This, finally, is the complete, step-by-step guide to every form and every document you need to apply for a spouse visa, certificate of eligibility, or Change of Status of Residence for Japan.
Immigration lawyers charge over ¥100,000 to do this paperwork for you. That’s crazy. The application is not difficult: anyone can do it if they have the instructions in hand, and now you do.
This book describes every form and document you need for the spouse certificate of eligibility and visa application process. It is designed to be your one-stop resource. You do not need to pay huge sums of cash to a lawyer. You do not need to agonize over vague directions from the Immigration Bureau. With this book in hand, you can file your application yourself, without fear of error.
I hope you find it to be as valuable as I mean it to be. Please let me know what you think in the comments, below!
Hi traviz!!my husband already turned in my CoE application with all the necessary and other possible supporting documents.but some friends disclosed me some of not so good anticipations…like our COE approval may take longer time as 6 months,,the reason to which is that my husband is from brazil having only long term residence visa as japanese descendant and i am a filipina.another thing is that he submitted the questionare in english form..can you somehow give me some heads-up please?thank you so much you have been always a huge help.
Hi Criselda Ebite,
If your husband has a Japanese Descendant status, then the “Spouse Visa” I talk about in this article is not the right one for you. The spouse visa only applies if your spouse is a Japanese citizen or a Permanent Resident.
There is a separate “Long Term Visa” (定住者) visa/residence status for spouses of 2nd Generation Japanese Descendants or 3rd Generation Japanese Descendants. The application requirements are slightly different depending on your husband’s generation status and type of employment and there are additional requirements that do not apply to the Spouse Visa.
Incidentally, you are required to submit the questionnaire in Japanese or attach a Japanese translation, so they will probably ask you to submit that as an additional document.
In any case, the processing time for a Certificate of Eligibility application is always 1-3 months. The application time does not get longer because of your status – although there may be some delays if the Immigration Bureau has to ask you to submit additional documents.
Many of the requirements depend on your husband’s status and situation, so I’m sorry I cannot give more specific details, but I would suggest that he might want to consult with the immigration bureau soon to ensure that he submitted the right kind of application and to see what additional documents might be required.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
How can i get spouse visa from nepal,i am married to japanese national.we have been married on 2015.He came several times to nepal.i gave birth to our daughter. my child has already got japanese passport from Nepal.Now i am planning to go japan.
Hi Kala,
This book will walk you through all of the steps and requirements.
I also have a blog article that covers the same topic, though in a bit less detail. Especially if your husband is willing to help you with most of the process, the article may be enough.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I am a Philippine citizen residing in Japan holding a long-term visa (permanent). My fiance is US citizen and had an abetting fraud. He finished his probation in 2016. We applied for K1 visa in the US and while we’re waiting for our NOA2 he wants to visit me. Is it gonna be complicated for him to enter Japan because of his fraud? Your response is really appreciated.
Hi Zabpray,
If your husband is an American citizen, he can come to Japan for up to 90 days to stay without applying for a visa, so there should be no problem for him to visit.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much !! God bless you !!
Hi…i am a filipina married to a brazillian having long term visa in japan..learned from this blog that i could only apply for dependent visa since he is not a permanent resident yet..but how and where can i get the permit to work there since i intend to work as well…i also want to ask how to get that working residence status if i find a full time job?i worked in japan for three years as trainee before so i think its not that hard to get employed since i know some agencies i can apply for a job..will the process require more documents in obtaining working residents status?please enlighten me.thank you
Hi Criselda ebite,
You can apply for a part-time work permit (Application for permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted) at the Immigration Bureau office after arriving in Japan.
If you are hired for a full time job, then your employer will help you get the documentation you need to change your status to a working status. They should be used to that process and paperwork, so all you would have to do would be to follow their directions.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
My utmost gratitude TranSenz!but another question,,about application form item 27(2),i got pretty confused at this…i am the applicant and my husband will be my proxy..what should i really put to the “relationship with the applicant”should it be ..husband or wife?sorry i may sound dumb about it but i am just being carefull..thank you so much…
Hi Criselda Ebite,
Since your husband is applying for your CoE on your behalf, this should be his relationship to you. So, “husband” would be best.
And no, you don’t sound dumb, at all – don’t worry! These relationship questions confuse people all the time!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks again!!you were an enormous help…God bless you
Thank you so much Travis Senzaki for writing this incredible guide! My wife is a Japanese citizen and we married in the US, but she suddenly received an offer for her dream job in Tokyo and had to move immediately. We were both having an extremely difficult time finding information on how I could get my visa. Every website seemed to say something different. I stumbled across your guide and that was the best purchase I could have made. I followed your guide to the T and I was able to get my COE and then Visa within one and a half months total and everything went perfectly smooth on the first try! Thanks to you I will happily be reuniting with my wife in Tokyo at the end of this month! I cannot express how truly grateful I am for you having written this guide! You have significantly impacted my life for the better! I highly recommend this guide to anyone about to apply for a spouse visa!
Hi Anthony R.
Thank you for your kind words and feedback! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate hearing it!
I am happy that I was able to help and that you got everything completed so quickly.
Best of luck for your new life in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for all the information you put in your spouse visa article, it is the most comprehensive I’ve read out there!
I m married to a Japanese woman and we are thinking of going to japan (we both live abroad and she doesn’t work) so probably one of her parents need to sponsor me…
My wife has about 1.600.000 yen in savings do you know if that would be ok? Her father is now retired so we don’t know if his income would be high enough, is there a minimum acceptable income for a supporter?
Hi Marios,
Thank you for your kind words!
It sounds like you would need your wife’s father to be your financial guarantor. There is no particular minimum to be a guarantor and I have heard of retirees on national pensions serving as guarantors in the past.
There is no minimum amount required to be a supporter, but in general you should be able to show that you have at least 80,000 – 100,000 yen in financial support available to you per month (and that’s on top of the person’s own expenses).
If you have savings too, even if they are overseas, you can use those together with your wife’s savings as proof of financial resources. 1.6 million yen alone is a little low to be your only source of funding for both of you, unless you plan to live with her parents, but if you have savings, too, it could be enough.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi
I married my Japanese husband and your blog helped me out a tonne! Thank you 🙂
How long did you wait after getting married to apply for the COE.?
I have several financial affairs and my home to sort out as well as changing my name on anything but my husband is concerned it will “look bad” if I don’t do it straight away. Is there an issue with me delaying the COE by around 2/3 months so I have time to get myself sorted. Ideally I needs other 6/7 months in my home country (UK)
Thanks so much
Hi Shiny,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
I waited about 6 months because we weren’t ready to move to Japan yet right after we got married. Basically, the only thing that matters with the timing of applying for the Certificate of Eligibility and visa is when you plan to move to Japan. You have to arrive in Japan within 90 days of your CoE being issued. If you need more time to prepare, I would recommend that you take that time first.
It will not look bad on your application that you do not move to Japan immediately if you can show that there was a practical reason for the delay and also provide evidence of your relationship continuing in the meantime. It is perfectly reasonable that you would have government paperwork and financial obligations to sort out in your home country before moving!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi I’m from Pakistan and working in Malaysia i have a Japanese girlfriend in Japan i want to go in Japan and want to marry with my Japanese girlfriend in Japan but i don’t know how can i go to Japan and my girlfriend also don’t know my girlfriend don’t have job and she’s get a house from Japanese government and she’s get aid every month from Japanese government so please tell she can send me a sponsor visa and she can be my Guarantor please help me
Hi Usman,
You’d need a tourist visa to go to Japan at first to do the marriage registration.
After that, you need the documents listed in this article! If your girlfriend does not have income tax records, she should have some sort of official document saying that she is exempt from tax, instead.
She would have to have sufficient income to support you in Japan in order to be your financial supporter/guarantor. That determination will ultimately be up to the Immigration Bureau. If her income is insufficient, then you may need financial support from someone else, as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I have been married to Japanese 5 years but now divorced. Is there any way to get a long term visa once I lost my spouse visa.
Hi Mark,
If you have children from the marriage who have Japanese citizenship and you are the sole custodian, you can get a residence status to care for them. Otherwise, there is no residence status for former spouses, so you would have to find an alternative way to stay in the country, such as a working status. You cannot apply to change to permanent residency from your spouse status if you are no longer married to a Japanese national.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi there,
My wife is Brazilian Nikkei and she holds the long term resident visa, we get married here in Japan and applied 2 times for my long term resident visa from here, unfortunately it was rejected both times for not having enough funds (We showed them enough proof with my mother’s bank account showing more than enough 1,500,00 yen or so) . She has an arubaito with an agency in a factory so her salary fluctuates a lot, also she has a kid.
So I thought about going back to Spain and apply for the COE for long term resident visa, what it’s your advice? should I try to find a job in Japan while in Spain? and in the meantime save money (Or ask my family to fill my account with a good amount) and then apply for the COE and long term resident visa.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Raul,
My best advice to you would be to find a job in Japan if you can. If you had your own income source in Japan, then there should be no problem with your applying for a long-term visa!
Even if you go the other path and try to increase the size of your bank account, then you would still need to try to find a job here after you arrive to be ale to retain your residence through renewals.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Follow up question, In this questionaire from osaka immigration, who will fill up this form? me (living here in japan) or my wife( in philippines)? and the last part who’s sign will it be? got confused co’z they gave me 15 days to submit and I thought it will be sent to my wife co’z of long due date..same 15 days they gave me when they request nbi/police clearance from philippines. Thanks again
Hi Ryan,
The questionnaire is meant to be filled in and signed by the spouse living in Japan (the haigusha). I try to make that clear – as well as pointing out who each section applies to – in the book!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Thanks for the pointers and hints.. I am in the process of applying coe for my wife. To clarify things, I am the haigusha? (filipino male living in japan) and my wife is the shinseisha (living in philippines) There is also a return envelope where you enclose the completed questionaire which indicates applicants name? is it my name or my wife’s name to be written?Can I upload a copy of this questionaire in this site..gladly like to help others..
Hi Ryan,
Are you a permanent resident of Japan? If you aren’t then you need to be following a different application process for the dependent visa.
I break down the questionnaire in detail in the book, including a full translation and step-by-step instructions, but the “applicant” is the shinseisha is the person applying for the visa. The spouse/haigusha is the Japanese national or permanent resident.
Thank you for your offer. There is no way to upload the document directly. If you want to email it to me, I will double-check the contents and post it, but I’m afraid it will take me a little while to get to it as I have quite a backlog of articles and books I need to finish first.
Thank you again.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello! I want to get my husband for a dependent visa but his passport will be expired on oct 2018. We’re both Filipino. Is it safe to travel from Philipines to Japan with exactly or less than 6 months validity of passport and renew his passport here in tokyo since he will be staying here sane with my years of stay. Will it be possibly approved by immigrations in Philippines and Japan. online appointment of renewal of passport in PH is getting worst.,fully loaded schedules online, no walk-in applicants allowed, no agency, unmanageable “passport-on-wheels project” ggrrrrr!
Hi Mlado,
Japan does not have a requirement to have a specific period of validity left on your passport when you apply for your Certificate of Eligibility, so it would not be a problem at that point. Like you said, he can renew his passport after he arrives in Japan and that would not be a problem.
However, I don’t know how that would affect the visa application process, since that can differ from country to country, and I know the process in the Philippines is complicated with agents, etc. I would recommend that you follow up with someone who has more direct experience with the application process there, too, just to be sure!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, based on your “Financial Supporter” flowchart, is it correct that the guarantor info should always go in 24(3), even if he/she is the spouse? Because in your filled out example nothing is written there. Thanks.
Sorry, another quick question. Some of my spouse’s relatives live with her at the current address, but never transferred the address officially from the one they used to live, so they do not appear on the jūminhyō. In your experience, what is better to write as their address in the forms? (table on line 20 in the application form and question 11 on the questionnaire). Do I put their legal address (the old one) or the actual one (current) even if they do not appear on the jūminhyō? Thanks.
Hi Gab,
In my experience, legal addresses are more important than actual addresses for government paperwork, so go with what the juminhyo says.
If your wife’s family members have not moved their residence registration, then it wouldn’t be necessary to list them as living in the same house (so you wouldn’t have to list them at all, unless they were immediate family to be listed in question 11 of the questionnaire).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Gab,
If your spouse is your guarantor and your financial supporter, then you only need to right his/her information in 26. 24(3) should be for non-guarantor financial supporters.
I will have to look at that flowchart again and make sure I connected those lines right.
(Of course, entering your guarantor spouse in both 24(3) and 26 will not hurt you in any way!)
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi. Im a filipina. I was married to my boyfriend filipino with long term visa. What he should bring in japan ? What are those documents? thanks
Hi Haze,
If your husband is a permanent resident, then you would need all of the documents I listed in this article (except the koseki, since he wouldn’t have one of those). I also have more details about the slight differences between applying for a Spouse of Japanese National versus applying as a Spouse of Permanent Resident in my book.
If he is just a “long-term resident”, then you’d be applying for a dependent visa instead.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Sir,
I am a filipina with permanent resident visa. I was divorced with my japanese husband. Now, i have a filipino boyfriend living in the philippines. We want to get married in Japan.what are the requirements and procedures?can you help me?thank you in advance
Hi Emdyeyz,
You’ll need to follow the instructions I laid out in my article on international marriage in Japan. But instead of preparing the koseki, like you would if you were Japanese, you’d need your proof of eligibility to marry from the Philippine Embassy, the same as your fiance would.
I’d also recommend that you check with your city hall in advance to see if they have any additional requirements for you. Some cities add a little extra paperwork.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear sir i need to dependet visa apply form sample of fillop
Hi Jp,
I’m afraid I do not have a sample visa form or CoE application form for the Dependent Visa. I have a guide about how to apply for it at the link above, and it’s much simpler than the Spouse Visa, so I think you shouldn’t have much trouble with it!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi I am Filipina who has a tourist visa and was invited by my half brother who is a Japanese citizen, he was a son of my father from a japanese woman. My father is a Filipino who have worked in japan at his younger age and met his Japanese wife but separated/divorced when he got back to philippines and married to my mother (Filipina). I got here in japan because of my half brother who invited me for 90 days tourist visa but before my 3months visa will expire I met this man who is very kind to me and we go on a date to make the story short we decided to get married before I get back to my country. We prepare all the papers for the marriage requirements and he was the one who process for the extension of my visa as a fiancée visa. The immigration granted me a 3months extension. But as days and weeks goes by we rarely communicate to each other and his reason was he was so busy with his work but I had found out he was dating with another woman and he told me to cancel about our plan to get married. Luckily, in my time of sadness there was this man who happen to be a blessing in disguise for me who lift me up and put back broken pieces that I had encounter and willing to marry me but the problem is my 3months extension visa was about to expire again. My question is…is there any conflicts if I will get marry to this guy while i was already given an extension visa by another man for a fiancée visa? I hope you could help me and reply my questions as soon as possible. I have only 10days before I go back to my country and on the next day we are planning to go to Osaka to submit all the papers for the marriage. Thank you very much for your time. God bless!
Hi Rejoice,
Your experience is unlike anything else I’ve ever heard of.
I have never heard of anyone getting an extension to their 3-month temporary visitor stay or of a fiance visa, for that matter. So, I’m afraid my advice would not be based on your exact situation.
There should be no conflict to your marrying your new fiance. Your marriage registration paperwork at the city hall is not related to your residence status.
Since I don’t know anything about the extension you received previously, I’m afraid I can’t say for sure whether or not you’d be able to receive another one, but I think it may be difficult.
I would recommend that after you get married, you return to your home country and go through the visa application process from there. Your husband in Japan would apply for a CoE for you and send it to you, then you would apply for your visa.
Even that may be difficult, since your relationship before your marriage was short and the Immigration Bureau will want to see proof that it is a legitimate relations, through records of your dating and time together. So, while you are together, I would recommend you do as much as possible to prove that it is a legitimate relationship. For example, visiting his family, going on a trip together, spending time on dates, etc.
Even after you return, you will want to be able to show a consistent communication record, as well.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi,
can u give me steps by steps process on what to prepare and what to do next ij getting married to a japanese national in japan;?
and by the way my status is a trainee with only 1 year and 2months left of training visa.. pls help.. thank u
Hi Bonita,
I’ve written another article about how to get married in Japan that might be what you’re looking for!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
My mother (a Filipina) and Step father (Japanese) have 2 children… they are not yet married. But now my stepfather is planning to marry my mother in Japan. My question is, are they allowed to get married there if she only have a “tourist visa”. Or will it be easier if they will get married here in the Philippines and then apply for “spouse visa” after so my mother can go to Japan? Also, How long will it take for my mother to get a spouse visa and how much will it cost? thank you.
Hi Rach,
In terms of Immigration processing, it would be a lot more straightforward if your parents were to get married in the Philippines, then register their marriage with the local Japanese Embassy. After that, your step-father would return to Japan and apply for the Spouse Certificate of Eligibility for your mother so she can get her visa.
Of course, if they want to bring any minor children to Japan, there’s a little more paperwork involved with that.
It doesn’t cost anything to get the CoE, except what you have to pay to get the documents you need to apply (copies of the marriage certificate, etc.), which shouldn’t be much. It’s generally 300-450 yen per copy for the documents you need in Japan. I don’t know about the Philippines, though.
I’m also not sure if there’s a visa application fee in the Philippines, since that varies from country to country. I suggest you check with the Japanese Embassy.
As for time, after they have all of the marriage process completed, I would figure on about 4-5 months to get the paperwork they need for the CoE application, apply for it (2-3 months processing), have your step-father mail it to the Philippines, then apply for the visa there (I’ve heard that can take 3+ weeks). That’s assuming there are no problems or additional documents required.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Ive married in japanese we have two children they are japanese citizen.. But husband died 6 years ago and we are stay here philippines.. My question is can i still apply the eligibility in japan?
Hi Brenda,
This is not my area of expertise, so I would recommend doing other research on your own, but here’s what I have been able to find:
If your children are Japanese citizens and under the age of 20, you can apply for a “Long Term Resident” (teijusha) Certificate of Eligibility and visa.
It looks like you would need a guarantor in Japan plus proof that you will be able to provide sufficient resources to support your children.
I would recommend consulting with the Immigration Bureau directly or with an immigration lawyer directly for more information.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I know your topic is about “spouse of japanese visa”. This concerns about acquiring “child of japanese visa”. I hope i could hear some thoughts from you. ( im hoping for your kind response )
Currently im living and working in singapore. 34yrs old from philippines. My father is a japanese. Recently he added me in his “kosekitohon”. But since he is old enough and no work at all, he cannot support me financially and I want to clear also if he is eligible or not to apply COE for me because im over 20yrs old. I told him that i can self-support my 1 year stay and once acquire “child of japanese visa”. If possible to submit income tax of my current work and proof of bank statement to cover up my stay in Japan.
I’m not sure about the Tourist to “change of status” application is applicable for me, but if it’s possible I want to take the chance since I have multiply entry to Japan as tourist. So anytime I can fly before it expires.
Please give me some feedback what I need to do. Thank you very much for the help.
I’m looking forward for your prompt response.
One more thing, who is my guarantor?
Thank you.
Hi Gochi,
According to a few immigration lawyers’ websites, there is no age limit to obtain a Child of Japanese National Certificate of Eligibility, but I would recommend double-checking with the Immigration Bureau, because this is not my area of expertise.
Your father would have to be your guarantor, but not necessarily your financial supporter. He should still submit his tax records (I assume he is receiving national pension) and the Letter of Guarantee in his capacity as guarantor, but you would be able to submit your own bank account balances statement to show that you will be your own financial supporter.
*Since this is an exception to the usual system (under which the parent is the guarantor and financial supporter), be sure to consult with the Immigration Bureau first.
I do not know for sure if you would be able to change your status for Tourist to Child of Japanese National in Japan, but the worst case scenario is that you would be told that you cannot and have to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, instead, so it would seem to be worth a shot.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I have a colombian boyfriend who is my coworker in japan from 2006 but we separated in 2008 then i’ve met a japanese guy on the same year and we got married in 2009 but he died in 2013 due to his diabetic complication i got a 3yrs spouse visa on 2012 but when he died i only have 1 year left on my visa i ask for extensión but the immigration told me to go home in my country since my husband is already dead but i still applied for about 3x coz im expecting a humanitarian reason to let me stay but the tokyo immigration said i have no Child to allowed me to stay in their country instead they gave me 3 months visa to pack up my things and pay all the billings that I need to pay before i go home but still i applied again with the power of attorney but still i got the same answer from them so i decided to go home on the very Last Day of my visa. Now my concern is my colombian boyfriend that I told u first he heard my stories from a friend and he contacted me in the philippines thru social media and asking me to marry him in japan he is working Just like a japanese they called it (seishain) permanent worker as a certified welder of Subaru car company, my question now is how can i marry him in japan? i am now in philippines! is it possible to marry him if i enter as a tourist visa? Do u think they will grant me a visa? What documents or requirements should i bring?and lastly how to get married as a tourist visa holder?what is the first thing to do when i arrive?Do i still need to go back home?Pls accept my warmest greetings and thank u so much for reading my novel. Lol! Hoping for your soonest response…sincerely,vanezza
Hi Vanezza,
That is quite a story! I have never heard of Japanese Immigration granting any humanitarian exceptions to the rules. (There would have to be a rule allowing for humanitarian exceptions, and there isn’t.)
Based on what you told me about your boyfriend, you should be able to get married to him in Japan, but after you get married, you will have to return to the Philippines to apply for a Dependent Visa. This is different from a Spouse Visa. “Spouse” is only for spouses of Japanese Nationals or Permanent Residents. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to change from tourist status to Dependent status inside Japan.
After you arrive in Japan, the first thing you should do would be to complete the marriage paperwork at the city hall where your boyfriend lives. You will both need to get proof from your home countries’ embassies that you are eligible to marry (i.e. that you are of legal age and are unmarried now).
After you have filed your marriage at his city hall, he can apply for a Dependent Certificate of Eligibility for you (see the link above). He will mail that to you in the Philippines and you can apply there for a visa.
As long as you left Japan while your visa was still valid last time and you were not deported or given a departure order, then you should have no trouble applying for a new visa (both the tourist visa to go there to get married and the dependent visa after you are married).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
My wife left Japan to her home country.she has spouse visa for one year.It happened she was pregnant and delivered baby while she was in her home country.After delivered a baby ,her spouse visa expired.How can she re-entry Japan?
Hi Seidu Issaka,
Unfortunately, the only way I know that will certainly work is for her to reapply for a new spouse visa from scratch.
If her visa expired very recently, she may be able to ask the embassy for an exception. In my experience, embassies and the immigration bureau are not willing to give humanitarian exceptions, but if she can show that doctors ordered her/her baby not to fly and that she was not able to extend her spouse status before leaving Japan to give birth, they might offer some workaround.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
How can i get my visa if i already have my eligibility?
Hi Jocelyn,
If you already have your Certificate of Eligibility, your next step depends on where you are.
1) If you are outside Japan (e.g. living in your home country), you need to apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy. Requirements vary by country so contact the embassy to find out what you need.
2) If you are living in Japan under a different residence status, then you should take your Certificate of Eligibility, a photo, and your passport/residence card to the nearest Immigration Bureau office to apply for a Change of Status of Residence.
In either case, you have already completed most of the difficult part of the application process, so you don’t need this book.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz