Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh
在エディンバラ日本国総領事館

Application for Japanese passports of minors 

Recently, as a number of international marriages has increased, there have been cases in which one parent, whose marriage has faced a difficulty and who has a different nationality from his/her spouse, takes his/her child back to his/her home country against the law of country of residence. Such cases have raised concern, and the following points regarding Japanese passport application for minors in relation with the child custody issue should be noted.

Regarding the application for Japanese passport of minors, Japan issues passports by having a signature of a custodian as a legal representative to the application form. However, if the other parent has expressed* his/her disagreement on the issuance of the child's passport to the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh beforehand, the passport will usually be issued after the verification of the consent of both parents. In this verification process, the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh checks in principle with the parent who disagreed beforehand on the issuance of child's passport whether he/she is now willing to submit a "Letter of Consent for an Application of Passport". The passport will be issued after the submission of the Letter.

*(the expression of disagreement should be made in principle by a signed document attaching a supporting document which demonstrates the possession of parental authority)

In the UK, taking a child abroad without consent of his/her spouse who has parental authority is accounted to criminal liability (Please see the Directgov's information). In fact, there are cases in which parent taking a child was arrested of child abduction when he/she re-entered the country, or that parent was placed on the international wanted list of International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO). To prevent Japanese citizens from such disadvantages, the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh is checking verbally to confirm the existence of agreement of both parents on the application for child's passport, even if there is no declaration of disagreement from one parent.

For passport application procedures, please contact Consular Section by email visa@ed.mofa.go.jp or by telephone 0131 225 4777 (please select 2 for English guidance and then 1 for passport enquiries)