This page is general information from Fukuoka City pages. It is not legal advice. For your own case, ask the Citizens’ Division (市民課, shiminka) of your ward office.
A seal registration (印鑑登録, inkan toroku) lets you register a personal seal with your city, and a seal registration certificate (印鑑登録証明書) proves the seal is yours. In Fukuoka City you can register only at your own ward office or branch office, on weekdays from 8:45 to 17:15, and it costs nothing. If you bring photo ID, such as a residence card, passport or My Number card, you can finish the same day. Certificates are easier to get: ¥250 at a convenience store every day from 6:30 to 23:00 with a My Number card.
In short
- Register at the Citizens’ Division of the ward office for your address, or at a branch office. Not on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
- Bring Form 4 (様式4), the seal and photo ID. A residence card (在留カード) counts.
- Without photo ID, the city mails you an inquiry letter (照会書) and you go back to the same counter.
- Certificates: ¥250 at convenience stores (holder only, My Number card and 4-digit PIN) or ¥300 at counters.
- The city’s page does not say whether a foreign resident’s seal must show the name in alphabet or katakana. It says only that the seal must use the name as written on the resident record.
Checked with official pages on November 2, 2026.
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1. Where and when can you register a seal in Fukuoka City?
Fukuoka City
You can register at the Citizens’ Division of the ward office for the address on your resident record, or at a branch office. The city’s page names Irube and Seibu branch offices in PDF maps; other branches are not listed on that page. Counter hours are 8:45 to 17:15, Monday to Friday, and the offices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and the year-end and New Year holidays. Registration is free.
You must be recorded in Fukuoka City’s resident register (住民基本台帳). People under 15 and people who cannot understand the procedure cannot register. You can register a different seal later by bringing your registration card.
2. What do you bring, and can you finish the same day?
- Seal registration application, Form 4 (様式4).
- The seal you want to register.
- Photo ID issued by a public office. The city names My Number card, driver’s license, passport and residence card.
- Your registration card (印鑑登録証), only if you are changing to a different seal.
With photo ID, registration is done the same day. If you apply with ID that has no photo, such as an eligibility certificate (資格確認書), the city mails an inquiry letter to you, and you return to the same counter with it. A proxy cannot get same-day registration. The proxy brings the application, the seal, a power of attorney (委任状, Form 8) and their own ID, and then returns with the letter, the same seal, the power of attorney and both IDs.
3. Which seals are not accepted?
The city does not accept rubber stamps, stamp-pad (self-inking) seals, damaged or worn seals, seals with no rim, intaglio seals, or seals made of easily deformed material. A seal also cannot be registered if its impression fits inside an 8 mm square or does not fit inside a 25 mm square. The seal must use the name as written on your resident record, but surname only or given name only is accepted. The city rejects seals that show a job or qualification, that print unclearly, or that match a seal already registered by someone in the same household.
4. How do you get a seal registration certificate?
| Where | Fee | Hours | Who and what to bring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convenience store | ¥250 | Daily 6:30–23:00 | Holder only. My Number card and 4-digit PIN |
| Certificate service corners (3) | ¥300 | Daily 9:00–20:00 | Registration card. A proxy can request without a power of attorney |
| Hakata Ward Office, 2F counter | ¥300 | Daily 8:45–17:15 | Registration card. Proxy allowed |
| Other ward offices and branches | ¥300 | Mon–Fri 8:45–17:15 | Registration card. Proxy allowed |
The service corners and the Hakata Ward Office are closed for the New Year holidays: the corners from December 31 to January 3 and the ward counter from December 29 to January 3. The convenience store service is for the holder only, needs a card with a valid user certificate, and cannot be used with a face-recognition My Number card. Pay in cash. Nanaco is accepted only at 7-Eleven. Post offices in the city (34) also issue certificates to the holder only, with the registration card and valid photo ID; their hours are on the city’s post office page.
The service corners are at the Tenjin City Hall 1F Information Plaza (1-8-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, 092-733-5222), beside the commuter-pass counter at the subway’s Hakata Station Hakata exit (092-432-5353), and on the 1st floor of Namiki Square (4-21-45 Chihaya, Higashi-ku, 092-674-3983). Google Maps (Tenjin).
5. Cancelling, and a lost registration card
To cancel, bring the cancellation application (Form 4) and your registration card. A proxy also brings the power of attorney (Form 8). Cancelling online has been possible since October 3, 2022, through a separate city page. If you no longer have your card, tell the counter. For resident records and family registers, see the Japanese guide Resident records and family registers.
