Passport Act
旅券法
Contents
Read it a page of articles at a time; the first page follows below. Or read the whole law on one page.
第一条（目的）
The purpose of this Act is to provide for the issuance, validity, and other necessary matters concerning passports.
この法律は、旅券の発給、効力その他旅券に関し必要な事項を定めることを目的とする。
第二条（定義）
In this Act, the meanings of the terms stated in the following items are as prescribed respectively in those items:
この法律において、次の各号に掲げる用語の意義は、それぞれ当該各号に定めるところによる。
the term "official passport" means a passport issued to a person who travels to a foreign country to engage in the official duties of the national government, and their spouse, children, or employees whom the person accompanies when they travel abroad, or who are summoned to their location after they go abroad;
公用旅券 国の用務のため外国に渡航する者及びその者が渡航の際同伴し、又は渡航後その所在地に呼び寄せる配偶者、子又は使用人に対して発給される旅券をいう。
the term "ordinary passport" means a passport other than an official passport;
一般旅券 公用旅券以外の旅券をいう。
the term "heads of each ministry and agency" means the President of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councillors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the President of the Board of Audit, and the Prime Minister and the Ministers of each ministry, who are the heads of each ministry and agency (meaning the House of Representatives, the House of Councillors, the court, the Board of Audit, the Cabinet (excluding the Cabinet Office and the Digital Agency), the Cabinet Office, the Digital Agency, and each ministry; the same applies below) to which the person who travels from Japan to a foreign country using an official passport belongs (when the person is a person accompanied by or is summoned as a spouse, child, or employee, the person who accompanies or summons that person); provided, however, that when the person does not belong to any ministry or agency, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head person;
各省各庁の長 本邦から公用旅券によつて外国に渡航する者（その者が同伴され、又は呼び寄せられる配偶者、子又は使用人である場合には、その者を同伴し、又は呼び寄せる者）が所属する各省各庁（衆議院、参議院、裁判所、会計検査院並びに内閣（内閣府及びデジタル庁を除く。）、内閣府、デジタル庁及び各省をいう。以下同じ。）の長たる衆議院議長、参議院議長、最高裁判所長官、会計検査院長並びに内閣総理大臣及び各省大臣をいう。ただし、その者が各省各庁のいずれにも所属しない場合には、外務大臣とする。
the term "travel document" means a travel document prescribed in Article 19-3, paragraph (1);
渡航書 第十九条の三第一項に規定する渡航書をいう。
the term "prefecture" means the prefecture that has jurisdiction over the locality of the domicile or residence of a person who travels from Japan to a foreign country using an ordinary passport;
都道府県 本邦から一般旅券によつて外国に渡航する者の住所又は居所の所在地を管轄する都道府県をいう。
the term "prefectural governor" means the governor of a prefecture prescribed in the preceding item; and
the term "holder of a passport" means a person who has been issued with a passport.
旅券の名義人 旅券の発給を受けた者をいう。
Article 3Application for Issuance of Ordinary Passports
第三条（一般旅券の発給の申請）
Pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a person who seeks to obtain an ordinary passport (referred to as "applicant" below in this Article) must apply for the issuance of an ordinary passport to the Minister for Foreign Affairs through a prefectural governor when in Japan, and to a consular officer when abroad (including the head of an embassy or a legation which performs the duties of a consular officer, or a person who performs the affairs on behalf of the head person; the same applies below), by submitting the following documents and a photograph; provided, however, that when filing an application in Japan, if it is urgent and a prefectural governor or the Minister for Foreign Affairs finds it necessary, the applicant may appear directly at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and submit the documents and the photograph to the Minister for Foreign Affairs:
a written application for issuance of an ordinary passport;
一般旅券発給申請書
a certified copy of family register;
戸籍謄本
for a person who is required to attach a permit, certificate, written notice, or other documents concerning entry into a country issued by the government authorities of their destination to the written application, those documents;
渡航先の官憲が発給した入国に関する許可証、証明書、通知書等を申請書に添付することを必要とされる者にあつては、その書類
beyond what is provided for in the preceding items, documents particularly necessary depending on the destination and the purpose of travel; and
前各号に掲げるものを除くほか、渡航先及び渡航目的によつて特に必要とされる書類
for a person who has other documents that may be used as reference, those documents.
その他参考となる書類を有する者にあつては、その書類
The document stated in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph is not required to be submitted for cases falling under any of the following items; provided, however, that this does not apply to cases falling under item (i) in which the prefectural governor (Minister for Foreign Affairs when submitting the documents directly to the Minister for Foreign Affairs; the same applies below in this Article) when in Japan or a consular officer when abroad, finds it particularly necessary in order to verify the facts concerning the social status of the applicant:
when filing an application referred to in the preceding paragraph based on the provisions of Article 11; and
if the case falls under the cases specified by Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a prefectural governor when in Japan or a consular officer when abroad, finds that the facts concerning the social status of the applicant are obvious.
In accepting an application for the issuance of an ordinary passport, a prefectural governor is to verify the identity of the applicant and verify that the applicant resides in the domicile or residence stated in the written application for the issuance of an ordinary passport, and may request the applicant to present or submit documents proving the identity and residence for verification purposes, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In receiving an application for the issuance of an ordinary passport, a consular officer is to verify the identity of the applicant, and may request the applicant to present or submit necessary documents for verification purposes.
When an application for the issuance of an ordinary passport is filed under the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (1) or Article 11, a prefectural governor or a consular officer is to verify the ordinary passport which the applicant currently holds (referred to as "current passport" in Article 5, Article 8, and Article 14) pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The documents and a photograph related to the application for issuance of an ordinary passport stated in paragraph (1) may be submitted through any of the following persons, pursuant to the provisions of Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
beyond the persons stated in the preceding item, a person designated by the applicant (excluding those specified by Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as persons who are not suitable for submitting documents and a photograph on behalf of the applicant).
Article 4Request for Issuance of Official Passports
第四条（公用旅券の発給の請求）
The request for the issuance of an official passport is to be made by submitting the following documents and a photograph through the heads of each ministry or agency to the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the person seeking the issuance of an official passport (referred to as "requester" below in this Article) is in Japan, or through the heads of each ministry or agency to the Minister for Foreign Affairs or by the requester to a consular officer, when the requester is abroad:
a written request for issuance of an official passport;
公用旅券発給請求書
when the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer finds it particularly necessary in order to verify the facts concerning the social status of the requester, a certified copy of family register;
外務大臣又は領事官が対象者の身分上の事実を確認するため特に必要があると認めるときは、戸籍謄本
for a request made by the requester who is abroad, a document in support of the reasons for requiring an official passport.
In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, when the requester wishes to make multiple round trips between Japan and a region other than one designated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the requester may request the issuance of a multiple journey official passport by stating that fact and the reason for it in a written request for issuance of an official passport.
Article 4-2Prohibition of Receiving Dual Passports
第四条の二（旅券の二重受給の禁止）
A person who has been issued with a passport may not be issued with another passport for as long as that current passport is valid; provided, however, that this does not apply when the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer finds it particularly necessary to issue another passport for protecting the person or for the convenience of traveling abroad.
旅券の発給を受けた者は、その旅券が有効な限り、重ねて旅券の発給を受けることができない。ただし、外務大臣又は領事官がその者の保護又は渡航の便宜のため特に必要があると認める場合は、この限りでない。
Article 5Issuance of Ordinary Passports
第五条（一般旅券の発行）
Based on an application for issuance under the provisions of Article 3, the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer issues an ordinary passport, which states all regions other than the regions designated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (referred to as "designated regions" in paragraphs (3) and (4)) as the destination, with a validity period of 10 years for multiple journeys; provided, however, that if the person who applies for the issuance is under 18 years of age, the validity period is to be 5 years.
When the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer, in the case falling under the provisions of the proviso to the preceding Article, issues an ordinary passport, issues an ordinary passport which is not recorded by electronic or magnetic means (meaning electronic means, magnetic means, or other means that cannot be perceived by human senses; the same applies below), or issues an ordinary passport to a person who falls under any of the items of Article 13, paragraph (1) (collectively referred to as "when there are grounds for limited issuance" in paragraph (5)), they may state the individually specified destinations in the ordinary passport referred to in the preceding paragraph, or may make the validity period less than ten years for that passport (when the person who applies for issuance of the ordinary passport is under 18 years of age, less than five years).
Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, when a person who seeks to travel to a designated region files an application for issuance of an ordinary passport under the provisions of Article 3, the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer is to issue an ordinary passport which states the individually specified destinations with a validity period of ten years (when the person who applies for the issuance is under 18 years of age, five years) for a single journey; provided, however, that when the Minister for Foreign Affairs finds it appropriate, the Minister may issue an ordinary passport for multiple journeys with a validity period of ten years or less (when the person who applies for the issuance is under 18 years of age, five years or less), which states the individually specified destinations.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs, when a person (excluding a person under 18 years of age) who applies for issuance of an ordinary passport under the provisions of Article 3 based on the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (1), or Article 11 (limited to the part related to item (ii)) states in the written application for issuance of an ordinary passport the fact that the person seeks to be issued an ordinary passport whose validity period is the same as the remaining validity period of the current passport (referred to as "passport with the same remaining validity period" in Article 14 and Article 20, paragraph (1), item (iii)), the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer is to issue an ordinary passport whose validity period and type that are the same as the remaining validity period and the type of the current passport, and which states the destination specified in the following items in accordance with the category of the current passport stated in each of those items:
the current passport other than the one stated in the following item and item (iii):all regions other than the designated regions;
the current passport stating the individually specified destinations based on the provisions of paragraph (2), this item, or the following paragraph:the same region as the one stated as the destination in the current passport (excluding designated regions);
the current passport stating the individually specified designations based on the provisions of the preceding paragraph or this item:the regions to be stated by individually specifying the destinations (including the designated regions stated as the destinations in the current passport, and excluding the designated regions that have not been stated as destinations, in the current passport).
When there are grounds for limited issuance of passports, the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer may individually state the specified destination or shorten the validity period to less than the remaining validity period of the current passport concerning the ordinary passport to be issued pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph for the current passport stated in item (i) or (ii) of that paragraph, and shorten the validity period of the ordinary passport to be issued pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph for the current passport stated in item (iii) of that paragraph to less than the remaining validity period of the current passport.