Japanese Passport Renewal in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Japanese passports are applied for at the embassy or the consulate general covering your state, and the rule people underestimate is this: applications are not accepted by mail, and although you may designate someone to file on your behalf, you must collect the passport yourself.

Quick facts

An online renewal route now exists for holders of a valid passport, which removes the first trip to the counter. The collection visit remains unavoidable.

Fees breakdown

Consular fees are set in yen and converted into dollars on a schedule, so the dollar figure moves. Confirm it with your post before attending.

How to renew

1. Check which post covers your state and whether it takes appointments or walk-ins for passports.
2. Decide between the paper application and the online renewal route if you hold a valid passport.
3. Request a copy of your family register from Japan if the post requires it, allowing time for it to arrive.
4. Attend with the application, photographs and proof of lawful status in the United States.
5. Pay the fee in the form the post accepts.
6. Return in person to collect the passport, at least three weeks later.

Required documents

• Current or most recent Japanese passport.
• Copy of the family register where the post requires it, particularly after a name change.
• Photograph to the Japanese specification.
• Proof of lawful status in the United States, such as a residence card or visa.
• Evidence of a former or alternative surname where you want it noted in the passport.
• For minors: parental consent and the family register showing the relationship.

Where to apply

The embassy and the consulates general divide the United States into districts. Applications go to the post covering your address.

Additional notes

Former and alternative surnames

A former surname appearing in the family register can be printed in parentheses in the passport, and a foreign spelling can be added after marriage. Both require documentary proof, usually including a current or removed family register.

Emergency travel

Where there is a genuine emergency and no time to wait, posts can issue a travel document valid for a single journey to Japan. It cannot be used to enter any other country.

Renewal window

Renewal is generally possible within a year of expiry, and posts advise against leaving it to the last weeks before travel.

Naturalised Americans cannot apply

Anyone who has acquired U.S. citizenship by naturalisation has lost Japanese nationality and cannot be issued a Japanese passport. The loss has to be reported separately.