Post a Job

Hiring basics

Japan Police Certificate for a Visa: Employer Action List

Whether a chef's visa route actually needs a Japanese police certificate, how recent it must be, a six-prefecture comparison of fees and processing time, and the one document the employer must produce, with the proof-of-need letter in English and Japanese.

Updated September 27, 2026 WashokuJob

Some visa routes ask a chef from Japan for a police certificate (犯罪経歴証明書). It is issued only when a foreign authority has requested one, the chef must apply in person for fingerprints, and it comes sealed. In Japan it takes about one to two weeks depending on the prefecture; applying through an embassy abroad takes about two months. The employer's one job is to supply a document proving why the certificate is needed, which section 4 gives in full, in English and Japanese.

This page is for the person assembling a visa document pack for a chef already offered a job. It answers whether a certificate is needed, how recent it must be, where to apply across Japan's largest prefectures, and what the employer itself must produce. The chef's own step-by-step application, including opening hours and what to expect at the counter, is covered in full on 犯罪経歴証明書の取り方, in Japanese; this page does not repeat those steps.

On this page

  1. Does your chef need one, and does the country matter?
  2. How recent must it be?
  3. Where to apply: six prefectures compared
  4. The employer's one job: the proof-of-need letter
  5. Planning the timeline

1. Does your chef need one, and does the country matter?

Whether a certificate is required depends on the visa route, not the job. A few examples from official sources, checked 27 September 2026:

CountryWhat the official source says
CanadaIRCC's Japan page says not to include a certificate with the application; IRCC sends a letter requesting one if required, for permanent residence, citizenship or some temporary programmes. International Experience Canada applicants do not need one with the application, though an officer may request one later.
United KingdomFor the Skilled Worker visa, a criminal record certificate is needed only for applicants from outside the UK working in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. Chefs are not in those groups.
AustraliaHome Affairs says that after you apply it may ask you to provide a police certificate; no fixed rule for chefs specifically.
United StatesThe State Department's Japan page names the Certificate of Criminal Record as the police document for visa applicants who need one, and warns applicants not to open the sealed envelope.

MOFA notes that some receiving bodies accept, instead of a police certificate, a notarised statement by the applicant that they have no criminal record. Ask the immigration authority or your lawyer before choosing that route.

2. How recent must it be?

This decides when in the process to apply, and it is the detail employers most often miss. Confirmed rules are rare; the clearest one we found:

Because a Japanese certificate cannot be reissued by post and reapplying means another trip to the police (or another two-month embassy wait), treat "how recent" as a scheduling question to settle before the chef applies, not after.

3. Where to apply: six prefectures compared

The chef applies in person at the police headquarters covering their registered address; local police stations do not accept applications. Fees, processing time and proxy rules for collection differ by prefecture. Figures checked 27 September 2026 against each force's own page.

Prefecture (metro)FeeReady inAdvance call neededProxy can collect
TokyoFreeAbout 2 weeksRequested, not stated as mandatoryYes, with a letter of authorisation
OsakaFreeAbout 2 weeksRequestedYes, in exceptional cases, with authorisation
Kanagawa (Yokohama)FreeAbout 1 weekNot required, but requestedYes, with receipt and authorisation
Fukuoka¥400About 1 weekYes, by email before applyingNo for the application itself; collection needs a power of attorney
Aichi (Nagoya)¥500About 2 weeksRecommended, by phoneYes, with power of attorney, pickup notice and the proxy's own ID
Hokkaido (Sapporo)FreeAbout 10 business daysYes, by phoneYes, with a letter of authorisation

Every prefecture requires the chef to appear in person at least once, for fingerprinting; a proxy can sometimes collect the finished certificate but never apply on the chef's behalf. If your chef is registered somewhere else, call that prefecture's police headquarters first; do not assume Tokyo's rules apply nationwide.

4. The employer's one job: the proof-of-need letter

The only document the employer itself produces is proof of why the certificate is needed. The Tokyo police's own examples of an acceptable document include a request letter from an embassy, an invitation letter, a school acceptance letter, a letter of appointment or offer of employment, a transfer order, or an employment contract, bearing the applicant's name. Use this outline:

English
[Company letterhead]
[Date]

To whom it may concern:

This is to certify that [Company name] has offered employment to [Full name, exactly as in passport], passport no. [ ], as [job title], effective from [date]. [Full name] requires a Certificate of Criminal Record (犯罪経歴証明書) issued by the Japanese police for submission to [name of the receiving authority, e.g. the visa or immigration office handling the application], which has requested this document [in connection with application no. ( ), if any].

[Name], [Title], [Company name] — signature and company seal, if used

日本語
［会社のレターヘッド］
［日付］

関係者各位

［会社名］は、［氏名（パスポート表記のとおり）］（旅券番号［　］）に対し、［職種名］として［日付］付で雇用を提供したことを証明します。［氏名］は、［受領機関名、例：ビザ・移民当局］に提出するため、日本の警察が発行する犯罪経歴証明書が必要です。同機関は［申請番号（　）、ある場合］に関連してこの書類を求めています。

［氏名］、［肩書き］、［会社名］ — 署名・社印（使用する場合）

Make sure the name matches the passport exactly, including any middle name. Give the chef this letter alongside the offer letter template on chef offer letter template, since both are usually needed around the same time.

5. Planning the timeline

Where the chef isStated processing time
In Japan, at the prefecture of registrationAbout 1 to 2 weeks, per the table in section 3
Abroad, via a Japanese embassy or consulateAbout 2 months, sometimes over 3 (MOFA)

If your chef is still in Japan and the visa route will need a certificate, applying before departure is almost always faster. Add it to the document list you send with the offer, alongside employment and graduation certificates. For the chef's own walkthrough of the counter process, fingerprinting and what to bring, see 犯罪経歴証明書の取り方, and for the wider pre-departure checklist, onboarding a chef from Japan.

Processing times and fees are checked against each prefectural police page as of 27 September 2026 and can change without notice; the ¥400 to ¥500 fees at Fukuoka and Aichi are the only ones that differ from the otherwise free service. Re-check the relevant prefecture's page before applying. Next check: March 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Does every visa route need a Japanese police certificate?

No. It depends on the specific route: Canada's IRCC requests one only after applying and only for some categories, the UK's Skilled Worker visa needs one only for education, healthcare, therapy or social services applicants, and the US names it for visa applicants generally. Chefs are often not in the group that needs one.

How recent does the certificate need to be?

For US immigrant visas, two years, per the State Department's civil documents guidance. We could not confirm a fixed window for the UK, Australia or Canada; ask the authority handling the file and apply late enough that it will still be current when the file is decided.

Where does the chef apply if they are not in Tokyo?

At the police headquarters of the prefecture where they are registered as resident, not a local police station. Section 3 compares Tokyo, Osaka, Kanagawa, Fukuoka, Aichi and Hokkaido; for anywhere else, call that prefecture's headquarters first, since fees and rules differ.

What is the one document the employer has to produce?

A letter or contract proving why the certificate is needed, such as an offer of employment or an assignment order, bearing the chef's name exactly as in their passport. Section 4 gives the full wording in English and Japanese.

Is this the same as 犯罪経歴証明書の取り方 (hanzai-keireki-shomeisho)?

It covers the same certificate but a different job. This page answers whether you need one, how recent it must be, and what the employer produces. The chef's own counter-by-counter application process is on that page and is not repeated here.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Police procedures differ between prefectures and change over time; the chef should check the page of the police headquarters where they will apply, and you should follow the instructions of the immigration authority handling the visa.

Sources

Related guides

Hiring a chef from Japan?

WashokuJob is a job board built only for Japanese restaurants outside Japan. Tell us the role and the city, and we will come back with how a listing would work for you.

For restaurants Contact us

Hiring a Washoku chef?

Reach Japanese-cuisine chefs worldwide by posting your job on WashokuJob.

Post a Job Talk to us about posting