Japan Spouse Visa Documents Checklist (2026)

If you are preparing documents for spouse visa Japan applications under 日本人の配偶者等 (Nihonjin no haigūsha tō), start with the Immigration Services Agency’s current list and build one consistent evidence package. The exact form changes depending on whether you apply from abroad, change status in Japan, or renew, but the central marriage, financial, and relationship documents are closely related.

This guide focuses on an initial application based on marriage to a Japanese national. Missing documents can substantially delay examination or lead to an unfavorable decision, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

Core spouse visa documents checklist

Use the application type that matches your situation. A person planning to enter Japan can apply in advance for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE); someone already in Japan on another status uses a change-of-status application. The official spouse-of-Japanese page provides separate forms and checklists for each procedure.

For a COE application, prepare the following documents for spouse visa Japan applications:

• Certificate of Eligibility application form: one completed form for the applicant.
• Applicant photo: one photograph meeting the Agency’s required specifications, attached to the application form.
• Japanese spouse’s 戸籍謄本 (koseki tohon): one full family register certificate showing the marriage. If the marriage is not yet recorded, submit a marriage notification acceptance certificate in addition to the koseki.
• Foreign spouse’s marriage certificate: one certificate issued by the authority in the applicant’s country of nationality. Where a foreign family register records the marriage, that record may be used for certain nationalities.
• Financial evidence: the supporter’s most recent one-year residence-tax certificate and tax-payment certificate, showing total income and tax-payment status.
• Japanese spouse’s guarantee letter: one 身元保証書 (mimoto hoshōsho).
• Japanese spouse’s residence certificate: one 住民票 (jūminhyō) listing every member of the household, with the My Number omitted and other fields not omitted.
• Question Sheet: one 質問書 (shitsumonsho).
• Relationship evidence: two to three snapshots of the couple together in which both people and their appearance can be clearly confirmed; app-edited photos are not accepted. Material such as social-media or call records may also be submitted.
• Return envelope: for a COE application, a standard-size envelope addressed to the recipient and bearing the necessary simplified-registered-mail postage.

These requirements come from the Agency’s official spouse-of-Japanese document list. For a change-of-status application, the applicant must also present their passport and residence card. A renewal has a shorter listed set and does not list the foreign marriage certificate, Question Sheet, or relationship photographs as standard documents.

Marriage records: show the marriage in both systems

The koseki tohon is one of the most important documents in a 日本人の配偶者 必要書類 (Nihonjin no haigūsha hitsuyō shorui) package. It connects the Japanese spouse’s family register to the marriage and should contain the marriage fact.

The foreign spouse must also submit a marriage certificate issued by an authority in their country of nationality for a COE or change application. Treat these as complementary records: the Japanese record establishes the registration in Japan, while the foreign record establishes the marriage record from the applicant’s country.

Check names, dates, and spellings across the application form, koseki, marriage certificate, passport, tax documents, and Question Sheet. The Agency notes that differing name spellings between a COE and passport can require additional confirmation and take more time; if possible, submit a passport copy with the COE application when there is a difference.

The Question Sheet: how much detail to provide

The Question Sheet is not a short formality. It is an official required document for a COE application and a change-of-status application under the spouse-of-Japanese category, and the Agency publishes versions in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian on its application page.

Complete every applicable field clearly and consistently. Give concrete, truthful answers that match the dates and circumstances shown in your other documents, rather than relying on vague statements such as “we met online and decided to marry.”

A useful approach is to prepare a simple timeline before writing: when you first met, how contact developed, visits or time spent together, the marriage process, and your plan for living in Japan. Keep the explanation focused on facts you can explain consistently if asked, and make sure it does not contradict your photos, call records, or social-media evidence.

The required relationship materials are modest in number—two to three couple photographs—but they must show both people clearly and must not be app-edited. The Agency also identifies SNS and call records as examples of additional material that can show contact between the spouses.

Sponsor income and guarantee documents

The person supporting the applicant’s stay must document the ability to cover living expenses. The standard evidence is the most recent one-year residence-tax assessment or exemption certificate and tax-payment certificate, provided they show both total annual income and tax-payment status. If one certificate contains both items, the Agency accepts that single document.

These certificates are issued by the municipality where the supporter lived on January 1. The listed financial evidence is not limited to the Japanese spouse in every possible case—the Agency refers to the person who will pay the applicant’s expenses—but the guarantee letter for this status should be completed by the Japanese spouse residing in Japan.

Where the normal tax documents cannot demonstrate finances, such as after recent entry into Japan or a move, the Agency gives examples of alternative supporting evidence:

• Copies of bankbooks or unalterable printouts of web-bank transaction history;
• A certificate of planned employment or job-offer notice issued by a Japanese company; or
• Comparable supporting material.

Do not submit editable spreadsheet files as bank evidence. The official guidance specifically permits web-bank screen printouts only where they are printed in a form that cannot be altered.

The household-wide jūminhyō supports the residence side of the application. Request it without My Number, but without omitting other fields, as instructed in the official checklist.

Translating a foreign marriage certificate

A foreign-language marriage certificate must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. This is a general instruction from the Immigration Services Agency for any submitted document prepared in a foreign language.

The official spouse visa list requires a marriage certificate issued by an authority in the applicant’s country of nationality. Ensure that any Japanese translation is complete and corresponds accurately to the foreign-language document.

Include Japanese translations for any foreign-language relationship evidence or financial documents you submit when their content matters to the application.

Applying from overseas with a Certificate of Eligibility

If the foreign spouse is outside Japan and plans to enter as the spouse of a Japanese national, a Certificate of Eligibility can be applied for before entry. A COE is an advance application made before entry to show that the planned activity fits a status of residence and the landing conditions.

Once issued, the COE can be submitted or shown during the visa application at a Japanese overseas mission and at landing, helping the applicant receive visa issuance and landing permission more quickly. The Agency lists a standard processing period of one to three months, so submit with time to spare rather than planning around a fixed travel date.

The applicant, an authorized representative, or eligible application intermediary may submit the COE application. It is filed with the regional immigration office having jurisdiction over the intended residence or relevant accepting organization; the Agency says postal submissions are not accepted, while online COE applications are available.

There is no fee for the COE application according to the Agency’s procedure overview. If the certificate and passport use different name spellings, provide a passport copy where possible to reduce later confirmation issues.

Final pre-submission check

Before filing, sort the documents in the order of the official checklist and confirm that every name, address, and key date tells the same story. Use the current form for your procedure, print forms one-sided on A4 paper as instructed, and attach Japanese translations to foreign-language records.

For the strongest practical package, make the marriage records, Question Sheet, income documents, guarantee letter, residence certificate, and relationship evidence easy to read together. If your circumstances mean a listed document is unavailable or does not show the usual information, use the Agency’s examples of alternative financial evidence and be ready for a request for further materials.

Frequently asked questions

What documents are needed for a Japan spouse visa?

A typical initial package includes the correct application form, photo, Japanese spouse’s koseki tohon, foreign spouse’s marriage certificate, financial records, guarantee letter, household jūminhyō, Question Sheet, and evidence of the couple’s contact. Check the official list for the procedure you are actually filing because COE, change, and renewal requirements differ.

Do foreign marriage certificates need Japanese translations?

Yes. The Immigration Services Agency requires a Japanese translation for documents prepared in a foreign language.

Does the Japanese spouse need to be the guarantor?

For this status, the Agency states that the guarantor should be the Japanese spouse who resides in Japan. Use the Agency’s designated guarantee-letter form.

Can I apply from outside Japan?

Yes. You can apply before entry for a Certificate of Eligibility under the spouse-of-Japanese status. After issuance, it can be used for the visa application and landing procedures.

Common questions