(5) How to apply for approval

{1} Duty to appear in person at the time of application

Application for approval must be made by the applicant appearing in person at the Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi Qualification Examination Office (Article 2 of the "Regulations").

The procedure of application for approval is all done in Japanese. Any person who needs interpretation must be accompanied by an interpreter.

When an applicant comes to the Office, he or she is required to bring his or her passport, Certificate of Alien Registration or other document for identification, as it is necessary for identifying that he or she is the applicant himself or herself.

{2} Documents to be submitted

An applicant is required to submit an application form and the documents accompanying it and also a copy each of all of these documents (Paragraph 1 and 2, Article 9 of the "Law").

If the documents accompanying the application for approval are prepared in a foreign language, the Japanese translation must be attached to such documents. The translation shall contain the name of the translator and the date of translation and also his or her sworn statement to the effect that he or she made the translation faithfully, and it must be signed by him or her (Article 17 of the "Regulations").

{3} The fee for applying for approval is 27,500 yen (Paragraph 3, Article 9 of the "Law" and Article 1 of the Ordinance for Fees Related to the Special Measures Law concerning the Handling of Legal Business by Foreign Lawyers; hereinafter referred to as "Fee Ordinance"). When he or she comes to make an application, he or she is required to pay it by affixing a revenue stamps worth that amount to the application form for approval(Article 5 of the "Regulations").

(6) Reporting of changes in entries

In cases where there has occurred any change in the matters entered in the application form or "STATEMENT" forms, pending the decision of the Minister of Justice concerning the application, the applicant for approval is required to report it to the Minister of Justice without delay.

In this case, he or she is required to report it in writing, stating the matters changed. He or she may be required to submit the document certifying such changes, when deemed necessary.

(7) Notice of the result of examination

The result of examination of applications by the Minister of Justice is notified to the applicants in the following manner:

{1} Approved case

In cases where the Minister of Justice has given his or her approval, he or she is notified by letter and is put up a public notice in the Official Gazette (Article 11 of the "Law").

This letter is to be used as a document certifying that the applicant is qualified to become a Gaikokuho-Jimu-Bengoshi when he or she requests his or her registration at the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

{2} Disapproved case

In cases where the Minister of Justice has decided not to give approval, he or she receives the notice by letter (Article 7 of the "Regulations").


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