Procedure to apply for a criminal record certificate (a poli

Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters accepts an application from a person who is required to obtain a criminal record certificate by official agencies of the destination country and meets the following conditions.

• Japanese nationals or foreign nationals who presently have resident registration in Osaka Prefecture.
• Japanese nationals or foreign nationals who presently have resident registration overseas but last registered themselves in Osaka Prefecture when they were in Japan.

Please note that police stations cannot accept applications.
※ We can accept an application from an applicant him/herself only.

• A request letter from an official organization (Such as a request letter from an embassy to the Japanese Police.)
• A visa application or a license application which requires you to attach a criminal record certificate
• Please contact us if your destination country doesn’t issue any official letters or your request is not for a visa or a license application.

Your valid passport (If your passport number has changed for renewal or other reasons, the certificate might become invalid because your passport number is written in the criminal record certificate.）

• Residence card will do if you are a foreign national.
•  If you moved your residence registry to a foreign county, submit “A certificate of removal (Johyo) of residence registry or a supplementary (Fuhyo) of a family registry” and “ any documents that can prove your present address such as a residence certificate in the country you presently reside or an apartment lease agreement”
• If all the conditions below are met, your residence registry can be replaced with your driving license.
  • Your address in the residence registry is completely the same as that in the driving license.
  • There has been no change on your permanent domicile since you obtained your passport.
  • Perfect match in Kanji characters of your name between your driving license and your residence registry

Identification documents of an applicant

Applicants who reside in Japan

Japanese Nationals

One of the following documents

• A certified copy of residence registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date
• A certificate of registered matters in the residence registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date
• A Basic Resident Register Card which is valid and contains the same address as in the residence registry
• A driving permit which is valid and contains the same address as in the residence registry

Foreign Nationals

One of the following documents

• A certified copy of residence registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date
• Residence card which is valid and contains the same address as in the residence registry
• Special Permanent Resident Certificate which is valid and contains the same address as in the residence registry
• A driving permit which is valid and contains the same address as in the residence registry

Applicants who reside or stay outside Japan

Japanese Nationals

One of the following documents with which we can confirm that your residence registry had been closed

• A certified copy of a certificate of removal (Johyo) of residence registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date
• A certified copy of a supplementary (Fuhyo) of a family registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date

One of the following documents with which we can confirm your present address abroad

• Foreign driving permit containing your address
• Any mail, receipts or other documents containing your name and address
• Residence Certificate issued by an official organization

Foreign Nationals

One of the following documents with which we can confirm that your residence registry had been closed

1. A person who registered him/herself residency in Osaka Prefecture for the last time and closed the residency after July 9, 2012
   • A certified copy of a certificate of removal (Johyo) of residence registry issued within 6 months prior to the application date
2. A person who registered alien registration in Osaka Prefecture for the last time and closed the residency before July 8, 2012
   • A document issued within 6 months prior to the application, which was requested to be disclosed, containing the last

 residence in Osaka prefecture of the alien registration card
※ Please refer to the website, the Private Information Protection Section of the Secretarial Division of the Justice Ministry’s Minister’s Secretariat, for disclosure request

• One of the following documents with which we can confirm your last address in Osaka prefecture such as a then driving permit, a certificate of registered matters of the alien registration card or any mail or receipts containing your name and address

One of the following documents with which we can confirm your address abroad

• Foreign driving permit containing your address
• Any mail, receipts or documents containing your name and address
• Residence Certificate issued by an official organization

• Weekdays （from Monday through Friday） 9:00 AM ～ 11:30 AM、1:00PM～5:00PM
  （Except for Saturdays, Sundays, National holidays and holidays from December 29 to January 3）

※It takes about 30 minutes to finish all the application procedures.
No reservation accepted for application. You might have to wait for longer than one hour if there are many applicants.

No charge

It takes about  2 weeks for you to obtain a certificate after completion of application procedure. It might take longer than that before or after Golden Week holidays or New Year holidays, so please apply well in advance.

- An applicant
- A proxy (We can provide a form of a letter of proxy upon request at the time of application.)Mail service is not available.

A1

A criminal record certificate is written in five languages, Japanese, English, French, German and Spanish.

A2

We can issue a criminal record certificate only when foreign official organizations require you to obtain. We cannot accept your application if it is required by an individual or a private company. If you go abroad on business, you may need to get a criminal record certificate for applying for a working permission.
Please make sure what to do for application in your destination country in advance.

A3

Yes, you can. You can apply at the Japanese Embassy or Consulate overseas but you should ask them what you need for application or how long it would take to obtain a certificate. Sometimes it may take longer than one month.
If you already applied at an embassy or a consulate abroad, we cannot accept your application.

A4

No, you can’t. You can apply only at the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters in Osaka Prefecture.

A5

No, you can’t. We have to take your fingerprints, so you yourself should appear.

A6

Passport number is written in a criminal record certificate. If you renew your passport, your passport number will change. Therefore it is better for you to apply after you have renewed your passport.
However, there are some cases in which we can take exceptional measures for you.
Please ask an office where you are applying.

A7

Please refer to “ Outline of Criminal Record Certificate Application Procedures” in the website of the National Police Agency about it.

A8

No, you can’t. We don’t send a certificate by mail. Basically speaking, we hand it to an applicant himself/herself. However if you can’t come to pick it up due to unavoidable circumstances, you can ask someone to pick it up for you. In that case, you should let us know at the time of application. We will give you a form of A Letter of Proxy.

A9

Our parking space is for official use or carry-in use only. No parking space is available for you so we would like you to use a parking area nearby.

A10

No, you can’t. If you unseal an envelope containing a criminal record certificate, the certificate will become invalid because the envelope is addressed to the government of the destination country. You should confirm with relevant authorities about it again.

Official documents containing an applicant’s name and address and the reason for applying for a criminal record certificate
Official documents that are frequently submitted to the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters for application

United States of America

Obtaining a visa for permanent residency (immigrant) or marriage
→ Documents issued by the Embassy, Consulate, Immigration Office containing an applicant’s name and a case number

People’s Republic of China

Obtaining a working permit
→ Completed “Application for Working Permit for Foreign Residents” （Photocopies accepted ）

Viet Nam

Obtaining a working permit
→ Completed “Application for Work Permit” （Photocopies accepted）

Brazil （when applying at the consulate in Nagoya）

Obtaining a temporary stay visa except for passing and sightseeing
→ A letter from an embassy or a consulate

Belgium

Obtaining a visa for staying longer than 3 months, a work permit
→ A letter from an embassy or a consulate
（As for a work permit, a letter of appointment from a company is necessary.）

Australia

Obtaining a visa
→ Completed visa application (Photocopies accepted)

New Zealand

Obtaining a permanent visa, a temporary stay visa
→ Completed visa application (Photocopies accepted)