Need Fingerprinting in Japan in 2026? Start Here

Foreign nationals entering Japan are required to provide fingerprints and a facial photograph during immigration inspection, subject to specific exemptions. It's easy to assume those prints could simply be reused later for an FBI, RCMP, or other foreign background check, but they cannot be used as a substitute for the fingerprint collection required by those authorities. International fingerprinting in Japan is a separate process, with its own forms, certification requirements, and collection procedures. Here's exactly how it works.

Foreign nationals entering Japan are required to provide fingerprints during immigration inspection, with very few exemptions. Japan introduced this biometric immigration procedure in 2007, and the Immigration Services Agency continues to use fingerprints and facial images as part of entry examinations.

What happens at the immigration counter?

You place both index fingers on a digital scanner and look into a camera for a photograph. The whole process takes only a few seconds and happens at every entry, not just your first one. Most foreign nationals aged 16 and older go through it on each arrival, with narrow exceptions for certain diplomatic and government-related categories.

There's no separate appointment, no physical fingerprint card, and no ink involved. It's a fully digital capture built into the immigration line itself. Refusing this step means being denied entry.

Are airport fingerprints the same as fingerprints for an FBI or RCMP check?

No. Airport immigration fingerprints and fingerprints for an overseas background check serve different purposes. An FBI or RCMP application may require fingerprints to be captured on a particular form, with specific identifying information, collection details, signatures, or certification.

The fingerprints collected at the airport are part of Japan's immigration system. You cannot normally ask Japanese immigration to release those fingerprints for an FBI or Canadian criminal-record application.

If your application says FD-258, FD-1164, C-216C, or another specific fingerprint form, arrange a separate fingerprint appointment.

A Japanese citizen may need a foreign background check when a government, employer, university, licensing body, or immigration authority in another country requires evidence of their criminal history.

Common situations include:

• Moving to another country for work or permanent residence
• Applying for a foreign work or immigration visa
• Marrying or joining a spouse overseas
• Applying for professional licensing in another country
• Studying or completing professional training abroad
• International adoption or other family-related immigration processes

The requirement comes from the organization requesting the check. It does not mean that Japan itself requires every applicant to obtain an FBI, RCMP, or other foreign background check.

In 2026, you have several options in Japan, but the right one depends on whether the provider can complete the specific form your receiving authority requires.

1. Japanese Police

Japanese police may be able to take fingerprints, but that does not necessarily mean they will complete or certify a foreign fingerprint card in the way an overseas authority requires.

Japanese fingerprinting practices are designed primarily around domestic law-enforcement needs, so you should confirm exactly what the police station will provide before relying on it for an FBI, RCMP, or other foreign application.

Many foreign fingerprint cards include a line for the official taking the prints to sign or certify. The FBI's FD-258, for example, has a "Signature of Official Taking Fingerprints" field. Japanese police will take the impressions, but sometimes they won't complete that section.

Kanagawa Prefectural Police state this directly: their role is limited to technical assistance, since officers aren't obligated to fingerprint ordinary citizens and won't provide "signatures, stamps, seals, etc." on a foreign form. This is a well-documented gap that private fingerprinting providers in Japan are specifically set up to handle.

2. Private Fingerprinting Providers

Private fingerprinting providers are the more familiar option when you need a completed foreign fingerprint card. Depending on the provider, services may include ink fingerprinting, digital capture, preparation of FBI, RCMP, or FINRA-compliant cards, official signatures, quality checks, and multiple cards for applications where a backup is useful.

For example, providers in Japan advertise services for FBI FD-258 and FD-1164 cards as well as RCMP forms.

Before booking, ask three questions:

• Can you complete the exact fingerprint form I have been given?
• Do you provide ink, digital, or both methods?
• Can the person taking my fingerprints complete and sign the required certification section?

That can prevent a situation where you have technically had your fingerprints taken but still need to repeat the appointment.

Can’t Visit a Fingerprinting Centre in Japan?

Globeia also offers mobile fingerprinting in Japan. You can book through SmartForm, select your preferred location and appointment, and have a trained associate bring the applicable fingerprint cards and equipment to you. This can be useful if travelling to a fingerprinting centre would add unnecessary time to your application.

Also read: What Is Mobile Fingerprinting and How Does It Work?

Is Private Fingerprinting Legal in Japan?

Yes. Getting your fingerprints collected by a private fingerprinting provider for an overseas application is a legitimate way to prepare documents for a foreign authority. The important point is that the provider is collecting fingerprints for the specific application you are making. The foreign government then decides whether the completed fingerprint card or record meets its requirements.

A fingerprinting appointment usually takes around 15–20 minutes. It may take longer if prints need to be retaken for quality.

With Globeia, the completed fingerprints are reviewed during the appointment so obvious quality issues can be addressed immediately. This can help avoid discovering a problem later, after the fingerprint card has already been submitted or mailed overseas.

Also read: How Long Does Fingerprinting Take

Not always. Some overseas applications only require the completed fingerprint card. Others may require evidence of who collected the fingerprints, the date and location of collection, or an accompanying fingerprint certificate.

This is why it is important to check the destination authority's instructions before your appointment. A provider's standard fingerprint certificate is not automatically a substitute for a certification required by the receiving government.

Not necessarily. The fingerprinting itself is simple, but the important part is understanding the form, identification requirements, and instructions from the authority requesting your fingerprints. Those documents may be in English even when your appointment takes place in Japan.

If you are not comfortable handling the paperwork alone, confirm language support with the provider before booking. It is important to clarify the fingerprint card you need, the identification documents required, and what happens to the completed card after the appointment.

Globeia's associates are fluent in both English and Japanese to make sure your experience is as convenient as possible.

Yes. International fingerprinting services are available in Tokyo and, depending on the provider, other major Japanese cities. Globeia currently covers Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama, Chiba, Funabashi, Kashiwa, Tachikawa, Machida, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Sendai, and Sapporo.

If you are outside Tokyo, check whether the provider offers an appointment in your city or a mobile appointment rather than assuming you need to travel to Tokyo.

Globeia provides international fingerprinting in Tokyo for FBI, RCMP, FINRA, and other overseas background-check requirements. The service uses the fingerprint card or form applicable to the application, including FD-258, FD-1164, and C-216C where applicable.

The process can include:

• Professional fingerprint capture
• The required fingerprint card or form
• On-site fingerprint quality review
• Mobile appointments depending on location
• Letter of Identity Verification
• FBI submission coordination through Globeia's U.S. office
• RCMP submission coordination through Globeia's RCMP-accredited Canadian office
• Apostille, authentication, and translation support when required

Globeia also offers fingerprinting across selected locations in Japan, so applicants outside Tokyo may not need to travel solely for the appointment.

Fingerprints are not ordinary personal information. Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission specifically recognizes fingerprint-derived information as an individual identification code under the country's personal information protection framework.

That makes it reasonable to ask what happens to your fingerprints after an appointment. Before booking any private provider, check:

Who can access the fingerprint records?

• Are digital fingerprint files retained after the application is completed?
• How are physical fingerprint cards and copies handled?
• Which companies or government authorities receive the information?
• What does the provider's privacy policy say about retention and deletion?

How Globeia handles this

Your fingerprints are collected solely for the specific application you're applying for and are not retained by Globeia beyond what's needed. We don't build a separate database of client fingerprints, and we don't reuse or repurpose biometric data collected for one application toward any other purpose.

A fingerprint package moving from Japan to the FBI or RCMP is subject to privacy obligations on both ends, not just one. So our handling follows the data protection expectations of both the country where your prints are collected and the country receiving them.

Note: If privacy is important to you, read the provider's current privacy policy before submitting biometric information and ask specifically about retention rather than assuming that all fingerprinting companies handle data in the same way.

If you need fingerprinting in Japan for an overseas background check, start with the destination authority, not the fingerprinting provider. Find out exactly which form, fingerprinting method, certification, and submission route your application requires.

Japan's immigration biometrics are a separate process. For an FBI, RCMP, FINRA, or other international application, the safest route is to have your fingerprints captured specifically for that application and check the completed form before it leaves Japan.