese document in English for ICA, MOM, the Traffic Police or ROM? Or an English document in Japanese for an office, school or partner in Japan? Our Japanese translation service in Singapore works in both directions. Japanese families use us for the koseki (family register) in a PR or citizenship file. Companies use us for contracts, manuals and letters going to Japan. A native-speaker human translator does the work, and a second person checks every name, date and seal.
Quick answer: A certified Japanese translation starts from S$60 a page and takes 24 to 48 hours. The ICA version (translation + notary + SAL) starts from S$222.20 for a 1-page document and usually takes 3 to 7 working days. Need it fast? Send a short document before 11am on a weekday for same-day translation (+S$20 a page). The notary and SAL steps add a few working days.
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Certified or Notarised Japanese Translation: Which One Does Your Office Want?
The office that reads your translation decides the route, not the language. Filing a koseki with ICA? You only need card 2.
1. Certified Translation
- Who signs it: Our translator and our company, with a signed and dated statement that the English (or Japanese) is complete and correct.
- Used for: MOM Dependant's Pass and Employment Pass files, the Traffic Police licence conversion, ROM, schools, banks, insurers and employers.
- Time: 24 to 48 hours.
- From: S$60 per page.
2. Notarised Translation
- Who signs it: A Notary Public in Singapore (a senior lawyer), who notarises our certified translation.
- Used for: ICA PR, citizenship, LTVP and LTVP+ files, and reporting the death overseas of a Singapore citizen who lived in Japan.
- Extra step: SAL then authenticates every notarised document with an apostille. The S$87.20 SAL fee is included.
- Time: 3 to 7 working days.
- From: S$222.20 for a 1-page document (S$60 translation + S$75 notarial certificate + S$87.20 SAL).
3. Going to Japan: Apostille
- Who signs it: The Notary Public, then SAL.
- Used for: Singapore papers going to a Japanese city office, school, court or company, such as a birth, marriage or company document in Japanese.
- From: Included with notarisation.
One thing we will always tell you straight
A Japanese family register does not work like a Singapore birth certificate. One koseki can hold your birth, marriage, divorce and children on a few pages, and a short extract may show only you. If an office needs to see your family links, a short extract will not do, and we will tell you before you pay, not after. We also will not guess a kanji reading. Your passport sets the spelling of every name. Our household register translation page explains the full and short koseki in detail.
Japanese to English and English to Japanese Translation, Done by Native Speakers
Japanese mixes three scripts (kanji, hiragana and katakana), and official papers add their own habits. Dates are often written as Showa, Heisei or Reiwa years; we show the date as written and the Western year next to it, for example Heisei 31 and Reiwa 1 are both 2019. The same kanji can be read several ways. Since 26 May 2025, Japan has been adding the reading (furigana) of each name to the koseki, so newer prints show it. On older prints, your passport spelling decides. Ohno, Ono and Oono can be one name; we follow the passport and keep the Japanese in a note.
Also: Kanji, hiragana and katakana, long vowels (Ohno, Ono, Oono), red seals and official stamps, Japanese to Chinese or Korean by a separate native translator
Handwritten, vertical pre-computer registers (改製原戸籍) take longer and cost more, and we tell you before we start. For business Japanese, we agree the politeness level and your company's term list before we start, so a letter to a Tokyo partner reads the way a Japanese manager expects. Japanese to Chinese or Korean is also possible, but kanji that look the same often mean different things, so a separate native translator handles each pair. Need a Japanese interpreter in Singapore? Ask us. We tell you honestly whether we can cover your date.
Japanese Documents We Translate, From Koseki to Contracts
Several documents? Send them together for one bundled quote.
Family Records and Birth
The koseki (full 全部事項証明書 or one-person 個人事項証明書), removed registers (除籍謄本) and old registers, on our household register translation page. Japan rarely issues a separate birth certificate. The birth entry in the koseki, or a certificate of acceptance of the birth notification (出生届受理証明書), is used instead, see birth certificate translation.
Marriage, Divorce and Death
Marriage and divorce entries, acceptance certificates and court papers, see marriage certificate translation and divorce certificate translation. Death records for ICA or probate, see death certificate translation.
Driving
The Japanese licence for the Traffic Police, plus the vehicle deregistration (自動車検査証返納証明書) and insurance (付保証明) papers if asked, see driving licence translation.
Residence and ID
The residence record (住民票) and My Number card details, see identity card translation.
Business, Both Directions
Contracts, board minutes, company registers, manuals and letters, English to Japanese or Japanese to English, see business translation.
Japanese to English Translation From Japan or in Singapore: 4 Steps
Four simple steps, from your photos to a set that is ready to upload.
Send clear photos or scans
Send every page of the koseki, not one page, and the back of each page. Add the passport page of each person named, so we can match the spelling. Tell us the office and the purpose. Family in Japan can photograph the papers and send them; you keep the originals.
Get a price and a plan
We reply within an hour with a fixed, itemised price, and we tell you whether you need the notary and SAL steps.
Translation and check
A native-speaker human translator does the work. A second person checks every name, era date, number and seal against the original and the passports.
Delivery
A certified translation comes as a signed PDF, with a paper copy on request. For ICA, we send it to a Notary Public in Singapore and then to SAL. You get a PDF of the full set (original copy, translation, notarial certificate and SAL certificate) for upload, plus the signed paper set. Courier for a small fee, or collect from our office.
Why Japanese Families and Companies Trust Us
What you get with every Japanese document we translate.
Native Japanese Translators, Human Work
A native speaker translates, and a second person checks. We do not claim credentials we cannot show.
Names, Dates and Seals Checked Twice
Every name follows the passport, every era year gets its Western year, and every seal is read.
Your Papers Stay Private
Your koseki shows your whole family. We do not paste it into public AI tools, and only the people on your job see it.
Honest Timelines
Certified translation takes 24 to 48 hours. With the notary and SAL steps, the whole job usually takes 3 to 7 working days. Old handwritten registers take longer, and we say so up front.
A Typical Job: A Koseki With a Divorce by Agreement, Translated for a PR File
This is how a typical koseki job for a PR file runs. It shows our usual process, not one named client.
Koseki Translation
Koseki (family register)
Birth, marriage, a divorce by agreement (協議離婚) and the parental-authority entry, all in one register.
What the client needed
Japanese citizen living in Singapore, applying for PR
- The English has to show the birth, the marriage, the divorce, the link to the child and the custody entry clearly.
- Kyogi rikon is a divorce by agreement registered at a city office, not a court divorce, and an officer may not know that.
What we did
Every entry translated word for word, with a short note
- The client sends photos of every page of the koseki, plus the passport page of each person named.
- We translate every page and keep the order and layout of the register, so an ICA officer can follow each entry.
- Each date carries both the era year and the Western year.
- The divorce and parental-authority entries are translated word for word, with a short translator's note explaining that kyogi rikon is a divorce by agreement registered at a city office, not a court divorce.
- The set is notarised with the SAL apostille for ICA.
How Much Does Japanese Translation Cost in Singapore?
You pay per page for personal papers and per word for long business files, and you get a fixed price before we start. Several documents? Send them together for one bundled quote with an itemised breakdown.
Notarised for ICA
3-7 daysStarting from · 1-page document, notary + SAL included
- Includes the notary fee (S$75) and the SAL fee (S$87.20)
- +S$60 for each extra page
- PDF for the ICA upload plus the signed paper set
Certified Translation
24-48 hrsStarting from
- Koseki, licences, certificates and letters
- For MOM, the Traffic Police, ROM, schools and banks
- Signed PDF, paper copy on request
Long Business Files
QuotedStarting from
- Contracts, manuals and reports, Japanese to English or English to Japanese
- Repeated text and your term list kept the same
- Same-day: +S$20 a page for short documents sent before 11am on a weekday (translation only)
Worked example: a PR set. A 3-page koseki translated from Japanese for an ICA PR file, notarised with SAL. First page, notarised: S$222.20. 2 extra pages × S$60: S$120. Total: from S$342.20, ready in 3 to 7 working days. Japanese is a standard language for us. Handwritten pre-computer registers and very faded pages may cost more or take longer, and we tell you before we start.
What Our Japanese Translation Clients Say
Here is what clients said after we translated their Japanese and English documents.
Real Client Experiences
Swipe to read more success stories
Upload worked first time
"I was scared to upload my Japanese birth paper to ICA. Small spelling mistake can cause delay. They checked every letter properly. Name order matched my passport. I submitted once..."
Japan client accepted file
"Our company needed English paper changed into Japanese for a partner in Tokyo. I did not want wrong meaning. Work came back clear and easy to read. Client replied same..."
Visa timeline stayed safe
"Applying for visa already gives stress. My marriage paper was in Japanese. I sent photo by WhatsApp. Reply was quick. English copy looked neat. No correction needed during submission. I..."
HR approved without question
"Suddenly my office asked for Japanese employment letter in English. Deadline was short. I shared soft copy at night. Draft arrived next morning. Words were simple. HR accepted it straight..."
Numbers stayed correct
"PR file needed my Japanese bank paper translated. I was worried about wrong amount. Every figure stayed same. Currency also correct. Upload to ICA portal went smoothly. No extra mail..."
School accepted document
"University asked for English copy of my Japanese transcript. I sent scan copy online. Final version looked clean and easy to understand. Admission team did not ask for change. That..."
Doctor could read clearly
"Clinic needed English version of my Japanese medical note. I did not want hard words. Paper came back simple and clear. Doctor read it without confusion. Appointment continued without delay."
Late night reply came
"Around 10pm I sent message with my file. I did not expect fast reply. Response came within short time. Process was explained step by step. File delivered before next day..."
Came back again
"Last year I used this service for my PR papers. This time I needed translation for company file. Experience was still good. Work arrived on promised day. That is why..."
PR file went fine
"When I sat with my PR checklist, I saw my Japanese income paper was not in English. I felt worried. After giving it here, I checked the draft myself. Everything..."
Other Japanese Translation Services and Guides
A PR or citizenship file rarely has one paper. Send the set together, and every name is spelt the same way on every page.
Helpful guides
Several Documents? One Bundled Quote
Send them together for one bundled quote with an itemised breakdown.
Common Questions About Japanese Translation in Singapore
Short, direct answers to the questions clients ask us most.
FAQ Group
Does ICA accept a certified Japanese translation, or must it be notarised?
For a private translation, plan for notarised. ICA accepts an embassy translation, a translation by a notary public in Singapore or Japan, or a private translation that is notarised or attested by the embassy. ICA does not endorse any translation company, so a company stamp alone is not enough. MOM, ROM and the Traffic Police accept our certified translation.
How much does Japanese translation cost in Singapore?
A certified Japanese translation starts at S$60 a page. The ICA version, with notary and SAL, starts at S$222.20 for a 1-page document, and each extra page adds S$60. Long business files start at S$0.28 a word. Same-day adds S$20 a page. Send us the scan and you get a fixed, itemised price within the hour.
Do I need SAL authentication or an apostille?
For ICA, you do not need a separate step. When a Singapore notary signs your translation, SAL must authenticate it with an apostille, and the S$87.20 fee is in our notarised price. For papers going to Japan, that SAL apostille is enough, because Japan is in the Apostille Convention. No Japanese Embassy stamp is needed.
My ICA or MOM deadline is close. Can you still help?
Often, yes. A short document sent before 11am on a weekday can be translated the same day for S$20 more a page. The notary and SAL steps depend on their schedules and usually add a few working days. Message us on WhatsApp with your date, and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible.
Do I get a PDF and a paper copy? Do you need my original koseki?
A clear photo or scan is enough, and your original stays with you. A certified translation comes as a signed PDF, with a paper copy on request. A notarised set comes as a PDF for upload plus the signed paper set. Collect it from our office, or we courier it for a small fee.
Should I order the full koseki or the short extract?
For PR, citizenship or a Dependant's Pass, order the full record (全部事項証明書, the old 戸籍謄本). The short one (個人事項証明書) shows only one person, so it cannot prove a marriage or a child. If you are not sure, send what you have and we will tell you before you pay.
How do you write Showa, Heisei and Reiwa dates?
We keep the date as written and add the Western year next to it, for example "Heisei 30 (2018)". A second person checks every converted date. This lets the officer read the date quickly and still match it to the Japanese original.
How will you spell my kanji name?
The way your passport spells it. One kanji name can have several readings, so we never guess. Newer koseki prints show the reading (furigana), which Japan began adding on 26 May 2025. If the koseki and the passport differ, we add a short translator's note so the officer sees one person.
Can you translate English documents into Japanese for use in Japan?
Yes. We translate Singapore certificates, company papers and letters into Japanese. For an office in Japan, we can notarise the translation with the SAL apostille, which Japan accepts. For business letters, we agree the politeness level and your term list first.
My family is in Japan with the documents. Can we still do this?
Yes. Ask them to order a recent print from the city office, lay each page flat in daylight and photograph all four corners and the back. Send the photos on WhatsApp or by email. We translate from the photos, and you never need to post the originals to us.
Get Your Japanese Translation Done the Right Way
Send photos of every page, tell us which office it is for, and get a fixed, itemised price within an hour.