Passports in Yamaguchi Prefecture
- Apply at the counter of your city or town; the Yamaguchi Prefectural Passport Center has no counter for ordinary applications.
- For applications from July 1, 2026, a 10-year passport for ages 18 and over costs ¥9,300 at the counter or ¥8,900 online.
- All five city counters open on weekdays, with collection until 19:00 every Thursday in Yamaguchi, Ube, and Shunan, and on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in Shimonoseki and Iwakuni.
This page is general information from official sources. It is not legal advice. For your own case, ask the passport counter you plan to use.
A Japanese passport (旅券, ryoken) is for Japanese nationals. That includes, for example, a child of an international couple who holds Japanese nationality. A passport from any other country comes from that country’s embassy or consulate, and this page does not cover it.
In Yamaguchi Prefecture, you do not apply at the prefectural office. You apply at the counter of a city or town. This page compares five cities (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Ube, Shunan and Iwakuni). It also explains the fees since July 2026, what to bring, and when you can collect it. The official pages are in Japanese. The ones we read do not say whether counter staff speak English, so the steps below show what to look for on the form and the screens.
In short
- The prefectural passport office does not take ordinary applications. Apply at a city or town counter (section 1).
- All five city counters are open on weekdays only, closed on weekends and public holidays. On Thursday evenings some counters stay open until 19:00 for collection only (section 2).
- Since July 1, 2026, a 10-year passport for adults costs ¥9,300 at the counter or ¥8,900 online. A 5-year passport for under-18s costs ¥4,800 or ¥4,400. You pay when you collect it (section 8).
- You collect it yourself, on day 11 counting weekdays only (day 12 if you applied at a branch office in Shunan or Iwakuni). This applies to children too (section 11).
- Since October 2026, the prefectural part of the fee is paid cashless or by a payment slip. Prefectural revenue stamps are no longer sold (section 8).
Checked with official pages on October 10, 2026.
| City | Apply (weekdays) | Thursday evening | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shimonoseki | 9:00–16:30 | 1st and 3rd Thu, until 19:00 | City Hall lot, 200 cars |
| Yamaguchi | 9:00–17:00 | Every Thu, until 19:00 | Free for business |
| Ube | 9:00–16:30 | Every Thu, until 19:00 | 1 hour free for business |
| Shunan | 9:00–17:00 | Every Thu, until 19:00 | Free for business |
| Iwakuni | 9:00–17:00 | 1st and 3rd Thu, until 19:00 | Not stated |
On Thursday evenings, you can only collect. You cannot apply.
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1. Who can apply in Yamaguchi, and where?
Yamaguchi Prefecture
You can apply if you hold Japanese nationality and are registered as a resident in Yamaguchi Prefecture (a certificate of residence, 住民票, jumin-hyo, is generally not needed in that case). The Yamaguchi Prefectural Passport Center in the prefectural office has no counter for ordinary applications. It handles only emergency issue for humanitarian reasons and applicants who fall under the “criminal penalty” box of the form. If that applies to you, call it before you go (083-933-2352).
If you are registered in another prefecture but live in Yamaguchi, for example as a student, on a single-posting assignment or on a temporary return from abroad, you may be able to apply under some conditions. The documents differ from person to person, so ask the counter first. An agent cannot submit this kind of application for you.
The pages we read say you apply at “the counter of the city or town”. They do not say whether you may use a counter in a city other than the one where you are registered, so ask before you travel. They also do not explain special steps for people who hold two nationalities. Ask the counter before you apply.
2. Which counter should I use?
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Ube, Shunan, Iwakuni
The five counters are all closed on weekends, and evening hours are for collection only. You must do the application itself during the day on a weekday. Plan the application for a lunch break or a day off, and use Thursday evening only for collection. Every counter is closed on public holidays and from December 29 to January 3.
Whether you can apply at a branch office, and where you collect, differs by city.
| City | Branch offices apply? | Collect at | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shimonoseki | No: Passport Center only | Passport Center | 11 |
| Yamaguchi | No: this counter only | Same counter | 11 |
| Ube | No: Citizens Division only | Same counter | 11 |
| Shunan | Shinnanyo, Kumage, Kano (apply only) | Citizens Division at City Hall | 11 (12 at a branch) |
| Iwakuni | Branch offices and Kuga (apply only) | Citizens Division at City Hall | 11 (12 at a branch) |
In Shunan and Iwakuni, you can apply at a branch office near your home, but you still have to go to City Hall to collect it, and it takes one day longer.
These five are not the only counters. The prefecture’s leaflet (July 2026) lists 19 city and town counters in all. On it, Hagi, Hofu and Nagato cities are marked with a Thursday extension for collection, and Waki Town with the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. Kudamatsu City is marked with the 2nd Saturday and the 4th Thursday. However, Kudamatsu City’s own page (updated October 9, 2026) lists only Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, for both applying and collecting. Ask the city before you plan around a Saturday.
3. Shimonoseki City Passport Center
Shimonoseki City
The center is window A17 on the first floor of the west wing of City Hall. It is open on weekdays 9:00–16:30. On the 1st and 3rd Thursdays, it takes collection only from 16:30 to 19:00. After 18:00, enter City Hall by the west entrance. Coming Thursdays: October 15, November 5, November 19, December 3 and December 17, 2026. The city asks you to allow extra time, because it may have to check with the prefecture (Shimonoseki City page, updated October 2, 2026).
The city says you cannot pay in cash at the collection counter. You buy the national revenue stamp at the shop on the 4th floor (until 18:00) or at a post office. The prefectural fee is paid cashless at the same shop’s register, by showing a QR code, or with a payment slip at a post office (until 16:00, not at convenience stores; ask the center beforehand). The page does not say how to pay after 18:00, so ask the center before an evening collection.
The City Hall car park has 200 spaces. According to the city’s parking page (last updated 2021), you can park free for the time you spend on city business if you ask the staff you deal with.
| Name | Shimonoseki City Passport Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-1 Nanbu-cho, Shimonoseki City |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays 9:00–16:30 (1st and 3rd Thu 16:30–19:00 collection only; closed Sat, Sun, public holidays, Dec 29–Jan 3) |
| Phone | 083-231-5046 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. Yamaguchi City Passport Counter (山口市パスポート窓口)
Yamaguchi City
The counter is on the first floor of the Yamaguchi General Branch Office (山口総合支所), which is the City Hall main building. It is open on weekdays 9:00–17:00. Every Thursday it stays open until 19:00 for collection only, and no applications are taken (Yamaguchi City page, updated October 1, 2026). Mail applications and mail collection are not possible.
Important
From December 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, City Hall’s hours change as a trial. The passport counter will then be open 9:00–16:30.
You buy the revenue stamp and pay the prefectural fee at the Accounting Division on the second floor, weekdays 8:30–17:15 (9:00–16:30 from December 1). After closing time you cannot buy or pay there, so do it beforehand if you collect on a Thursday evening. Bring the receipt you were given at application, or your phone’s receipt screen if you applied online.
The City Hall has an underground car park for 55 cars and a temporary lot for 80. It is free for people who have business at City Hall (Yamaguchi City page).
| Name | Yamaguchi City (Yamaguchi General Branch Office Passport Counter) |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-1 Kameyama-cho, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi General Branch Office 1F) |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays 9:00–17:00 (until 16:30 from December 1, 2026; Thu until 19:00 collection only; closed Sat, Sun, public holidays, Dec 29–Jan 3) |
| Phone | 083-934-2987 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
5. Ube City Hall (宇部市役所), Citizens Division
Ube City
The counter is window 2 of the Citizens Division (市民課, shimin-ka) on the first floor. It is open on weekdays 9:00–16:30, and until 19:00 on Thursdays (not public holidays) for collection only. You can book an application or a collection slot with an online form or by phone (application 0836-34-8240, collection 0836-34-8237, weekdays 8:30–17:15). Same-day and next-day bookings are not possible, and you go straight to the counter instead (Ube City page, updated October 1, 2026).
The revenue stamp is sold at the cashier’s window (出納室, suitoshitsu) on the first floor or at a post office. The cashier’s window is open weekdays 9:00–16:30. Pay the prefectural fee there with the payment code you received at application, using a card, e-money or code payment. You can also use a payment slip at a bank or post office. Convenience stores are not accepted. The cashier closes at 16:30, so if you collect in the evening, it is safer to pay earlier in the day (our reading of the opening hours).
The car park has 150 multi-storey spaces and 70 surface spaces. If you are on city business, put your ticket through the discount reader to get one hour free (Ube City parking page).
| Name | Ube City Hall (Citizens Division) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-7-1 Tokiwa-cho, Ube City |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays 9:00–16:30 (Thu until 19:00 collection only; closed Sat, Sun, public holidays, Dec 29–Jan 3) |
| Phone | 0836-34-8240 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
6. Shunan City Hall (周南市役所), Citizens Division
Shunan City
The Citizens Division takes applications and handles collection on weekdays 9:00–17:00. Every Thursday it stays open until 19:00 for collection only. The Shinnanyo, Kumage and Kano branch offices take applications only, and the passport is collected at the Citizens Division (Shunan City page).
The City Hall car park has 147 spaces. Since July 1, 2026, the “first 2 hours free” service has ended. If you come on city business, ask at the counter to process your parking ticket as free, so bring the ticket inside. Without that, you pay the general fare of ¥100 per hour (Shunan City parking page, updated July 1, 2026).
| Name | Shunan City Hall (Citizens Division) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-1 Kisan-dori, Shunan City |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays 9:00–17:00 (Thu until 19:00 collection only; closed Sat, Sun, public holidays, Dec 29–Jan 3) |
| Phone | 0834-22-8293 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
7. Iwakuni City Hall (岩国市役所), Citizens Division
Iwakuni City
The Citizens Division takes applications and handles collection on weekdays 9:00–17:00. On the 1st and 3rd Thursdays, it stays open until 19:00 for collection only. If that Thursday is a public holiday, the extension moves to the next week’s Thursday. Coming Thursdays: October 15, November 5, November 19, December 3 and December 17, 2026. The general branch offices and the Kuga branch (玖珂支所) take applications only (Iwakuni City page, updated August 5, 2026).
The shop where stamps are sold closes at 18:00, so the city asks you to prepare the fees (the revenue stamp and the prefectural fee) beforehand if you collect in the evening. The page does not give car park spaces or fares, so ask the city before you drive.
| Name | Iwakuni City Hall (Citizens Division) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-14-51 Imazu-cho, Iwakuni City |
| Hours / Closed | Weekdays 9:00–17:00 (1st and 3rd Thu until 19:00 collection only; closed Sat, Sun, public holidays, Dec 29–Jan 3) |
| Phone | 0827-29-5041 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
8. How much does a passport cost?
Official rule (Japan)
For applications from July 1, 2026, a 10-year passport costs ¥9,300 at the counter and ¥8,900 online. A 5-year passport for under-18s costs ¥4,800 or ¥4,400. Before that, the 10-year passport cost ¥16,300 (¥15,900 online). The amounts are the same in all five cities (prefecture leaflet and city pages).
| Type | At the counter | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 10-year (age 18 and over) | ¥9,300 | ¥8,900 |
| 5-year (under 18) | ¥4,800 | ¥4,400 |
| Same expiry date (age 18 and over) | ¥5,800 | ¥5,400 |
The “same expiry date” type (残存有効期間同一, zanzon yuko kikan dōitsu) is for changing your name or registered domicile (本籍, honseki) while keeping the date of your current passport, or when the visa pages are nearly full. The fee is made up of a national revenue stamp and a prefectural fee. For a 10-year passport at the counter, that is ¥7,000 plus ¥2,300. Online, the prefectural fee is ¥1,900.
You pay when you collect the passport, not when you apply. The prefectural fee changed in October 2026. Prefectural revenue stamps (山口県収入証紙) are no longer sold since the end of September. Those bought by then can be used until the end of March 2027. Now you pay the prefectural fee in one of two ways: cashless at a fee window, by showing the QR code or payment code you were given, or with a payment slip at a bank or post office. Convenience stores cannot take it. The national part is still a paper revenue stamp, bought with cash at a post office or at a window in City Hall (see each city above).
If you applied online, you can pay both fees by credit card online, and then you only show up at the counter.
If you do not collect a passport within six months of issue, it becomes invalid. If you apply again within five years, the fee is higher. The pages we read do not give the amount for Yamaguchi, so ask the counter.
9. What do I bring to apply at the counter?
Yamaguchi Prefecture
First-time applicants and people whose passport has expired need a family register extract (戸籍謄本, koseki tohon). Renewals do not, if your name and registered domicile prefecture have not changed. You also need one application form and one photo, plus ID. Adults can only choose the 10-year type, and under-18s the 5-year type.
- First time, or expired: the application form, a full family register extract (全部事項証明書) issued within 6 months (a copy is not valid), a photo, ID, and your previous passport if you have one.
- Renewal (less than 1 year left, no empty visa pages, or a change to the details in the passport): the form, your current passport and a photo. If your name or your registered domicile prefecture has changed, bring the family register extract too.
- Certificate of residence (住民票): generally not needed if you are registered in Yamaguchi Prefecture. If you submit one, it must be without the My Number.
Even when you can skip the family register extract, you must write your registered domicile down to the lot number on the form. Check it before you go. Minors may still need the extract, and people on a temporary return from abroad cannot skip it. If several family members share one family register and apply at the same time, one extract covers all of you.
A photo must be taken within 6 months. Do not stick it on the form. Write your name lightly on the back. It must show only you, facing the front, with no hat and no background. The prefecture recommends taking glasses off. For ID, one item such as a driver’s license or My Number Card is enough. Without those, you need two items, such as a health insurance certificate plus a student ID. For a child in elementary school or younger, the ID of a parent who comes with the child is accepted.
Use black or dark blue ballpoint pen on the form (Yamaguchi City says erasable pens are not accepted). Your signature box cannot be corrected, so ask for a new form if you make a mistake. An agent can submit the documents if the applicant signs the delegation box on the back of the form, but Yamaguchi City says agents cannot apply for residence applicants and people on a temporary return from abroad. You need to ask the counter beforehand if your passport is lost or stolen, or if you want a non-Hepburn spelling of your name.
10. Can I apply online?
Official rule (Japan)
With a My Number Card, you can apply on Mynaportal (マイナポータル), including first-time applications, and visit a counter only once, to collect it. Since March 24, 2025, first-time applications are covered, and your family register data is linked electronically, so you do not bring an extract. Ube City says it is ¥400 cheaper than at the counter. Mynaportal is in Japanese.
- Prepare the card, the app and your current passport. You need a My Number Card, a smartphone with the Mynaportal app, and the card’s passwords (a 4-digit number and a 6 to 16-character code with letters and numbers). If you have a valid passport, you scan its chip during the application.
- Choose your pickup counter. During the application, you select the city counter where you will collect the passport (受取窓口, uketori madoguchi).
- Watch the notices on Mynaportal. Requests to fix your application and the pickup date arrive there. Shimonoseki City says the pickup date is not sent by email, so open “Things to do” (やること) in Mynaportal yourself. If a fix is needed, the review stops until you answer.
- Collect it in person. Show the receipt notice on your phone at the counter, or bring a printout. Bring the valid passport you scanned at application.
If you apply on a day the city is closed, review starts on the next working day. Online applications are not available on some days because of maintenance of the family register system. The pages we read do not say who cannot use online applications, so ask your counter if you have a special case.
11. When and how do I collect it?
Yamaguchi Prefecture
You can collect it on day 11 counting the application day as day 1, if you applied at a city counter. If you applied at a branch office in Shunan or Iwakuni, it is day 12. Weekends, public holidays and the New Year holidays are not counted. Delays can happen in busy periods or bad weather. Shunan City says the passports may take about a month after the July fee cut because of a rush of applications.
You must collect it yourself, whatever your age. Collect it at the counter where you applied (at City Hall if you applied at a branch office in Shunan or Iwakuni). Bring the receipt you were given at application, or the receipt notice on Mynaportal for an online application, and the fees. A passport not collected within 6 months of issue becomes invalid.
Check the pickup date on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ pickup date search (Pasuken, Japanese) before you go. For an online application, use the URL in the notice that arrives on Mynaportal.
12. How early should I apply before winter travel?
Editors’ estimate based on official day counts
For a year-end trip, apply in early December, from December 1 to 10. You can then collect between December 15 and 24 at a city counter (editors’ count). The counters close from December 29 to January 3.
For example, if you apply on Monday, December 7, you can collect on day 11, Monday, December 21. If you applied at a branch office in Shunan or Iwakuni, it is day 12, Tuesday, December 22. If you apply on Monday, November 16, the November 23 holiday falls in between, so collection is from Tuesday, December 1 (editors’ count).
If you want to collect in the evening, apply on Thursday, December 3 and collect by 19:00 on Thursday, December 17. These are the 1st and 3rd Thursdays, so it also works in Shimonoseki and Iwakuni. Review fixes and delivery can delay the date, so check Pasuken before you go.
Common questions
Can I apply on a Saturday or Sunday?
No. The five city counters are open on weekdays only and closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Can I apply at the prefectural passport center?
Not for ordinary applications. It handles emergency issue for humanitarian reasons and applicants who fall under the “criminal penalty” box. Call 083-933-2352 first.
Can a parent collect a child’s passport?
No. The applicant must collect it in person, whatever the age.
Do I still visit a counter if I apply online?
Yes, once, to collect it at the counter you chose.
Can I pay in cash at the collection counter?
Shimonoseki City says no. Buy the revenue stamp with cash at the shop or post office, and pay the prefectural fee cashless or with a payment slip.
Sources (checked October 2026)
8 pages we checked
- Yamaguchi Prefecture: Passport application guide (leaflet, July 2026)
- Shimonoseki City: Passport application and collection (updated October 2, 2026) and City Hall parking
- Yamaguchi City: Passport application and collection (updated October 1, 2026), points to note and City Hall main building
- Ube City: Passport application and collection (updated October 1, 2026) and parking
- Shunan City: Passport application and collection and City Hall parking (updated July 1, 2026)
- Iwakuni City: Passport application and collection (updated August 5, 2026)
- Kudamatsu City: Passport application (updated October 9, 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Pickup date search
