International Will (Washington Convention) → Japan 🇯🇵
Family Court / Notary Office · Estate division agreement + family register → registration
To administer or plan an estate touching Japan, the International Will (Washington Convention) must be translated into Japanese and Apostilled — destination route: Estate division agreement + family register → registration.
10+ years and 1,800+ cross-border estate cases worth THB 4.5B+ in combined assets.
Why Japan insists on this document: Iryuubun mandatory for direct heirs — Apostille + Japanese translation.
Forced heirship: mandatory · Estate tax: 相続税 10-55% (foreign-resident exposure narrowed 2021).
End-to-end: prepare International Will (Washington Convention) at Authorised Person (lawyer) (5-14 days) → Japanese translation → MFA → Apostille → Family Court / Notary Office.
First-pass acceptance: 94-96%.
Coverage
How it works
- 1
Destination checklist
Compare Family Court / Notary Office requirements with the asset/heir map.
- 2
Prepare International Will (Washington Convention)
Filed at Authorised Person (lawyer) (5-14 working days).
- 3
Japanese translation
Registrar-listed translator with estate/tax glossary.
- 4
MFA legalisation
Chaeng Wattana — 2-3 working days.
- 5
Apostille
MFA Apostille route.
- 6
File with Family Court / Notary Office
DHL the original or submit at the destination embassy in Bangkok.
Frequently asked questions
Does Japan accept Thai Apostille?
Yes — MFA Apostille suffices.
Forced heirship?
Mandatory — reserved share must be preserved; we structure accordingly.
Destination estate tax?
相続税 10-55% (foreign-resident exposure narrowed 2021)
Probate route?
Estate division agreement + family register → registration
Translation language?
Japanese, by a translator accepted by the destination authority or the Thai MFA.
Estimated total cost?
15,000-40,000 บาท + translation THB 1,000-2,000/page + MFA THB 400 + free Apostille + destination court fees.
Timeline?
10-21 working days for document preparation + 60-180 days for overseas probate.