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).
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