2 Consular Service and Assistance for Japanese Living Overseas

(1) Improving Consular Service and Promoting Digitalization

A Improving Consular Service

With the aim of providing quality consular services to Japanese nationals overseas, MOFA conducts a yearly questionnaire survey on services such as consular staff's attitudes in over-the-counter and telephone Responses, as well as work implementation status at diplomatic missions overseas. The survey conducted in January 2025 covered 151 diplomatic missions overseas. MOFA takes such user feedback received via surveys seriously, and will continue its efforts to enhance services and make improvements so as to provide better consular services that are oriented to the perspective of its users.

B Promoting Digitalization

In order to improve user convenience and streamline consular work processes, MOFA has been working to digitalize consular procedures such as expanding online application for consular services and online payment for consular fees. MOFA has been expanding the scope of digitalization, and visible results include a reduced number of counter visits. Building on the outcomes so far, MOFA is promoting the digitalization of consular procedures with the aim of further increasing convenience. From April 1, linkage with the Ministry of Justice's Family Register Information Linkage System starts, which allows applicants in principle to make submissions to Japanese diplomatic missions overseas involving a family register, without attaching a copy of their family register obtained from the local government office of their registered legal domicile. MOFA intends to strengthen the consular policy implementation structure by creating an environment in which consular officers can focus on work in which human response is critical, such as protecting Japanese nationals, by means of digitalizing consular work.

(2) Passports: Maintaining trust, enhancing convenience and making administrative tasks more efficient

Border restrictions have been removed in many countries with the easing impact of the COVID-19, leading to growing numbers of Japanese nationals traveling overseas. While the number of passport applications continued to show a clear trend of recover from the previous year to follow, it has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels (The number of passports issued in 2024 was approximately 3.82 million, a 108.3% increase compared to 2023. In 2019, before the pandemic, around 4.49 million passports were issued).⁽²⁾

In terms of passport issuance, MOFA has gradually expanded the use of the online application for passports since its launch on March 27, 2023. Furthermore, since March 24, 2025, online application and payment have been available for both first time and renewal applications in all prefectures. At the same time, family register information has become automatically linked in the system, removing the burden of submitting an original certified copy of the family register and improving the convenience. Online passport application is also available abroad through the Overseas Residential Registration (ORR) online application system (ORR net).

In addition, from March 24, the National Printing Bureau has begun printing the 2025 Passport (with the face photo page being made of polycarbonate on which photos and text are laser engraved), which is much more resistant to counterfeiting and alteration. (See the Column on page 354.)

Unauthorized obtaining of passports by impersonating others continues to occur,⁽³⁾ so MOFA has been working on further upgrading measures to prevent unauthorized obtaining of passports such as confirming a person's identity through in-person delivery or photographic comparison by facial verification technology.

Based on the criteria considered at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which sets international standards for passports, MOFA will continue to engage in maintaining the trust of Japanese passports while enhancing convenience for applicants and making passport administration more efficient.

• (2) Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
• (3) Known cases of unauthorized obtaining of passports by impersonation were as follows: eight in 2019, three in 2020, three in 2021, three in 2022, five in 2023 and two in 2024.

(3) Overseas Voting

The overseas voting system allows Japanese voters living overseas to vote in national elections. In order to vote through the overseas voting system, it is necessary to be registered in advance on the overseas voter directory managed by the election board of the city or town government and to obtain overseas voter identification. Starting in June 2018, the procedures were simplified by enabling application for registration on the overseas voter directory at the counter for the election board of the city or town government at the same time as filing a notice of moving overseas. Since July 2024, an initiative has begun to directly transmit application data between Japanese diplomatic missions overseas and election boards of the city or town governments, significantly accelerating the procedures for issuance of overseas voter identification.

The diplomatic missions overseas have been making efforts to spread the overseas voting system and to increase the number of registered voters by publicizing the overseas voting system to the territories under their jurisdiction and carrying out a visiting service for the registration of Japanese nationals living in remote areas. When elections are held, diplomatic missions overseas also handle overseas voting procedures, including advance PR activities. In 2024, for the 50th general election of the House of Representatives in October, voting at diplomatic missions overseas was conducted for the 17th time involving 231 diplomatic missions and offices. In addition, a special election to the House of Councillors was held on the same day, as well as a national review of Supreme Court justices, which for the first time was open to overseas voters.

In 2025, MOFA will continue its PR and other activities to increase the number of registered voters and promote voting at diplomatic missions overseas.

(4) Application and Issuance of Individual Number Cards for People Moving Overseas

In order to promote the spread and usage of Individual Number Cards in accordance with the advance of digitalization, from May 27 the Cards can continue to be used while overseas by carrying out procedures at city or town government offices when moving overseas. In addition, if Japanese nationals moves overseas without carrying out the procedures, the Cards can now be received at diplomatic missions overseas by applying by post to the city or town governments or diplomatic missions overseas. MOFA will work in collaboration with related ministries and agencies and continue to consider measures toward further promoting usage of the Cards.

(5) Assistance for Japanese Nationals Living and Engaging in Activities Overseas

A Japanese Schools and Supplementary Education Schools

Education for children is one of the major concerns for Japanese nationals living abroad. Based on the Act Concerning the Promotion of Education at Overseas Japanese Educational Facilities, which was approved and took effect in 2022, as well as the spirit of the Constitution of Japan, MOFA cooperates with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) etc. to provide assistance to Japanese Schools (assistance for school building rental fees, remuneration for locally-hired teachers and instructors, safety measures expenses, etc.) so that the overseas school children at the age of compulsory education in Japan can receive a level of education equivalent to that in Japan. MOFA also provides the same level of assistance for Japanese Schools to Supplementary Education Schools (educational institutions established to maintain children's academic ability, such as Japanese language proficiency) mainly in areas where overseas Japanese educational facilities are not located.

In particular, it is the most important aspect to ensure an environment so that Japanese school children can learn with peace of mind, even overseas. In China, there have been cases of casualties and injuries of Japanese school children and others in Suzhou and Shenzhen, in June and September 2024, respectively. In response, MOFA took the necessary supplementary budget in order to support strengthening safety measures for Japanese schools around China, such as increased security guards, including those who ride on school buses. Through such initiatives, MOFA will continue to take every possible measure to ensure safety at overseas Japanese educational facilities such as Japanese schools and supplementary education schools.

B Medical/Health Measures

MOFA gathers information on outbreaks of infectious diseases overseas and provides information to a broad audience through the Overseas Safety website, websites of diplomatic missions overseas, consular emails, and other means. In addition, the websites of diplomatic missions overseas provide information about local medical institutions where patients can communicate in Japanese, and information gathered on the ground by medical officers working at diplomatic missions is listed on the MOFA website under “Global Medical Information.” Furthermore, in order to provide health advice through consultations to Japanese nationals residing in countries where the medical situation is poor, MOFA dispatches medical teams with the cooperation of domestic medical institutions.

C Responses to Other Needs

In order to eliminate the complexity of various procedures for Japanese nationals living overseas (such as converting Japanese driver's licenses, obtaining residence/work permits) and to make living abroad more comfortable, MOFA continues to engage with the authorities in the respective countries where Japanese nationals reside.

For example, MOFA is calling for the simplification of procedures in countries, states or provinces where it is mandatory for Japanese nationals to take a test to obtain a local driver's license.

MOFA also supports victims of atomic bombings living overseas in applying for the authorization of Atomic Bomb Diseases and for the issuance of Health Check Certificates, via diplomatic and consular missions.

Moreover, MOFA takes measures against loneliness and social isolation among Japanese nationals overseas, such as conducting the “Basic Survey on Staying and Living Overseas,” the results of which was announced in June 2024. MOFA also liaises with NPOs in Japan to provide attentive assistance to them for their individual cases.