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Personal Seal (inkan)
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It is recommended that you have a personal seal made.
You may sometimes hear personal seals referred to as a hanko.
Personal seals can be made at any seal-making shop and are used in the same way as signatures in Western countries.
A registered seal (jitsuin) is used when buying real estate property, automobiles or houses.
It is necessary to register your seal at a city office to use it as a registered seal.
Example: It is possible to register seals with your name as recorded on your alien registration or an alias.
Suzuki Fabio Da Silva (using one of your names)
Example: It is possible to register seals with your name as recorded on your alien registration or an alias.
Suzuki Fabio Da Silva (using one of your names)
Personal Seal Registration
Where
* Foreign residents should go the Ward Municipal Services Division of the Ward in which they live.
Who
In person (see below for details on using a proxy)
Forms to be Submitted
Personal Seal Registration Application (Inkan Toroku Shinsei-sho)Personal Seal (inkan)
Items to Bring
・Seal to be registered
・Personal identification (driver's license, certificate of alien registration, health insurance cards will not be accepted)
・Personal identification (driver's license, certificate of alien registration, health insurance cards will not be accepted)
Cost
Free (a fee of 350 yen is charged for re-registration)
Processing Time
Same day
NB
*If changes to name or address on personal identification have not been completed, there may be times when the identity of the person cannot be ascertained.
*Personal identification that has expired will not be accepted.
*Personal identification that has expired will not be accepted.
Regarding Proxies
In cases when the registration of a personal seal by proxy is unavoidable, extra time will be required to register the seal.
Application Step 1: submission of Personal Seal Registration Application (Inkan Toroku Shinsei-sho ) and Proxy Selection Notice (Dairinin Sennin Todoke )
Application Step 2: submission of the reply form from the Inquiry Form (Shokai-sho ) sent from City Hall to the person seeking registration.
*Make sure to submit the reply form to the same desk at which you completed step 1.
Your personal seal will be registered upon completion of application step 2.
Application Step 1: submission of Personal Seal Registration Application (Inkan Toroku Shinsei-sho ) and Proxy Selection Notice (Dairinin Sennin Todoke )
Application Step 2: submission of the reply form from the Inquiry Form (Shokai-sho ) sent from City Hall to the person seeking registration.
*Make sure to submit the reply form to the same desk at which you completed step 1.
Your personal seal will be registered upon completion of application step 2.
Items to Bring When Registering Through a Proxy
Seal to be registered、Proxy's personal seal、Proxy Selection Notice (Dairinin Sennin Todoke ) stamped and signed by the individual seeking registration of personal seal
*Please collect the necessary forms: Personal Seal Registration Application (Inkan Toroku Shinsei-sho ) and Proxy Selection Notice (Dairinin Sennin Todoke ) from the reception counter beforehand.
*Please collect the necessary forms: Personal Seal Registration Application (Inkan Toroku Shinsei-sho ) and Proxy Selection Notice (Dairinin Sennin Todoke ) from the reception counter beforehand.
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