Spouse Visa Japan Requirements 2026

If you are married to a Japanese national, the relevant long-term status of residence is 日本人の配偶者等 (Nihonjin no haigūsha tō), commonly searched as the Japan spouse visa. The core spouse visa Japan requirements are proof that the applicant is the Japanese national’s husband or wife, proof of the marriage, proof of support for living in Japan, and evidence that the relationship is real and ongoing.

The official Immigration Services Agency page states that this status applies to the spouse of a Japanese national, a special adopted child of a Japanese national, or a person born as a child of a Japanese national, with examples including the husband or wife of a Japanese person, biological child, or special adopted child under the status of residence 日本人の配偶者等. This guide focuses on the “married to Japanese national visa” situation: a foreign applicant applying as the husband or wife of a Japanese citizen.

The core requirement: a genuine marriage to a Japanese national

For a married couple, the starting point is legal status as the Japanese national’s spouse. Immigration’s spouse-specific page is for cases where the foreign applicant is the Japanese national’s spouse, meaning husband or wife under 日本人の配偶者等.

In practice, the application is not only a formality showing that a wedding took place. The documents Immigration asks for are designed to confirm both the formal marriage and the couple’s real relationship.

The formal side is shown through official marriage records. The relationship side is shown through the questionnaire, photos, SNS records, call records, residence records, and financial support documents listed by Immigration.

The application should therefore tell one consistent story: who the couple are, when and how they married, how they communicate, where they plan to live, and how they will support life in Japan. Gaps are not automatically fatal, but unexplained gaps can make the file harder to understand.

Which application route applies?

Immigration lists several procedures for a foreign spouse of a Japanese national. The correct route depends on the applicant’s current situation.

If the applicant is outside Japan and newly hopes to enter Japan under this status, the procedure is an application for a Certificate of Eligibility, listed as 在留資格認定証明書交付申請 (zairyū shikaku nintei shōmeisho kōfu shinsei) for new entry under this status. This is the route many couples use when the foreign spouse is abroad.

If the applicant is already in Japan under another status of residence and wants to become a spouse of Japanese national resident, Immigration lists a change of status application, 在留資格変更許可申請 (zairyū shikaku henkō kyoka shinsei) for changing to this status. Immigration also notes that if the applicant has stopped doing the activity for their original status and the personal status relationship has already changed, they should apply promptly, and that status may be revoked if the person is not engaging in the activity based on their current status.

If the applicant already holds this status and continues to stay based on the same personal relationship, Immigration lists a period of stay renewal application, 在留期間更新許可申請 (zairyū kikan kōshin kyoka shinsei) for continued stay based on the relationship. Renewal is discussed below.

Document checklist for a first spouse application

For a Certificate of Eligibility application by the foreign spouse of a Japanese national, Immigration lists the following core documents on the spouse application page. A change of status application uses a similar set, with passport and residence card presentation added for applicants already in Japan.

Basic application documents

Prepare the application form and a photo. Immigration states that the application form can be downloaded from the page or obtained at a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, and that the listed forms are for printing on Japanese Industrial Standards A4 paper, one-sided.

For a Certificate of Eligibility application, Immigration also lists a self-addressed standard envelope with the required postage for simplified registered mail. If someone other than the applicant submits the documents, Immigration states that a document proving the submitter’s identity may need to be presented to confirm whether that person is allowed to submit the application.

Documents proving the legal marriage

The Japanese spouse’s family register, 戸籍謄本 (koseki tōhon), is required, and Immigration specifies that it must show the fact of marriage with the applicant. If the family register does not show the marriage, Immigration says to submit a marriage notification acceptance certificate in addition to the family register.

Immigration also lists a marriage certificate issued by the applicant’s foreign national authority. If the applicant is of a nationality such as Korean where a family register is issued, Immigration says a foreign-authority-issued family register showing the marriage of both parties may be acceptable.

These documents are important because a spouse visa is based on the legal relationship. If the Japanese record and the foreign record use different names, spellings, or dates, the couple should check the consistency before submission.

Documents proving support in Japan

Immigration asks for documents proving expenses during the applicant’s stay in Japan. The listed standard documents are the most recent one year of resident tax taxation or non-taxation certificate and tax payment certificate for the person who will pay the applicant’s expenses, showing total income for the year and tax payment status.

Immigration adds that if both total income for the year and tax payment status are shown, either one certificate may be sufficient. It also explains that the certificates are issued by the city, ward, town, or village office of the municipality where the person lived as of January 1.

If those tax documents cannot prove the expenses because the person recently entered Japan or moved, Immigration lists alternatives such as copies of bank passbooks, employment offer certificates or informal job offer notices issued by a Japanese company, and equivalent materials. For web bank passbooks, Immigration says printed screens showing transaction history may be acceptable if printed in a state that cannot be altered, and Excel files are not acceptable.

Guarantee and household residence documents

Immigration lists a guarantee letter from the Japanese spouse. It specifies that the guarantor should be the Japanese spouse living in Japan.

Immigration also lists the Japanese spouse’s resident record, 住民票 (jūminhyō), showing all household members. The individual number, or My Number, should be omitted, while other items should not be omitted.

This household record matters because it shows the Japanese spouse’s registered household situation. It also helps Immigration understand where the couple will be based in Japan.

Questionnaire and relationship evidence

For Certificate of Eligibility and change applications, Immigration lists a questionnaire. It provides questionnaire forms in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian.

Immigration also asks for materials confirming interaction between the couple. Specifically, it lists 2 to 3 snapshots in which both people appear and their appearance can be clearly confirmed, and says app-processed photos are not acceptable.

Other relationship materials listed by Immigration include SNS records and call records. These items are not decorative extras; they directly support the reality and continuity of the couple’s relationship.

Income, support, and cohabitation evidence Immigration checks

The official document list does not state a fixed income amount. Instead, it asks for documents proving the applicant’s expenses in Japan, especially tax certificates showing annual total income and tax payment status for the person supporting the applicant.

This means couples should focus on making support understandable. If the Japanese spouse is supporting the household, the Japanese spouse’s tax and payment documents are central. If another situation applies, use the alternatives Immigration lists where the standard tax documents do not prove expenses.

For renewal, Immigration states that if the applicant pays their own expenses, the applicant should submit their own resident tax taxation or non-taxation certificate and tax payment certificate showing total income for the year and tax payment status. This is useful for foreign spouses who have been living in Japan and are financially supporting themselves.

Cohabitation is reflected indirectly through the household and address documents. Immigration asks for the Japanese spouse’s resident record showing all household members, with My Number omitted and other matters not omitted.

If the couple is not shown in the same household record, the application should still be accurate. Do not change documents just to make them look simpler; instead, make sure the questionnaire and supporting materials explain the real living plan or living history clearly.

Proving the relationship history

The strongest spouse application is usually easy to follow. The officer should be able to see the legal marriage, the couple’s history, and their present living and support plan without guessing.

Start with the official records. The Japanese family register should show the marriage to the applicant, or be supplemented by the marriage notification acceptance certificate if needed. The foreign marriage certificate should also support the same relationship.

Then use the questionnaire to provide the relationship timeline in a clear and consistent way. Immigration asks for the questionnaire in first-time and change applications, so treat it as a central explanation document, not a minor form.

Photos should be simple and verifiable. Immigration lists 2 to 3 snapshots with both spouses visible and clearly identifiable, and specifically says app-processed photos are not acceptable.

SNS and call records can help show communication history. You do not need to overload the file with private material, but the records you choose should make the relationship easier to understand.

Why marriages of convenience get flagged and rejected

The official pages do not use the phrase “marriage of convenience,” and they do not publish approval rates or rejection patterns. However, the document list itself shows what Immigration needs to verify: the legal marriage, the identity and household situation of the Japanese spouse, the applicant’s support in Japan, and the couple’s actual interaction.

A file becomes weak when it proves only the wedding registration but does not show a real couple relationship. For example, missing relationship evidence, unclear photos, inconsistent marriage information, or unexplained lack of communication records can make the application harder to assess.

Another risk is inconsistency. If the questionnaire says one thing but the official records, residence documents, or communication evidence suggest something else, Immigration may ask for additional materials during examination.

Immigration expressly states that, after an application is submitted, it may request materials not listed on the page during the examination process. It also warns that if submitted documents are not complete, examination may be significantly delayed or the applicant may face an unfavorable disposition.

The practical lesson is simple: do not try to make the relationship look like someone else’s idea of a perfect marriage. Present the real marriage clearly, with documents that support the actual history and current situation.

Residence periods and renewal

The status of residence 日本人の配偶者等 may be granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months. The official source lists these as the available periods of stay for this status.

Renewal is for a person who will continue staying based on the relevant personal status relationship. Immigration lists a renewal application for the foreign spouse of a Japanese national when continuing to stay based on that relationship.

For renewal, the listed documents include the renewal application form, photo, Japanese spouse’s family register showing the marriage, documents proving expenses in Japan, the Japanese spouse’s guarantee letter, the Japanese spouse’s resident record showing all household members, and presentation of the applicant’s passport and residence card. Immigration also states that if someone other than the applicant submits the documents, a document proving that person’s status to submit may be required.

The renewal document list is shorter than the first-time list in one important way: Immigration’s renewal section does not list the questionnaire, couple photos, SNS records, or call records as standard documents. However, Immigration states generally that it may request additional materials during examination, so couples should keep evidence of their continuing marriage organized.

If the spouse relationship ends, separate notification rules may apply. Immigration’s page for persons staying under this status lists a required notification when the person divorces or is bereaved of the spouse.

Document timing, translations, and practical filing cautions

Immigration states that all certificates issued in Japan must be submitted within 3 months of their issue date. This applies to Japanese-issued certificates such as family registers, tax certificates, and resident records when those documents are required.

If a submitted document is written in a foreign language, Immigration says a Japanese translation must be attached. This is especially relevant for foreign marriage certificates and foreign family-register-type documents.

Immigration also states that submitted materials generally cannot be returned. If you want the return of an original that would be difficult to obtain again, you should request this at the time of application.

Name consistency can also affect the process. For Certificate of Eligibility applications, Immigration notes that if the name on the Certificate of Eligibility and the passport differ, later procedures before entry may take time for confirmation, and it asks applicants to submit a passport copy with the application where possible.

Step-by-step preparation plan

1. Confirm the correct route: Certificate of Eligibility, change of status, renewal, or another listed procedure. Choose based on whether the foreign spouse is outside Japan, already in Japan under another status, or already staying as the spouse of a Japanese national.

2. Obtain the Japanese spouse’s family register. Check that it shows the marriage to the applicant; if it does not, prepare the marriage notification acceptance certificate as Immigration instructs.

3. Obtain the foreign marriage certificate. If the applicant’s country issues a family-register-type document showing the marriage, check whether it fits Immigration’s listed alternative.

4. Prepare support documents. Start with the resident tax taxation or non-taxation certificate and tax payment certificate for the person paying the applicant’s expenses, then use Immigration’s listed alternatives if those documents cannot prove the expenses.

5. Prepare the guarantee letter and household resident record. The Japanese spouse living in Japan is listed as the guarantor, and the resident record should show all household members with My Number omitted.

6. Complete the questionnaire and relationship evidence where required. Use clear couple photos, unprocessed by apps, and add SNS or call records that help confirm communication.

7. Check translations, certificate dates, and consistency. Japanese-issued certificates must be recent within the period Immigration states, and foreign-language documents need Japanese translations.

8. Submit a complete file and be ready for additional requests. Immigration warns that incomplete documents may delay examination or lead to an unfavorable result, and it may request materials beyond the standard list.

FAQ

Who qualifies for the Japan spouse visa?

A foreign applicant may qualify as the husband or wife of a Japanese national under the status of residence 日本人の配偶者等. The same status also covers a special adopted child of a Japanese national or a person born as a child of a Japanese national.

What documents prove the marriage?

Immigration lists the Japanese spouse’s family register showing the marriage, or a marriage notification acceptance certificate if the family register does not show it. It also lists a marriage certificate issued by the applicant’s foreign national authority.

Does Immigration ask for relationship evidence?

Yes. For first-time Certificate of Eligibility and change applications, Immigration lists a questionnaire and materials confirming interaction between the couple, including 2 to 3 clear snapshots of the couple together, SNS records, and call records.

What residence periods are possible?

The official residence periods for 日本人の配偶者等 are 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months. The period granted in an individual case is determined through the application process.

What is needed for renewal?

For renewal, Immigration lists a renewal application form, photo, Japanese spouse’s family register, documents proving expenses in Japan, the Japanese spouse’s guarantee letter, the Japanese spouse’s resident record for all household members, and presentation of the passport and residence card.

Common questions