Japanese Police Certificate for a Chef Visa: How to Get One

When a restaurant abroad applies for a work visa or permanent residence for a Japanese chef, the immigration authority may ask for a Japanese police certificate, known in Japanese as hanzai keireki shomeisho (certificate of criminal record) or informally as a "no criminal record certificate". The chef applies for it in person at the police, but the application usually needs a document from the employer, and it can take weeks to come through.

This guide sets out the process and what the employer should prepare, based on official guidance from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Kanagawa Prefectural Police and the Embassy of Japan in the United States.

1. What the certificate is

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the "travel certificate" (toko shomeisho), the "certificate of criminal record" and the "no criminal record certificate" are the same document. It is printed in five languages (Japanese, English, French, Spanish and German) and issued in a sealed envelope. There is no fee (Tokyo MPD, Kanagawa Prefectural Police).

It is issued to people who have been asked to submit one by a foreign public body, such as an embassy or immigration authority. It is not something an employer can ask for as a general background check.

2. Who applies, and where

The application goes to the police headquarters of the prefecture where the chef is registered as resident. At the Tokyo MPD, the following can apply:

• People registered as resident in Tokyo
• People living abroad whose last resident registration in Japan was in Tokyo

Fingerprints are taken at the time of application, so the chef must go in person. Each prefecture has a fixed counter. Kanagawa Prefectural Police state plainly that applications cannot be made at police stations; the counter is the identification division at prefectural police headquarters. The Tokyo MPD accepts applications at its travel certificate section on the ground floor of its headquarters.

The Tokyo MPD asks applicants to phone in advance, because it may not be able to accept an application straight away depending on the receiving authority and the reason. Kanagawa also asks applicants to enquire first.

3. Documents: what the employer provides

According to the Tokyo MPD, a Japanese national registered in Tokyo needs three things:

1. A valid passport (no copies)
2. Proof of name and registered address (a residence record issued within six months, a My Number card, or a driving licence whose address matches the registered address, for example)
3. A document showing why the certificate is needed

For the third item, the Tokyo MPD gives examples: "a request for issuance from an embassy, an invitation letter, a school acceptance letter, a notice of employment, an assignment order or an employment contract" bearing the applicant's name. What is accepted differs by requesting country and reason, which is why the MPD asks applicants to enquire first.

4. Timing and collection

Unless someone else collects it, the chef needs at least two visits: one to apply and one to collect. For a chef living outside the city, build travel time into the schedule.

5. When the chef is already abroad

A chef already living abroad can apply at a Japanese embassy or consulate there. Kanagawa Prefectural Police direct applicants to ask the local embassy or consulate about the procedure.

As an example, the Embassy of Japan in the United States describes this process:

• The applicant collects a fingerprint card in person at the embassy's consular section and has fingerprints taken by a US police agency (which charges its own fee).
• The certificate is produced by Japan's National Police Agency, and it takes two to three months from application.
• Only the applicant, or a person they named when applying, can collect it.
• There are limits on the purposes for which it is issued. For purposes other than US or Canadian permanent residence, applicants should enquire first.

Applying from abroad often takes longer than applying in Japan, so when hiring a chef who already lives abroad, check early in the visa process whether a certificate is needed. According to the Tokyo MPD, once someone has applied at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad, they cannot make the same application in Japan.

6. Common problems

• Passport renewal: the passport number is printed on the certificate. Renewing the passport after getting the certificate changes the number (Tokyo MPD). If a renewal is due, do it first.
• Name mismatch: the Tokyo MPD does not accept applications where the name in the family register differs from the passport. The passport has to be updated first.
• Opening the envelope: the certificate is issued sealed. Unless the receiving authority says otherwise, submit it unopened.
• Official seal certification or apostille: if the receiving authority asks for one, it is done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (per the Tokyo MPD). Whether it is needed depends on the receiving country.
• Children under 14: applications from people under 14 are not accepted, because under the Penal Code acts by those under 14 are not punishable. If certificates are requested for accompanying children, check with the receiving authority.

7. Employer checklist

1. Confirm whether the visa authority wants a police certificate and whether it must be recent.
2. Check the guidance of the police in the prefecture where the chef is (or was last) registered.
3. Give the chef an offer, employment contract or assignment order showing why the certificate is needed.
4. Check whether a passport renewal is due and whether the passport name matches the family register.
5. Allow one to two weeks in Japan, and possibly months when applying from abroad.
6. Confirm whether official seal certification or an apostille is needed.

For an English certificate of the cook's licence, see getting an English certificate of the cook's licence. For English versions of employment and graduation certificates, see our guide in Japanese on preparing them in English, and for visas by country, our country guide to chef work visas (in Japanese). There is also a separate English guide, Police certificate from Japan for a visa.

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Eligibility, documents and timing differ between prefectural police forces and embassies and can change. Check the official sources below, verified in September 2026, and contact the police headquarters or embassy before applying.