Certified Signature

[n]

Have any British (or other ) people ever certified their signature in Japan??

Is it really as easy as going to the embassy with my passport and 5 minutes later walking out with a certificate to say that my signature is mine???

Would be grateful to hear on this.......buying a car and need hanko or certified signature.......dont fancy the hanko option!

[Hiyodori]

N, I use a registered inkan myself when it's necessary, but I know it's possible for US citizens to get a "sign certificate" at any of the US consulates here in Japan. Probably the same for the UK -- check your embassy website. Here the URL for the relevent page on the US site:

http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7126a.html

You can also get most any notarial service at a Japanese "koushou-nin" (公証人) if you can't easily get to a UK consulate. They tend to be more expensive, however, and don't always realize that they are just certifying a signature, not responsible for understanding the document themselves. You should have no problem with the sign certificate (サイン証明).

Happy driving!

[richard]

The American Embassy will notarize your signature for you; bring your passport. There is a administrative handling fee but don't know how much it is these days. I have used this in the past to purchase a car and for other transactions that required a notarization.
R.

[n]

Hiyodori/Richard.....thanx for ur response.....

I called the embassy today and they swear that it is a simple process....ie. walk in walk out........just take the passport along and pay 2400yen fee.......it remains to be seen if it is that easy/fast.......I will know tomorrow.........

I think that it is definitely the way to go........though i have heard that the certificate has a 3month expiry date......whereas I think that the hanko option once registered would be with me forever...........I just feel more secure going down the signature route rather than the hanko route!!!

[Hiyodori]

At the US Embassy it's quick and easy if there is no line, can take a while if there are a lot of other people getting notarizations, dealing with lost passports...

If you get a hanko/inkan in your legal name (or in a registered nickname), it's quite easy to make it official. You still have to go to your city/town/ward office to get a document showing that it is in fact registered each time you need to use it, though. Other than buying a home/auto or setting up a business it's mostly unnecessary. The city I live in actually has ATM-like machines scattered about town that'll issue these inkan-shomei-sho certificates.

Cheers