The TranSenz Guide to Applying for a Certificate of Eligibility and Spouse Visa for Japan
This guide is a follow-up to our guide to Getting Legally Married in Japan and is based on a translation of Sawa’s original article, 国際結婚手続き 配偶者ビザ編.
An updated version of this guide, including step-by-step instructions, translations and annotations of all required materials, and sample forms is now available for purchase in your choice of ebook formats.
I wrote this guide based on my own experience. Sawa and I were living together in Bangkok, Thailand when we decided to move back to Japan so we had to rely heavily on my parents-in-law in Japan for assistance. You will need someone in Japan to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) on your behalf- whether that be family or an attorney. I will walk you through what that person needs to do as much as possible.
Difference Between Certificate of Eligibility and Visa
Even though the title of this article says “Spouse Visa,” the first and most difficult step is acquiring the “Certificate of Eligibility,” (CoE) or 在留資格認定証明書 (zairyu shikaku nintei shomeisho). The CoE takes anywhere from 1-3 months to acquire. Once you have it in hand, applying for your visa takes about one week.
A CoE is essentially a mandatory prerequisite to applying for your visa, no matter what type of visa you want. It is technically possible to apply for a visa without a CoE, but you will have to submit all of the same documents that you would submit for the CoE, plus a convincing explanation as to why you couldn’t apply for the CoE first. In this case, you are basically applying for both CoE and visa simultaneously but, since the CoE process is conducted only in Japan, all of your documents will have to be mailed back and forth, lengthening your application process significantly especially if there are any mistakes in your application.
The Immigration Bureau has Certificate of Eligibility application instructions on its website, but we learned during application that the instructions in English and the instructions in Japanese are, in fact, vastly different in specificity. If you follow only the English procedures, you’ll likely wind up in months of tsuika shorui (追加書類) hell. Tsuika shorui means submitting additional documents and accounts for the reason the process takes 1 to 3 months: One month if you follow the Japanese directions (or my translation, below). Three months if you content yourself with the English explanation and then submit supplemental documents, one-by-one.
Certificate of Eligibility Application Documents (English and Japanese)
| English List | Japanese List | Japanese list translation |
|---|---|---|
| Application form [PDF] or Application form [Excel] | 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書 [PDF] 1通 or 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書 [Excel] |
(same) |
| Photos (4cm×3cm) 1 copy (The photos must be clear enough without background, must be taken within 6 months before the application procedure and cover upper body with uncovered head.) | 写真（縦４cm×横３cm） １葉 ※ 申請前６か月以内に正面から撮影された無帽，無背景で鮮明なもの。 ※ 写真の裏面に申請人の氏名を記載し，申請書の写真欄に貼付して下さい。 |
Photos (4cm×3cm) 1 copy *The photos must be clear enough without background, must be taken within 6 months before the application procedure and cover upper body with uncovered head. *Write applicant’s name on the reverse of the photo and paste it to the appropriate place on the application. |
| A return-mail envelope affixed with stamp(s) worth 404 yen (for the recorded delivery purpose) | 404円切手（簡易書留用）を貼付した返信用封筒 ※ 返信用封筒には，あらかじめ宛先を記載して下さい。 |
Return-mail envelope with a 404 yen stamp (for registered mail) *Return address should be clearly written on the envelope (Note: this is for domestic post, within Japan) |
| Documents certifying that the person concerned is a spouse of the Japanese national and the copy of his or her resident card. | 配偶者（日本人）の方の戸籍謄本 １通 ※ 戸籍謄本に，婚姻事実の記載がない場合には，戸籍謄本に加え婚姻届出受理証明書の提出をしていただきます。 ※ 発行日から３か月以内のものを提出して下さい。 |
Japanese spouse’s Koseki Tohon 1 copy *If the marriage is not recorded in the Koseki Tohon, then a Certificate of Acceptance of Application for Marriage must additionally be submitted. *Documents must be issued within three months of the application. |
| 日本人の方の世帯全員の記載のある住民票の写し １通 ※ 発行日から３か月以内のものを提出して下さい。 |
Residence Registration Certificate (Juminhyo) of the Japanese spouse, showing all family members. *Documents must be issued within three months of the application |
|
| Documents certifying that the profession and the income of the person concerned or his or her spouse. | 配偶者（日本人）の住民税の納税証明書（１年間の総収入、課税額及び納税額が記載されたもの。） １通 ※ ただし、納税証明書に総収入、課税額及び納税額の記載がない場合は、課税証明書及び納税証明書の提出をしていただきます。 ※ 発行日から３か月以内のものを提出して下さい。 |
Japanese Spouse’s Certificate of Receipt of Juminzei (Residence Tax) Payment, that shows both the amount of tax and amount of payment for one entire year, 1 copy. *If the Residence Tax certificate does not show both the amount of tax and the amount of payment received, then separate certificates of taxation and of payment must be submitted *Documents must be issued within three months of application. |
| A letter of guarantee by the person living in Japan. (PDF) | 配偶者（日本人）の身元保証書 １通 [Japanese] or 配偶者（日本人）の身元保証書 １通 [English] or ※ 身元保証人には，日本に居住する配偶者(日本人)になっていただきます。 |
Letter of Guarantee written by the Japanese Spouse. *This letter must be filled out by the spouse if they are residing in Japan |
| A document that proves the status (if a legal representative or agent submits the application form on behalf of the applicant) | 代理人の身分を証する文書等 | Documents proving the identity and validity of the proxy, if necessary. |
| (No instructions provided in English) | 申請人の国籍国（外国）の機関から発行された結婚証明書 １通 ※ 申請人の方が，韓国籍等で，戸籍謄本が発行される場合には，お二方の婚姻が記載された外国機関発行の戸籍謄本の提出でも差し支えありません。 |
Wedding Certificate issued by the foreign spouse’s country, 1 copy *If the applicant’s country also issues family registers (e.g. Korea), then a copy of the family register showing the marriage may be submitted instead. |
| 質問書[PDF] １通 | Questionnaire Form The form is also available in other languages, but if written in another language, it must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. |
|
| スナップ写真（夫婦で写っており，容姿がはっきり確認できるもの）２~３葉 | Snapshots of the husband and wife together that clearly indicate married relationship, 2-3 photos |
This chart is meant to show that, while the English site’s general descriptions give the false impression that a wide range of documents might be acceptable, they are in fact looking for very specific proofs- proofs that would not be immediately obvious to anyone who hasn’t done this before. I will go over each of these requirements in more detail below.
One more piece of advice on turning in documents: If you require an exception to a particular condition- for example, your spouse does not have proof of residence tax payment because s/he is not employed in Japan, call the immigration bureau nearest your spouse’s hometown ahead of time to confirm what would be accepted as an alternative. Also, tell your representative in Japan to insist on turning in every document that you have prepared. The person at the desk may say that they are not all necessary, but our experience is that the person who told us that was wrong. If you have been told at any point (over the phone, etc.), or remotely suspect, that a particular document is necessary, turn it in, regardless of the desk worker’s protests. In our case, a document that was determined to be “unnecessary” at the desk, was requested by phone less than 24 hours later. Our parents, who had driven over an hour each way to the Immigration Bureau the day before had to drive back to turn it in again.
Applying for a CoE When Husband and Wife are Both Overseas
It’s easier to apply for the CoE if your Japanese spouse is working in Japan and has an established record of working there. But, if that were your case, you probably wouldn’t need this guide. If both you and your Japanese spouse are working overseas or if your Japanese spouse is in Japan but not working, the process requires a few extra steps, and a lot of mail between you and your representatives in Japan.
If your Japanese spouse is also working overseas, s/he will not have a current Juminzei and will not be able to fill in the letter of guarantee. You will also need a proxy applicant. According to the Immigration Office’s website, family members of either spouse who are legally resident in Japan can serve as the proxy. If you do not have family members in Japan, then a person with a letter of attorney or a legal scrivener can apply on your behalf.
Before You Apply: Are You Changing your Name?
If, following your marriage, either partner wants to change their legal name, do so before continuing with the CoE process (and make sure to update your name in the Japanese spouse’s Koseki!), so that you have the same legal name throughout your paperwork. Since we were moving to Japan, I decided to adopt my wife’s Japanese name. Laws on name changes vary by country (and US State), but I was able to change mine with no more documentation than a certified translation of our wedding certificate.
Important: If you change to a Japanese last name, know that you are not legally allowed to use kanji to write your name. You must continue write your name in English letters! I screwed this up and it has caused me no end of trouble.
Application Documents in Detail
Attention to detail and accuracy are absolutely critical in Japan, whether you’re applying for a CoE, college admission, or a job at Seven Eleven, so be extremely careful! Careless errors will lead to delays or possibly rejection of your application. Fill in forms digitally when possible. If using a pen, make sure it is a black, ball-point pen, and write in all capital letters. Forms will be rejected over the use of blue pen. To make corrections, do not use correction fluid. Draw a double line through the mistake and write the correction above it.
Documents below are listed in the order that they appear on the Japanese checklist. Japanese bureaucrats like it when documents are submitted in order, with multi-page documents joined by paperclips, not staples. (The first thing anyone will have to do with your document is to remove the staples to make photocopies, and careless staple removal may physically damage your application. I’ve seen it happen.)
1. Application for Certificate of Eligibility
Download from: the Immigration Bureau website. Be careful, as there are different forms for different visa types!
Notes for completing the application:
- The “Regional Immigration Bureau” is the regional HQ, not the branch office to at which you plan to apply. For example of your representative in Japan will apply in Kyoto, the regional bureau is Osaka. You can find a list of the regions and their offices on the Immigration Bureau website.
- “Nationality” in Japan means “country of nationality”. For example, “America” is correct, “American” is not. Your application is not going to get rejected over this, though.
- “Name”: Refer to the line near the bottom of the information page of your passport. You should see a code like: P<USATRANSENZ<<TRAVIS<TARO<<<. Ignore the three-letter country code (USA in the example) and write your name in the exact order it appears. Everything before the double < is your “last name” and everything after it is your “first name.” Japan considers middle names to be part of your first name.
Vietnamese applicants: Write your name in this order, even if the last name in the list is your “first name.”
Thai applicants: The “last name” field in your passport may show Mr. or Miss, but do not write that as part of your name! - “Place of Birth” and “Hometown”: If these appear in your passport, then what you write in the application must match the passport. Otherwise, write the name of the city and country.
- “Occupation” should be your job before emigrating to Japan, regardless of your intended profession once you enter the country.
- “Address in Japan” and phone numbers: Enter the address of the person who is applying on your behalf (with their concurrence, of course).
- “Accompanying Persons”: Write the number and their relationship. (i.e. Wife and 2 children, total 3 persons.) If you have none, write “None”
- “Family in Japan”: It is only necessary to enter your wife or children if they are already in Japan. If you have no immediate family in Japan, write “none.”
- If you got married under Japanese law, like we did, you may not have had to register your marriage legally in your home country. Leave question 22(2) blank.
- Fill in Section 27 with your proxy’s information and have them sign. Section 28 is only necessary if you’re having a lawyer, etc., file for you.
2. Japanese spouse’s Koseki Tohon
If you were married outside of Japan and your marriage has not been entered in your Japanese spouse’s Koseki, you will need both the Koseki and a Wedding Certificate (with translation, if the certificate is not Japanese). The Koseki will have to be acquired from your spouse’s hometown city hall and the wedding certificate from wherever you legally registered your wedding.
These documents are there to prove your relationship to your spouse. Even if your marriage is not recorded in the Koseki Tohon, you still have to submit it. . . in order to prove that your marriage is not recorded therein, otherwise your alternative documentation might not be accepted. Yes, this is as ridiculous as it sounds.
3. Wedding Certificate issued by Foreign Applicant’s home country
If you are from a country that has a similar family register system (e.g. Korea), then a Koseki-equivalent, that shows the marriage will also suffice.
If you were married under Japanese law and are from a country that doesn’t issue any certification for marriages conducted under foreign law (such as the US), write a note titled “Foreign Wedding Certificate” and explain in one-to-two sentences that your country does not issue them. Have your spouse translate this into Japanese and sign it.
4. Japanese Spouse’s Certificate of Juminzei (Residence Tax) Payment
This serves as the “Proof of occupation and income.” Specifically, Immigration is looking for proof of employment (sufficient funds to support your lifestyle) in Japan. Tax records overseas aren’t sufficient here, since it’s assumed that overseas employment will no longer be valid once you’re living in Japan. If both spouses lack employment records in Japan, you will need a Japanese sponsor, such as a parent-in-law, to submit their Juminzei and act as your sponsor (this person incurs additional paperwork responsibilities, too, including your Letter of Guarantee).
If neither you or your spouse have income in Japan, and you have no family in Japan to provide this certificate on your behalf, contact the Immigration Bureau directly to find out what to submit.
For maximum coverage, you could also submit your overseas employment records, accompanied by an explanation of exchange rates and what the same/ similar job would pay in Japan (we did). However, submitting these documents alone will not be sufficient.
Juminzei records are issued in June and refer to the 12-month period that ended with the preceding December, so you/your spouse would have to be employed full-time in Japan a minimum of 18 months, if you timed it perfectly, in order to have a report that covered one full year. In some cases, a Certificate of Employment (在職証明書, Zaishoku Shomeisho) and Tax and withholdings report (源泉徴収票, Gensenchoshuhyo) may be an acceptable substitute. As always, make sure you get approval for substitutes before trying to submit your package.
5. Letter of Guarantee written by the Japanese Spouse
Even though it clearly says “written by the Japanese Spouse,” the spouse is ineligible to fill out the letter if they are not living in Japan. The Letter of Guarantee must be written by a Japanese citizen who is working inside the country. Generally speaking, whoever submitted the Juminzei for your application should also fill out this letter.
6. Residence Certificate (Juminhyo) of the Japanese spouse, showing all family members
If your Japanese spouse is not residing in Japan, they will not be able to get a Residence Certificate, so you will need to submit the Juminhyo for whoever provided documents 3 and 4, above. At this point, you may want to also consider getting this person a thank-you gift.
7. Questionnaire Form
Get ready for an invasion of privacy unlike anything you have experienced outside of a counterintelligence interrogation cell. This sneaky form doesn’t show up on the English checklist, and does not appear to exist in English. It has to be filled out in Japanese, so you’ll likely be turning to your spouse to fill it out.
According to the instructions at the top of the form, this is an important form for consideration of your application, all answers should be as detailed as possible, and any falsehoods will result in the rejection of your application for a COE.
The foreigner is the “Applicant” (申請者 , shinseisha) and the Japanese Spouse is the “Spouse” (配偶者, haigusha). Here is the information you will need to enter:
- Applicant’s nationality, name, and sex.
Spouse’s name with furigana, nationality, address, phone number, household members
Spouse’s type of housing (owned/rented), monthly rent, and number of rooms (in LDK format)
Spouse’s employer (including address and phone), position, and date he/she started working there.
*In this case, fill out the spouse’s information, regardless of whose documents you turned in for 3-5, above. - When, where, and how you first met and a detailed explanation of your relationship up to the date of your marriage. Include dates and be as detailed as possible. You may attach additional sheets, as necessary, and may also attach photos, letters, and international phone bills to verify your statements. (We did not attach any of the latter).
Were you formally introduced (matching service, etc.)? If applicable, enter all of the following:
Nationality, name, sex, birthday, address, phone number, residence card number of your match-maker
Date, location, and method of your formal matching introduction
Relationship between the applicant and the matchmaker as well as the relationship between the spouse and the matchmaker, in detail. Writing “friend” or “work colleague,” is not sufficient. - What language do you use in your home?
What are the applicant’s and spouse’s native languages?
To what degree do you understand each other’s native languages?
If the applicant understands Japanese, describe in detail where and when he or she studied it.
When you can’t understand one another’s language, how do you make yourselves understood? (If you use an interpreter, the interpreter’s details are necessary) - If you were married under Japanese law, fill in your witnesses’ information.
- Fill in the details of your wedding ceremony/reception, if you held one.
- Fill in information about the applicant’s/spouse’s previous marriages, if applicable.
- Fill in the number of times, dates of, and reasons for the applicant’s previous visits to Japan. If the applicant previously resided in Japan, then the “reason” should refer to the residence status at that time.
- Fill in the number of times and dates of the spouse’s visits to the applicant’s home country, before & after marriage.
- Has the applicant ever been deported (received a deportation order) from Japan?
If yes, fill in the reason, date, your passport information at that time, and whether you and your spouse had lived together in a married state before that time. - Fill in details of the husband’s family, wife’s family, and your children, including relationship, name, age, address (enter “dead” for deceased relatives), and phone number. If you have no children together, you must enter “none” (なし) in table (2)
- Circle the family members that are aware of your marriage.
8. Snapshots of you as a couple.
Two to three standard-size photos that clearly show both husband and wife and indicate that you are a couple.
9. Application photograph
4 cm high by 3 cm wide, showing head and shoulders face-on, with no hat or head cover and no background. Pictures must be taken within the past six months, have the applicant’s name on the reverse, and be glued to the appropriate place on the application form. Japanese bureaucrats will compare the photo you submit to your passport photo and any other photos of you they have and check the dates to see if they can prove that the photo is more than six months old. If they determine that it’s too old, your application will be held up until they get a new photo.
10. Self-addressed envelope with at 404 yen in stamps (thanks to reader Iifu for pointing out the price change with the recent tax hike!)
You must apply for the COE within Japan, so there is no provision here for an international reply. Once again, you’ll have to rely on your domestic sponsor to receive your documents and forward them to you by EMS, etc.
11. Other
Other items may be necessary, depending on your situation.
- Your Guarantor’s inkan (personal seal). Alternatively, the guarantor can simply seal the document in advance, but if your guarantor is Japanese, the chances are good he/she carries his seal everywhere, anyway. A Ginko-in is sufficient (but a shachihata, rubber stamp, will not be accepted).
- If you are applying by way of a proxy, documents that prove the proxy’s relationship and suitability to serve in that position.
In the case of Spouse Visa, acceptable proxies include family members. Your proxy’s Juminhyo (if it shows the relationship) and government ID should be sufficient. If your proxy is your guarantor, they they’re already submitting their Juminhyo anyway.
If a lawyer or legal scrivener is applying for you, you’ll need a letter of attorney or contract, in Japanese, of course. But then, the lawyer or scrivener ought to be able to supply that. - Anything else that is arbitrarily determined to be necessary at any time during the evaluation of your application.
Submitting Your Application
The decision on where to submit your applicant will depend on your location: if you reside in Japan, or your spouse/proxy’s location. It is rumored that the more distant the Regional Office is from major cities/ concentrations of foreigners, the faster it will be able to process your application, but it really depends on the office’s backlog at any given time. It is certainly best to avoid areas that have a lot of international college students in the Feb-Mar and Jul-Aug time frames, as these offices tend to get flooded with applications from the area colleges.
In our case, we applied to the Sendai Regional Office during January and got approval within a month, despite a few delays that resulted from the Immigration Office flip-flopping on whether certain documents were necessary (insist on turning in everything, regardless of the desk clerk’s opinion).
My mother-in-law did all the running back and forth to the Immigration Office (an hour drive each way) and my father-in-law provided all the necessary certificates. Without their help, this process would have been even more of a nightmare, so I am eternally grateful!
Validity Period and Entering Japan
Check the validity period on your Certificate of eligibility- it should be 3 months from the date of issue. You have to be in Japan before the CoE expires, so get going on your visa application and travel arrangements right away! The last thing you want to do is go through all that work a second time, right? (Thanks to Vernon Reid for pointing out that this should be in here.)
Now, it’s time for the Visa
The Certificate of Eligibility is the hard part, so once that’s done, only a simple application and a week or so of waiting stands between you and your visa! Generally, Japanese embassy websites will tell you that the visa application process takes 1-3 months, but that is assuming that you don’t have a Certificate of Eligibility and are completing both processes at once. If you have a CoE, then the visa will be a breeze.
In most places, you’ll apply directly to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate for your visa, following the instructions on their website. In Bangkok, however, the Embassy has contracted out management of the application process to a private, Thai-owned business called the Japan Visa Application Center. I assume this is due to the volume of applications received in Thailand. The JVAC office was larger and busier than many travel agencies I have seen, and appeared quite profitable, despite charging about 500 baht for their services.
*Trusting my passport in the hands of a private Thai business seemed like a risky proposition to me, based on past experiences, but when I called the Embassy to ask if the business was trustworthy, they got offended at my question. The JVAC is on the up-and-up, so don’t be worried.
Requirements for the Visa Application
Fortunately, there are no sneaky differences between the Japanese and English explanations here. The visa application process is straightforward and simple and takes about a week to complete.
- Certificate of Eligibility
- Applicant’s Passport
- 5 cm by 5 cm ID-style photo (see above for description and warnings
- Visa Application Form
- (Another) Questionnaire
*Whether or not this questionnaire is necessary seems to depend on the country from which you are applying, rather than your nationality. The primary purpose of this questionnaire appears to be a weak effort to stop Trafficking in Persons (TiP). - Visa fees (There are no fees for Americans, but if there are fees for your country, don’t get upset- fees are based on your country’s visa treaty with Japan, and whether or not your country charges visa fees to Japanese.)
If you want more detail, an updated version of this guide, including step-by-step instructions, translations and annotations of all required materials, and sample forms is now available for purchase in your choice of ebook formats.
Single- or Multiple-Entry?
It doesn’t matter. Once you’re in Japan, you’ll get a residence card that will double as a re-entry permit for almost all situations. Multiple entry only matters if your period of stay in Japan is 90 days or lesss, because you don’t get a residence card in that case. Not a problem for Spouses.
Congratulations! It’s time to book your flight!
If you’ve been following our guides from the beginning, you’ve probably been working on this process for nearly three months, or so, beginning with your international marriage. Now, you’re finally ready to move to Japan! お疲れ様です!
If you found this guide useful or if you have anything that you think we should add, please let me know in the comments below!
Hello!
This is by far the most informative place i’ve ever read about Spouse Visa!
But I’m in a pinch right now as I don’t seem to have similar situations like others have.
My soon to be wife is a Japanese national working in a small restaurant not required to pay tax and insurance.
I have a technical intern trainee visa which will end this Dec5, 2016.
My problem is how am i going to get a COE or even a VISA now? My wife’s about to give birth with no one else to support her as her parents are gone. 🙁
I plan to get back here as soon as I can and work here to support her and my soon to be born child. But the biggest problem is the COE. I know you can’t answer my question but I just have to let this out, I dont know what to do anymore, if you have any idea or contacts or friends or know someone who got a spouse visa with a situation like mine, tell me! I only have 2mos to go omg!
Hi Masayuki,
That is a unique situation.
If your fiance is supporting herself off her own income, with no family members, etc., that she can rely on, and is about to go on maternity leave, then I don’t think she would be able to be your guarantor even if she did have the right tax records. I would recommend that you or she contact the Immigration Bureau directly to see if they have any advice as to what to do in your situation.
I don’t know much about the Technical Intern Trainee status. Is there any way for you to find a job in Japan to begin after your traineeship ends? In that case, you could be your own financial sponsor. You would still need to ask the Immigration Bureau what to do about a guarantor, though.
Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Maybe someone else with similar experience can comment on this!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
Thank you so much for this helpful article!
I was wondering if you could help me with my situation. My boyfriend is Japanese and I am here on tourist visa. We are planning to get marriend next month and then apply for spouse visa (along with CoE). Since we will get married here in Japan, is it necessary to get some form proving, that the marriage was acknowledged also by my home country (Czech) as well, to apply for CoE? I´ve heard that it is enough that the information about our marriage will be written in his Koseki tohon, but I just want to get as many information as possible.
If it is written in the article above, I am sorry for missing it!
Also, do you know whether there is some lower limit regarding the income when applying for CoE? He is a full-time employee, but just to be sure.
Thank you so much for you time!
– Pavla
Edit:
Found out, that we actually probably don´t need CoE since I will be applying here from Japan. It seems I will just have to fill out “Change of Resident Status” form changing status from “tourist” to “spouse”, and that´s it. I thought that the CoE is always necessary but apparently not.
Hi Pavla,
You’ll have to check with the Czech Embassy in Japan to find out if you have to register your marriage with them. The requirement differs for each country.
If the Czech Republic does not confirm foreign marriages, then it will be enough if your marriage is recorded in his Koseki and you submit a simple letter stating that your country does not provide documentation for marriages conducted in other countries.
As you mentioned in your other comment, yes, you’ll be applying for a Change of Status of Residence, not a CoE. However, the application process is almost identical. Only the application form itself is different.
For income, 80,000 yen per month is usually the minimum for one person, but for a married couple living together, you wouldn’t necessarily have to double it. I don’t have any formal confirmation, but 120,000 – 140,000 per month should be acceptable.
I would recommend that you move forward with the paperwork as soon as possible – especially if you learn that you need proof from the Czech government! You don’t want your tourist stay to expire before you can file your application.
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
(We have the same first name, which I found interesting while reading all this information)
I am currently staying in Japan with my recently married wife with a tourist visa (not really a visa, just the 90-day able to stay in Japan thing). While this will make applying for the CoE to get my spouse visa a lot simpler, it makes going back to America just so they can put that visa sticker on my passport pretty expensive. Is there anyway that you know of to get my spouse visa to live in Japan without actually having to go back to America? Spending $1,000+ on a round-trip plane ticket for something so trivial is a little annoying. Me and my wife were married in Japan, if that helps.
Hi Travis,
In your situation, you may be able to apply for a Change of Status of Residence from Tourist to Spouse while in Japan. You wouldn’t need to leave the country to do it.
According to the Immigration Bureau, “In general” it is not possible to change status from Tourist to something else unless there are unavoidable circumstances.
I know of two situations where people have been successful in changing statuses from tourist on a fairly regular basis:
1) If you have a CoE, you can apply for a change of status of residence at the immigration office in Japan. Sometimes, this can even be approved on the same day. (I’ve personally seen it happen with Student Status).
2) I have heard from past commenters on here that they were able to apply for change of status of residence from Tourist to Spouse of Japanese National. This seems to be a consistent exception to the rule. (Nobody yet had told me that they were turned down).
The documents you need for the application for Change of Status of Residence is almost identical to the application for a CoE. Only the application form is a little different.
I would recommend that you contact the Immigration Bureau and ask about applying for a Change of Status of Residence. If they insist that you need to go for the CoE route, then once you have the CoE in hand, you can try again to change your status without leaving the country.
Good Luck!
– (The other) Travis from TranSenz
“I have heard from past commenters on here that they were able to apply for change of status of residence from Tourist to Spouse of Japanese National. This seems to be a consistent exception to the rule. (Nobody yet had told me that they were turned down).”
Then let me be the first one 🙂
I got turned down today at the Tachikawa Office, saying that I would need the CoE instead of the Change of Status of Residence application form.
Is there any official statement saying that this is indeed an exception to the rule? Because the “But I read on the internet that other people did it this way.” argument didn’t seem to have any effect on the guy.
(The supporting documents seemed to be alright. Also, my situation is the same as Travis’ above: tourist visa, Japanese spouse, got married in Japan, etc.)
Should I just suck it up and file the CoE and hope that it gets accepted before my tourist visa expires?
Thanks for your help in advance!
Hi Zoli,
Thank you for sharing your story. Unfortunately, you do have the distinction of being the first person I am aware of who was turned down for a Change of Status of Residence from Tourist to Spouse.
There is no official statement from the Immigration Bureau that it is possible to change status. I had found the statement that changes to Spouse of Japanese National were generally accepted by reviewing immigration lawyers’ blogs, as well as input from other commenters here.
Officially, if you are applying for a Change of Status of Residence from Tourist to Spouse, you need to show prove of “unavoidable circumstances” why you could not apply for the CoE before coming to Japan. My theory, though I haven’t been able to validate it yet, is that getting married in Japan after arriving on a tourist visa or having to come to Japan in order to obtain the paperwork necessary for the CoE/Change application would both count as “unavoidable reasons.”
You mentioned that you got married in Japan, but was that during your current stay? If so, that should count. If you can prove to the Immigration Bureau that you could not apply for he CoE because you were not legally married before your arrival, that ought to be enough. (It could also depend on who you talk to, unfortunately. Not all Immigration Bureau officials are equally competent.)
If, on the other hand, you were married in Japan then left the country for a while and came back, it might be harder to justify the application.
The documentation you need for the Change of Status of Residence Application is identical to the paperwork you need for the CoE application in all respects besides the application form, itself. I would suggest that you go back in there with all your paperwork and both application forms complete. Plead your case with justification as to why you couldn’t apply for the CoE before arrival, but be prepared to submit either set of paperwork on the spot.
Please let us know how it goes!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your reply.
My previous comment had been “awaiting moderation” for so long that I decided to act on my own and filed the CoE.
Yes, I got married during my current stay, so I couldn’t have applied for CoE before I came here.
What baffles me further is that the application forms for Change of Status of Residence and the CoE are almost identical. The only difference is that the CoE contains questions that only make sense if the applicant is NOT currently in Japan (intended date of entry, etc.).
Anyway, I filed the application and they said it would take at least a month before I hear from them, so now I’m waiting.
I will keep you guys updated hoping that my example helps future immigrants. 🙂
Hi Zoli,
I try to get to at least one comment per day. How much time that takes depends on how many are waiting.
That is strange, indeed. I would have thought for sure that “couldn’t get married before arriving in Japan” would have been a basis for an exception to the rule. But, in the end, it is up to the judgement of the immigration staff you talk to, since there is nothing official written about exceptions. I’m sorry to hear that you got the short end of the stick.
The biggest difference between applying for the Change of Status of Residence and applying for a CoE when you’re already in Japan is whether or not you’re allowed to stay in the country to wait for the result. If you apply for a CoSoR, then you are allowed to stay in Japan until the result of that application is determined or up to 2 months after your previous status’ expiration date, whichever comes sooner. (Reference in Japanese).
If you apply for a CoE and it isn’t issued before your current status expires, you would have to leave Japan.
Once you have your CoE, you should be able to take that to the Immigration Bureau office along with an application for Change of Status of Residence and a photo and get your Change approved the same day (or +1-2 days, depending on how busy the office is).
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi!
Just wanted to say what a great resource this page has been. My in-laws in Japan just received my CoE today and will be sending it to me soon to submit to our local consulate. We went through the Niigata Immigration Office and it took 1.5 months from the time we submitted our documents to receiving our CoE. There were no delays or requests for additional paperwork (most likely because your advice led us to avoid such delays!).
Thank you again so much for making this page. You really make the process very easy.
Dan
Hi Dan,
Thank you for your kind words. I’m happy to hear the process went so smoothly for you!
Good luck with your move to Japan!
-Travis from TranSenz
hi are you in the philippines? Did you already apply your visa? How long before you get your visa?..
Hi Ann. I am from the philippines and currently living in Japan. I had my spouse visa approved in just one week. 🙂
Hi Travis,
Thank you for putting the time into building a great site!
I am using the CoE to apply for a ‘Spouse of a Japanese National’, as my wife and I got married last year and I am currently applying for jobs, with my College Student Visa still having 3 months left.
Today I am filling out the application for the CoE and am unsure what to put for a few of the questions.
#11: Should I put ‘Spouse or Child of Japanese National’ or the job category I plan to work in after I get hired?
#12: I am currently in Japan… so should I put my latest entry?
#14: I intend to stay for around 15 years minimum I think. So put 15 years, or is it stronger/better to put ‘forever’?
#17: Again, I live here, so just put latest entry and leave date left blank?
#23: Not hired yet, so just leave it all blank?
#24: Again, not hired yet, so fill in with my wife’s income? is she characterized as ‘Guarantor’ or ‘Supporter in Japan’?
#25: Should I fill in any information about my balance in my home country’s bank account, or leave blank?
Sorry for all the questions.
Thank you very much for any answers you can provide!!
Hi Kyle,
If you’re living in Japan with a Student Residence status, you can apply for a Change of Status of Residence without leaving the country. You do not need a CoE for that application.
Almost all of the document submission requirements are the same (one exception: you will need a copy of your own Juminhyo in addition to your wife’s (unless you are already living together). However, the application form is slightly different – some questions are numbered differently and others do not exist.
In answer to your questions below, I will use the number that you did, but will also note in parentheses the correct number for the Change of Status of Residence Application form.
#11 (#13) – Enter Spouse of Japanese National – that is the Residence Status you are applying for. Your job type does not matter.
#12 (n/a) – This question doesn’t exist in the Change application
#14 (#13) – I recommend putting “5 years” – that is the maximum length of stay that can be granted at one time (after 5 years, you can renew or apply for permanent residency).
#17 (n/a) – This question doesn’t exist in the Change application
#23 (#19) – In the Change application, it asks the name of the organization you currently belong to, which would be your school. Enter your school’s information with “0” for the annual salary.
#24 (#20) – If you plan you live off your wife’s income until you secure a job, then yes, put her information in #24 (20) and #26 (22). Your wife will be your guarantor, provided that she has sufficient income to support both of you and has the required tax records. If not, she would be a “Supporter in Japan” for Question #24/20, only. You would need one of her parents to be your guarantor. You would only fill out #25 (21) if you do not plan to find work in Japan and will rely permanently on your wife’s income.
#25 (21) – If you plan to use your own savings, then you would enter that in #24(20), indicating the amount of money you will use from your savings each month in the “Self” line.
By the way, if you’ve already graduated from your university, you’re not allowed to stay in Japan with a Student status for job hunting purposes, even if you have time remaining on your Period of Stay. Your Student status is technically only valid while you’re enrolled at the school, so you should apply for your Change of Status of Residence to Spouse of Japanese National as soon as possible!
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! Just wanted to ask if credit card debts or loans affect the credibility of a financial supporter even if she have a stable job and sufficient yearly income. Thanks!
Hi Y,
As long as your sponsor is able to pay down her loan or credit card payments, cover her own living expenses, and provide you with the amount of support listed in the application form, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Practically speaking, the Immigration Bureau probably isn’t going to check on your sponsor’s credit or detailed financial situation, so they won’t know about the loans/card debt. As long as your sponsor can show proof of her ability to support you, you should be fine!
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
If I will be the guarantor and supporter in my husband’s application, do I write the name of the additional financial supporter in that part where it says,”…where different person other than that given in 25″? And if both of us will be supporting him,is it okay to put a check on both supporter in japan and guarantor on the method of support part? Is there a particular amount that has to be met and does the other financial supporter need to submit a document on her part (tax or income related)? Kinda confused on this. Thanks again.
Hi Y,
That’s probably the most confusing part of the whole application process.
In general, 80,000 yen per month seems to be the minimum amount of support per person per month that the Immigration Bureau wants to see, so the various contributions should add up to that number.
It is OK to check multiple boxes in 24 (1). It sounds like you would check both “Guarantor” for your contribution and Supporter in Japan for the other person. You would also fill in the other supporter’s information in 24(3).
There is no specific requirement for the other supporter to submit proof of income or taxes, but I would recommend it, if possible. Having the supporter’s bank statement or proof of employment will only make your application stronger.
Thank you for the input about the stamps! The Immigration Bureau website still says 392 yen, but they might be behind on updating it. I will call them to check 🙂
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
By the way,I’m not sure if it has something to do with the location but when I asked for the coe requirements,they asked for an envelope with ¥415 worth of stamps. I think the amount increased again.
Hello! This article is very helpful. I have few questions. I was wondering if you can help me with the same.
1. My fiance (Indian nationality) has recently moved to Japan and has started working there. We are planning to get married by December 2016. So I wanted to know, after our marriage what are the chances of me ( Indian nationality as well) getting a COE?
2. As per the various articles available on the net, I guess I have to go on a dependent visa and COE(in case i get it) which will allow me to work for 28hours / week. Is there a way to get a working visa same as my Fiance which doesn’t limit the number of working hours? I will most probably be searching job once I reach Japan next December.
Hi Payal,
I’m glad to hear that you found the article helpful! It sounds like you will be looking at a “Dependent” status in the future, though, so your processes will be a lot simpler.
1) After your marriage, your spouse should have no difficulty acquiring a Dependent CoE for you, provided that your fiance has enough income to support both of you.
2) You need the CoE (acquired in Japan) before you get the visa (acquired at the Japanese embassy outside Japan). Then you’ll need to apply for “Permission to Engage in Activities Other than that Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted,” which is the overly complex name for a work permit. As you said, that will allow you to work up to 28 hours per week.
While you are in Japan with a Dependent Residence Status, you can look for full-time employment. However, before you start working, you would have to apply for a Change of Status of Residence to a working visa category (the specific type depends on your employment). It is possible to apply to make that change without leaving Japan.
Your prospective employer should help you get the documents you need for that application process, so you need to have the job lined up before you make the change.
Good Luck!
-Travis
Greetings
First, thanks for this amazing and comprehensive article.
I was just wondering if you could help me with my specific situation. My wife and I are both South African, currently residing in our country. My wife just got a job in Japan that is sponsoring her visa, they are starting the process next month, I believe. Now, I would like to accompany my wife, but I can’t get my own visa that allows me to stay and work in japan as long as her contract, as I don’t have a 4 year degree. After extensive research, we have established that I would need to apply for a dependant visa. Which I could then apply for a work permit to work for no more than 28 hours a week. My question, what is the best way to approach this. Would it be better to have her go ahead of me and apply for my CoE while I’m still in South Africa. Or should I go with her on a tourist visa and hope that it does not get rejected? And, if we apply for my dependant visa, she will be newly employed, with no tax records. How do we combat that scenarios?
Thanks in advance
Hi Henry,
You’ve reached the right conclusion about the dependent visa. The good news is that the dependent visa is much simpler to acquire than the “Spouse of Japanese National” visa.
Depending on your wife’s prospective employer, you might be able to apply for your dependent visa concurrently with your wife’s working visa. There are companies called “Category 1 or 2” companies in Japan that are typically large companies that have a simplified working visa application process approved by the Ministry of Justice. Incoming workers for those companies (only) may apply for their worker’s visa and any dependents at the same time. The best way to find out if that applied in your case would be for your wife to ask the person who is working on her Certificate of Eligibility application.
If simultaneous application is not possible, the surest way would be for her to go ahead of you and apply for your Certificate of Eligibility as soon as she arrives. The review can take 2-3 months.
It is possible to go to Japan with her on a tourist visa and apply for a Change of Status of Residence to Dependent, but the Immigration Bureau states that you must have “exceptional and unavoidable circumstances” for that application to be approved. Your inability to apply for a CoE before your wife arrived in Japan should meet that standard, but I have not been able to find any concrete proof one way or another, so it is a risk.
I’m hoping someone else with similar experience can add a comment here.
For the tax records, the immigration bureau says that if your wife has not been in Japan long enough to receive tax records, she should consult with the nearest immigration bureau to determine what to submit instead. It is likely that it will be proof of salary from her employer as well as possibly a bank account statement.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your speedy reply!
We are trying to find out today if we can apply for my dependent visa in conjuncture with my wife’s visa, thanks to your
suggestion. If this is not possible, I fear I am still stuck at the same cross-road, i.e whether to travel with my wife or have her apply ahead of me in my stead. I will keep an eye on this comment post and update with any information I discover/experience to help keep others informed as I can not seem to find much information on this specific scenarios.
Thanks again.
Hi Henry,
I’ve been looking for concrete examples, but haven’t found anything so far. The closest thing I’ve found has been comments on visa lawyers’ blogs. Unfortunately, they seem negative about the possibility. In general, it looks like there’s a high possibility of rejecting for spouses trying to change from Short-Term Stay (Tourism) to Dependent. (Although, for what it’s worth, I’ve seen more positive comments regarding the same change for children).
One visa lawyer said that it’s possible to change from Short-Term Stay to a Spouse of Japanese National status (as some readers here have done successfully already), but not from STS to Dependent. I don’t know if that’s absolute or just that the lawyer in question doesn’t want to handle those applications because they’re too difficult. Either way, it’s not very encouraging.
Another possibility: If your wife’s employer comes back to you and says simultaneous application is not possible, you might be able to ask them to check with the local immigration bureau directly about whether your application would be considered.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Just an update for your own knowledge and for whom ever discovers this blog in the future. My wife spoke to her sponsor over in Japan, who was extremely helpful in the matter (thanks again for the suggestion) Fortunately, they are able to apply for my own Certificate of Eligibility as a dependent. Which i should receive around the same time as that of my wife. Now, we also spoke to them about the possibility of changing the status of a short-term stay visa to that of dependent visa while in Japan. This they highly discouraged, as, according to them, the embassy will see it as a scheme to extend the stay inside of Japan. My suggestion for anyone in the same situation would be to rather wait in your own country and have your spouse apply for your CoE before entering. The process is length, 1-3 months, although the alternative of entering the country on a StS visa before applying for the CoE could hurt your chances of actually receiving one.
Hope this helps anyone in the future.
Cheers
Hi Henry,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m really happy to hear that your wife’s employer was able to apply for your Certificate of Eligibility at the same time.
I’m sure this is going to be helpful for a lot of readers. To make sure it gets the attention it deserves, I will build it into a separate post about the Dependent visa in the near future.
Thanks again and Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi.im a permanent resident in japan.im a nikijin.I just want to clear things up.
Me and my boyfriend are planning to get married next year(april).In the philippines.I am also planning to go back in japan this october to work so that i can get my gensen.(I studied here in the ph and just graduated last may).My mom said that the giving of jensen from the employer is yearly.like january.If i start to work this oct.and i had my jensen for 3mos.will that be possible to process it already?after our wedding on april,iam planning to process the CEO and his visa.if ever that they will not allow it to be process yet because my proof of income is not yet enough,is there any other option?.I am hoping that i can already get him in japan by next year.please help.I am confused on how to do it.thankyou and hoping for your response.
Hi Zel,
Congratulations on your pending marriage!
When you apply for the “Spouse of Permanent Resident” Certificate of Eligibility for your husband, you’d need to submit your Juminzei Nozeishomeisho (Proof of residence tax and payment). This is different from your Gensen Choshuhyo (income tax statement). The immigration bureau specifies that they want to see your Juminzei documentation with a full year of earnings represented.
The Juminzei is calculated in January based on your previous year’s earnings and you get the tax invoice approximately in June. So, if you return to Japan in October 2016, the earliest you would have Juminzei documents showing a full year’s income would be June 2018.
There are ways to get around this, though. For example, you could have someone else serve as your husband’s “Guarantor” for the application. The immigration bureau might also be willing to accept your Gensen Choshuhyo along with a certificate of employment showing your salary, but I highly recommend that you contact them in advance to make sure!
I’m working on an e-book now that will cover this process in more detail and I’ll be sure to announce it on here when it’s ready!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis.Thanlyou for your reply.I still have a question,My family are also in japan already.Permanent resident.Can I use my father to be my husband’s guarantor?..or my mother or siblings?
Hi Zel,
Yes. One of your parents would be the best option. (By the way, that’s what we did for my Certificate of Eligibility, too, so I know it works!)
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
I do apologize if you’ve answered this already (seeing the numerous responses from above), but I’m hoping you have the answer to what I’m looking for.
I got married in Japan to a Japanese citizen (guy), but on his koseki they kept my American name as on my passport. We assumed they would’ve changed it to his last name, but they didn’t. So now they’re asking for legal docs from California if I want to change it. Do you know how I would go about getting my name changed in California due to a foreign marriage? And the hubby will not be with me when I take a short trip back to Cali next month. Thanks!
Hi Missko,
That’s the first time I’ve seen this question 🙂
Your husband’s koseki will not get updated unless you go there in person to ask them to do it. I’m in the same boat and haven’t made the change yet, either. On the other hand, I’ve had no negative effects from having a different last name in her koseki and on my passport/residence card, so it hasn’t been a high priority for me.
The procedure for changing your name in the US varies from state to state. In some states, all you have to show is your proof of marriage to change your name on your passport. That was the case for me, and my proof of marriage was my Japanese marriage certificate. I didn’t have any legal documents from my home state because they weren’t necessary.
I went to the US embassy with my passport, Japanese wedding certificate, translation, and passport/social security application forms and that was all I needed. They actually looked up the state law for me there. Here’s what I could find for CA: http://www.courts.ca.gov/1051.htm
It looks like you might need a CA court order, but I recommend checking with consular services first to see if you can save yourself the headache!
Since I haven’t applied to change my name in my wife’s koseki yet, I don’t know how that process will go. But I intend to write a letter explaining that no official documentation is necessary and that I changed my name legally by showing my Japanese marriage certificate. Next time we visit her hometown. . .
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks so much for replying, Travis! I do appreciate it!
One last question: Do you know where to go to apply for the spouse visa if I’m already IN Japan? My CoE just came in the mail yesterday and though there are wonderful information pieces about going to the embassy if applying outside of Japan, I can’t seem to find anything re: if I’m already here. Thanks so much!
Hi MissKo,
You need to go to the Immigration Bureau office nearest where you live to apply for a “Change of Status of Residence.”
Japan doesn’t use the term “visa” anymore once you’re inside the country, so that’s probably why you’re having trouble.
If you have your CoE, then your Change of Status of Residence process should be very simple. I’ve known people who were approved the same day.
All you should need is the Application for Change or Residence, your CoE, your Residence Card (if applicable), passport, and the processing fee (4,000 yen).
You can get the application form from: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/02.html
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi – the 380 yen stamp for one’s self addressed envelope is now 392 yen. Also after having family in Japan submit my application with 1 3x4cm photo stuck onto the application form as mentioned above (and on DOJ website), they’ve demanded another… so apparently you actually need to submit 2 photos! (Wish I had better psychic/ESP powers…)
Hi guren,
Thanks for pointing out the price change in the stamps! I had overlooked that when the taxes were hiked a few years back.
As for the photo – I file hundreds of CoE applications per year and have never been asked for a second one, so I can’t explain that one. Was there a problem with the original one?
I suppose an extra photo never hurts!
Thanks again for the updates.
-Travis from TranSenz
Turns out it was a case of local office (Himeji) not being up-to-date with procedures – once my application got to Kobe office for processing, they confirmed that Himeji didn’t know what they were talking about and no 2nd photo was needed, although by then I’d sent a 2nd one anyway.
Thanks for all the really useful info provided here – I got the CoE last week giving me 3 years after less than a month’s wait!
Hi Guren,
Thank you for following up on the second photo!
It’s been my experience that the local offices often make mistakes about what is and isn’t required. That must be where all the new employees start their careers. . .
The best takeaway, in my opinion, is that if they ask for something extra, provide it. If they tell you something isn’t necessary, insist they take it, anyway, just in case.
Very glad to hear that you got your certificate so quickly!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
HI! I am currently working in Japan and have applied for permanent status. My 19 year old daughter came for a visit and I applied for her eligibility so I can sponsor her and she can stay in Japan. However, my request was rejected. Is there any other way I can apply for her so she can stay with me? Please advise.
Hi Marvs,
I’m afraid I can’t even point you in the right direction without more information-
What is your current residence status? What status Certificate of Eligibility did you apply for for your daughter? Did the Immigration Bureau give you any information why it was rejected?
I look forward to hearing back from you.
-Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for your reply. I am currently on long term visa here. I tried sponsoring my daughter so she can stay with me on a residence visa through an immigration lawyer. He advised me to bring her in Japan on a 3mos visit visa first. Now that she’s here, we then applied for her residence which got refused. There was no clear explanation given why it was rejected, however, I would like to appeal to immigration so she can stay here as there is no one back in Philippines who will take care of her. She is dependent on me though already 19 years old. Because of safety reasons, I want her to be with me. What would be the best way so I can convince the immigration to let her stay here with me? Thanks in advance.
Hi Marvs,
“Long term visa” and “residence visa” are not specific visas. Can you be specific please? The reason I ask is that depending on your status, you may not be able to sponsor a dependent.
The most common reason I hear of for Certificate of Eligibility/changes in status of residence are insufficient financial support (e.g. you don’t have the required tax documents to prove support) or lack of required documentation or translations.
There is no appeal process for a rejected application, but you can submit a new application if you have additional documentation that will make it pass (such as an extra financial supporter). Humanitarian reasons/safety reasons are not going to get immigration to approve your request. You’ll need some way to make sure you’re meeting their requirements. Hopefully your lawyer can help!
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
What a great article. Thank you.
I’m a permanent resident and my wife is a Filipina. We were married in the Philippines.
I am planning to translate the marriage contract myself. Do you think that is ok, or should I try to get an official translation of some sort?
Thanks again.
Hi Pat,
When we went through the application process, I remember that we contacted the Immigration Bureau office and they told us that it had to be a professional translation. (We had already translated it ourselves at that point, but we had to find a professional to sign and verify the translation as accurate).
But that was 6 years ago, they may have changed the guidelines now.
It is not clear on the Immigration Bureau’s website. However, the assumption in Japan is generally that the translation will be performed by a professional translator. Since it doesn’t specifically say that self-translated documents are acceptable, I would recommend either double checking with the office where you plan to turn in the documents or getting a professional translation to be safe.
If you do submit a self-translated document and it isn’t accepted, that would delay your application processing until you turn in one that meets their requirements.
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi good day! i have a simple question, my wife is a half filipina and half japanese and is currently working in japan for about 3 months, is it possible for my wife to submit a COE application for me and my son? or my wife can only submit 1 COE at a time? hope I can get an answer. My wife is anxious about this. Thank you!
Hi Gerald,
As long as your wife is the legal mother of your son, she should be able to submit both Certificate of Eligibility applications simultaneously. As far as I know, she will have to submit two complete, separate applications.
If she is in Japan as a Japanese citizen, then she would apply for the “Spouse of Japanese National” status for you and “Child of Japanese National” status for your son. Otherwise, if she is there on a working visa, she would apply for the “Dependent” status for both of you.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Good day travis! Thank you for answering my question, this should clear things up for my wife, and 1 last question. Does working in japan for about 3 months would affect the approval of our coe and visas? btw, she’s with her aunt(living in japan and working for 20years) right now in anjo-shi, aichi-ken.can she provide additional documents just to secure and inform that financial support is not a problem for both of my son? More power to this website and Godbless. Im sure this info that you provided can help a lot of confused applicants. Thank you travis.
Hi Gerald,
It depends on her situation. Her limited amount of time in Japan so far is less important than the stability of the job.
If she has been working only 3 months but has a stable, long-term contract and if, between her and her aunt, they have enough income to support two additional people, then it shouldn’t be a problem. If she was working freelance or part-time, then that could be a problem.
Her aunt can certainly act as an additional financial sponsor on your certificate of eligibility application. That should make it easier to clear the financial requirements!
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
Thank you again travis! i’ll let you know when everything is on the right track now.
hi travis,
i have a question. please help me understand, My japanese fiancee and I are planning to get marriend in philippines. after the marriage, Do I need to change my status in Passport from single to Married before he apply the CoE in Japan? Thanks!
Hi Meymey,
As far as I know, that is not a requirement for the Japanese visa, but hopefully someone with direct experience can comment as well.
Your passport shows the date of issue and the Immigration Bureau will see that it was issued before you got married, so they should not view it as a conflict if your passport still says single.
Of course, if you are planning to change your name, then you can update them both at the same time, but neither one should be required.
I know a lot of other readers here have gone through this process in the Philippines. Hopefully they can add their experience!
God Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis. I was worried about my situation but now Its clear.
Hi,
I am from Nepal and my wife is in Japan as student visa. We applied for dependent visa but rejected. Now, Is it possible for me apply as student. How much possibility is there to get visa. Thank you
Hi Nemay,
If you get accepted to a school or language in Japan that can get you a CoE and have the finances to support yourself (approx. 80,000 yen/month at a minimum), then there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to get a CoE and visa.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis, my husband and I are both Filipino I just would like to know how to make a correction on our relationship status in the Juminhyo because I think there had been a mistake declaring my daughter and I don’t live together with my husband, when we’re really not. It’s very important for me to have this corrected since the company where I am working requires me to submit it. Please help 🙁
Hi Anne,
I’m a little confused about exactly what you want to do, but it sounds like you have to change your address and head of household.
If your address will stay in the same city, you’ll have to go to the city hall or ward office where you are currently registered and file a “Jumin Ido Todoke.” That form will allow you to change your registered address for you and your daughter as well as your head of household.
If you’re moving from one city to another, you’d have to submit a “Tenshutsu Todoke” to move out of the first city then a “Ten’nyu Todoke” to register your address and head of household in the city where you’re actually living.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Ohayo gozaimasu…
Oh I’m sorry if I got you confused. This is what’s actually written 続柄 : 縁故者. My senpai told me I should have this corrected for them to get tax payment from my husband’s salary instead of mine.
Thanks for your prompt reply.
* By the way my husband and I work in the same company. We also live together in one roof with our daughter. So we think there might be some mistake. 🙂
Hi Anne,
You should still be able to use the Jumin Ido Todoke to fix that, but you should double check with your city hall.
In the Jumin Ido Todoke, even if you’re not changing your address, you should be able to specify the Head of Household (your husband) and the other family members’ relationship to him, so that is how you would change the 続柄 to 妻 for you and 長女 or 子 for your daughter.
You’ll have to go to the city hall or branch office to get the form, anyway, so when you’re there, you can ask them if there’s an easier way to correct it, as well!
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi my husband apply coe its about 1.2wiks ive heared my father in law has an issue on taxes he live near tokyo and my husband in nagoya would that affect the application of my coe to be rejected?
Hi Ann,
The CoE application review takes a long time. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a spouse CoE being issued in less than a month.
As long as your husband’s father isn’t on your application as your guarantor of financial sponsor, there should be no affect on your application, as far as I know!
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
Hi i got my coe 1.3 weeks i apply visa here in the phil. How long it will take? The agency told me 1week but sadly its been 18days now including weekends do you think what is the problem,? I worried i cant sleep well:(
Hi Ann,
I’ve heard from past commenters on here that visa applications in the Philippines always seem to take longer than expected. Everyone I’ve heard from got the visa, though, even if it was a little late.
Hopefully someone else can comment here and tell us exactly how long it took them!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I cal the agency but they said still verification the embassy did not asking for any additional rdquirements just wondering why ut takes to long its been 22days since i apply for my visa :(:(
Hi Ann,
I’m sorry, I have no idea about Philippine visa processing agents. I know there are a lot of readers on here who are from the Philippines and have gone through something similar, so I hope they can answer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello!!
I just got married last August and I’m just wondering if traveling using my existing visa and passport (both of which still reflect my maiden name) would be okay , considering our marriage has been recently registered in Japan.
hope you could help me with my concern~ thanks!!
Hi Suji,
That won’t be a problem. Registering your marriage does not automatically change your name by Japanese law.
Once you legally change your name in your home country and have your new name on your passport, you can go to the Immigration Bureau in Japan and have it changed on your Residence Card as well. You should visit the Immigration Bureau within 14 days of getting your new passport to make the change:
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/office.html
Congratulations and Good Luck for your Travel to Japan!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much for answering my inquiry.
So, it means that it is totally fine to travel (I mean go back to Japan for vacation) using documents bearing my maiden name while japan city hall is processing the marriage registration?
I’m a bit worried about the immigration section when I arrive there.
I’m sorry as don’t understand much about the koseki tohon update.
Thank you very much again !
Hi Suji,
Yes, you’re totally fine to travel. As long as you have a valid passport and visa with that name, there is no problem. They are not going to check with the city hall when you pass through immigration.
You’ll have to formally change your name in your home country, renew your passport to show the new name, then go to the Japanese City Hall to submit a paper to “correct” your name in their records before they even take notice that your name has changed.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much Travis!
Regarding the changing of surname in my passport, I’ll be working on that in my home country. By the time that I got my new passport, would that mean I should go back to Japan and hand over my passport to the Immigration Bureau in Japan within 14 days of the passport’s release? or could I have it shipped via ems? Is it a MUST that the change be done within 14days of the passport’s release?
I’m sorry I’ve got tons of inquiries.
Hi Suji,
It seems like I misunderstood your situation. I thought you were going to move to Japan then change your name in your passport while you are there.
If you are in Japan when you change your name, you would have to report that within 14 days. You don’t need to go to Japan just to change your name if you’re outside the country. You will have to change your name on your residence card within 14 days of when you next go back to Japan.
In your case, I recommend that you check with the immigration bureau about what you will need when you return to Japan next. Since your passport and residence card will have different names then, they might ask you to bring proof of your change of name (such as your wedding certificate or official name change paperwork) and/or your old passport.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
I have been to Japan last year in July as a tourist from July 1 to sept 23/2015.
This year I applied at Japanese language school and I have been granted the certificate of eligibility but the Japanese Embassy in my country (Ethiopia) Said my Japanese language skill is not up to the required level and that they can not decided about the issuance of my visa unless they consult the the head office. My documents sent back to the immigration in Japan after waiting for over one month my result came out and my students visa refused. They also put a stamp on the back of my passport as well. I have changed my passport now because I did want to have the stamp on my passport and also my birth year was not correct so I had to correct it.
I am marrying my Japanese girlfriend this month (she lives in my country and she is leaving end of September to Japan). she is going to apply for the COE in japan and we are planning to request spouse visa.
My question is:
—Could the previous denial of student visa by the immigration makes my spouse visa request rejected or COE rejected? I am very worried about these. And if I am Granted the COE, Is the embassy in my country issue the spouse visa right away or send it back to the head office in Japan again? What are our chances?
Thank you very much in advance
Hi Tadashi,
If the embassy rejected your student visa application over your Japanese language ability, then that would not affect your application for a spouse CoE in any way. Language ability is not even a consideration for the spouse visa application.
(They will ask what language you use to communicate with one another during the CoE application process, but if your answer is “English” that is not a problem!)
If you have a Certificate of Eligibility, then typically the embassy should be able to complete your visa application very quickly without referring back to Japan. It depends on the country, but it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get your answer.
You should have no problem with the application!
Good Luck
-Travis from TranSenz
my girlfriend living in japan and i am living in my home country
1 how we will register our marriage
2 i left japan on departure order and i can not go back during one year time does
3 can my spouse go the court if the embassy does not allow me the visa
Hi Ali,
1. I answered your marriage paperwork question in my previous comment.
2. If you left on a departure order and it was your first offense, then yes, you cannot return to Japan within one year, even if you marry a Japanese national.
3. No. There is no appeal process for a rejected Certificate of Eligibility or visa. You can try to find out why it was rejected and apply again by correcting the problems from the previous time.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
My girl friend is an Japan /Japanese notional and I am in my home country, how can we proceed our marriage and how can i get visa to go to japan
Hi Ali,
I wrote another article on how to file your Japanese marriage registration by mail. Between that article and this one, that should be all the information necessary for the marriage and visa application!
Good Luck
-Travis from TranSenz
To whom it may concern:
Hi! I am a Filipina and currently working in Japan and has a working Visa for one year. I entered Japan last May 24, 2016. My question is, Is it possible to extend my stay in Japan? My employer wanted me to stay longer in his company. If it is possible, what are the things we should do for the extension and UP to how long can I stay here for the renewal? Another question is, this coming November, our company is having a company trip outside Japan. It will be in Hawaii. Can I join the company trip with my working Visa?
Please tell me what to do with these problems. Thank you and God bless you.
Jinky
Hi Jinky,
If you have a working residence status (visa), then yes, you can extend easily. You need to apply for an “Extension of Period of Stay,” and you can extend for a period of up to 5 years. (Ultimately, the Immigration Bureau will decide how long to approve you for).
You can start your application up to 3 months before your current period of stay ends (so, any time after Feb 24, 2017). You’ll need to submit the application form from the immigration page below, plus some supporting documents.
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/03.html
For supporting documents, you’ll need:
1) Proof of your employment, including position and duration
2) Proof of your annual income and tax payment
For leaving the country, as long as you have a valid residence card and passport and you will return within one year (or before your period of stay ends, whichever comes first), then you can leave and return to Japan freely. Just tell the immigration official that you will be returning (“Sai-nyukoku shimasu).
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello. I’m a filipina currently here at japan and my husband is also a filipino. Mu husband’s application of certificate of eligibilty was already filed at the immigration and no result yet. I going to give birth this coming sept 11 already. My question is can my husband apply for a tourist visa for the mean time? Hope you cld help me on this. Thank you?
Hi Anne,
Yes, it is possible to come to Japan as a tourist while waiting for the Certificate of Eligibility.
As long as you’re sure the CoE will be issued before your husband has to leave the country, it should be OK. He cannot extend a tourist visa.
Once you receive his CoE, he will take that CoE, the application form for change in status of residence, a photo, and 4000 yen in revenue stamps to the Immigration Bureau office nearest you to apply to change his status. Since he will have the CoE, it should be processed very quickly – maybe even the same day if the office is not too busy.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much. His ApPlication is more than 2 months now…hope It will be issued this coming week.
Hi, Thanks for this article.
I’m actually in a situation pretty similar to Jake: already living in japan for a couple of years with a work residence card/visa, and already married.
So I do understand I must apply for a “change of status of residence”.
However my wife and I are both unemployed for the moment and it is not clear to me if I just need to submit the “change of status residence” form and a couple of pictures, residence card copie, etc.. or if I also need to submit the questionnaire form about how we met, a guarantor letter (father in law?), pictures of us,…..
Will a bank account receipt of mine showing a few millions savings do the trick?
Thanks
Hi Jem,
Applying for the “Change of Status of Residence” requires almost the exact same set of application documents as I have listed in this article for applying for a CoE. Your application form itself will be very slightly different, but that is the only significant change.
(I am working on an e-book about the application process that will cover the detailed differences between CoEs and Change of Status of Residence, etc. If you’re interested, you can sign up for the mailing list on this page to get notified when it’s ready).
I’m assuming for now that you’re referring to a few million dollars or pounds in savings? The answer would be different if you mean a few million yen.
I’m not exactly sure how the paperwork would go of both spouses are effectively “retired” and living off sufficient savings. I’d recommend checking with the Immigration Bureau about that. If they’re willing to consider your bank account sufficient to support both of you, then your spouse could still be your guarantor. If they demand someone with an income (even if it’s pension) be your guarantor, then you would need to ask your father-in-law.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi and thanks for all the useful info. The “7. Questionnaire Form” link is broken… do you know where I can find it or is it no longer required (wishful thinking)!?
Hi Guren,
Sorry to say it’s still required, the link just changed on me. I’ve fixed it in the post and table above.
Thanks for catching that!
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
Sorry to post my inquiry as a reply here. I can’t seem to find another way on how to leave a comment. I also sent a message on your fb page a while ago.
My husband and I just got married last June here in Japan but he is currently staying in the Philippines. We are planning to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility but DFA said our report of marriage hasn’t arrive yet. But when I asked the embassy on Osaka,they said that they have sent the documents already. I’m currently waiting for their reply regarding the dispatch number of our report of marriage. Do you have an idea on how long it usually takes to get the marriage certificate from nso if we got married here in japan?
I would also like to know if I should be the guarantor and supporter of my husband when we apply for coe. I’m just worried that you got to have a big annual salary and money in the bank to be the guarantor and supporter at the same time.
I’m really worried on the coe thing and looking for someone I can ask about related matters. Thank you in advance. Will really aporeciate your help 🙂
Hi Y,
I think you might have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the comments to leave a new one.
I don’t have any personal experience but a previous commenter told her story about how long it took to get the paperwork from NSO. She filed her paperwork with DFA-Osaka on Mar 15 and got the copy of the marriage certificate from them on April 2. However, it took another two months before she was able to get the paperwork from NSO and apply for her Certificate of Eligibility. (Use Control-F to search this page for “Jenny O” to read her comments).
The guarantor is someone who takes responsibility for the person and 1) ensures they follow Japanese laws and 2) makes sure they leave the country (or renew their status) when their period of stay is over. It is not an extra financial commitment, so it doesn’t require a larger salary, etc., than being just a suporter. In almost all cases, you should be your husband’s guarantor and financial supporter. You can also have extra financial supporters, such as your parents, etc.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Great article, but I’m still a little confused – I am actually already residing in Japan (for 8 years) and already married (2 years) to a Japanese national, but I am currently on a full work visa. I wish to switch to a spousal visa – in this case, do I still need to apply for a COE since I am already here and married, or do all I have to do is simply apply for the spousal visa?
Hi Jake,
In your case, you need to apply for a Change of Status of Residence to “Spouse of Japanese National” status. The document requirements are almost identical to the Spouse Certificate of Eligibility requirement, but the application form is a little different. You can find it at: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/02.html
I’m working on clarifying this guide to make the difference between applying for a visa and changing the status of residence more clear, but the new version isn’t quite ready yet. I’ll be announcing it on the mailing list as soon as it’s ready!
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
Great article, anyway can i ask which application i needed for my wife. we got married in phillipines and i want to bring her here in japan, i am long term resident here in japan. i checked the immigration website i dont know which kind of form i needed to print. can u help me?
Hi Loreous,
If you’re a “Permanent Resident,” then you would need to use the form and documents for the Spouse Certificate of Eligibility, which is almost identical to the process I described above. If you’re a “Mid-to-Long-Term Resident” (e.g. Working, Student, etc.), then you would follow the directions for the “Dependent” Certificate of Eligibility.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Good Day Travis!
Thanks for this incredibly informative blog post. It has cleared up a few questions. I would like to ask for your advice regarding my situation.
My Japanese fiancee and I are planning on getting married this December in Japan. I will be following your guide for marriage as well as some other tidbits I’ve found from the American Embassy and Japanese Embassy websites. I will be arriving on a tourist visa in order to get married over there in Saga Prefecture.
Once I am married, I will be using the remaining winter vacation time to start some job hunting before returning back to the US the first week of January 2017. I am currently employed as a teacher in the US and make over $50,000 a year and have some savings, although nowhere near as much as I’d like due to student loans.
While the best case scenario will be having a job before going to Japan, there is also the possibility of no job in Japan for the time being. That being the case, I think I can muster up nearly $1,000 a month for a year from savings and then be flat broke.
That being said, here are my questions (in no particular order):
1. Once married in Japan, and I do find a Job in Japan say sometime next year (April or summer), when would you recommend applying for the CoE?
2. Once married in Japan, and I do NOT find a job in Japan but will still move to Japan either in April or summer, when would you recommend applying for the CoE?
3. Will getting married on a tourist visa affect anything? Once married in Japan, will I be able to return back to the US without penalty?
4. For the past few years my fiancee has been taking care of her grandmother, who sadly died a few months ago. During that time, she had no formal employment. After that, my fiancee came to the US this summer for two weeks where I proposed to her. She will begin formal employment come August although currently not a very high paying position (I believe she mentioned 85,000 yen a month for starters). Will this income negatively affect the visa process? If we add my roughly $1000 to the pot we’d be making somewhere near 180,000 a month until I get permission to work through the spouse visa. In case this figure is much too low, we are planning on having her parents and mine added to the financial guarantors/supporters, although my parents will not be able to make sizable or monthly contributions (more like random payments). Will we need to add their exact contributions or a rough estimate?
5. Regarding the name change, we are still holding off on that until after we have kids. How will changing/not changing of surname affect the visa process? Will this be more problematic down the road?
6. For any further information, should I contact the nearest Japanese Consulate here in the US for more information or would I have to contact the Japanese Immigration Bureau directly via long distance call? Or do they have an email system? Who would you recommend for further follow up information?
Thanks again so much and bless you both!
Hi Humberto,
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I’m glad you’ve found this page to be a helpful reference so far. I’ll try my best to answer your questions. I’m assuming that after your marriage, your wife will be remaining in Japan to keep working and apply for the CoE on your behalf.
1. and 2. Regardless of your job situation, your future wife should start the CoE application process 3-4 months before you plan to arrive in Japan. Once the CoE is issued, you only have 3 months to enter the country. The application process can take up to three months, but is generally shorter if you have all of your documents in order.
3. Getting married on a tourist visa will not hurt you in any way.
4. You only need to put a rough estimate for the amount of support to be received per month, and averaging it out is fine. Keep in mind, though, that you may need to be able to provide documentary evidence of those funds (e.g. bank account statements or proof of salary) later. Typically, 80,000 yen/month of financial support (per person) is the baseline threshold for CoE applications, based on my experience.
You may need to get your future in-laws involved as your “guarantor” since your future wife will not have the necessary tax records by the time of your application. The best thing to do would be to have her check with the immigration bureau in Japan.
5. Waiting on the name change will not affect the visa process. If you choose to change your name after arriving in Japan, keep in mind that you’d have to update it on your immigration records, too. Not problematic, just one more piece of paperwork to do. Waiting to change after you have kids could affect the kids’ last names, but I don’t have enough expertise in that area of Japanese law to say for sure.
6. For the CoE application, you’d have to contact the Immigration Bureau in Japan (it would seem to make the most sense to have your future wife do that on your behalf, as she will be submitting the application for you). The consulate doesn’t get involved until you get to the visa stage, and even then, their interaction/involvement is minimal.
Good luck to you both!
-Travis from TranSenz
Good Evening! I would like to tell you that my husband had already received my son’s and my eligibility this afternoon. We are so happy. We’ve been through a lot just to get this eligibility. My husband (in japan) will send the eligibility tomorrow then by next week, around Friday I can receive it here (Philippines). By 1st week of August we can apply for our Visa. Thank you Lord, for all the blessings! and Thanks to you too Travis!
Hi Jenny,
I’m very happy to hear that everything has worked out well for you and your application!
Good luck with your upcoming move to Japan!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much! We’re very excited to see my husband again. It has already been 8 months since we last seen him in person. I will post again about the Visa matter, maybe by next week. 🙂
Hi there. We received our report of marriage from the consulate in Osaka last August and until now,whenever we call DFA,our papers aren’t still there yet. We are really waiting for it so that we can do an advance endorsement as soon as possible for our marriage certificate. The waiting is just too long.
Just wanted to ask if you/your husband had any diificulties in answering and submitting the coe and were you already given a visa? Thanks in advance.
Y,
Sorry for delayed reply. I also thought that the Original Report of Marriage and/or the NSO Marriage Certificate is needed for an application for Eligibility. You can apply for the COE now just by giving them a copy of your Report of Marriage. The Immigration in Japan accept it, then while waiting for the COE, you can get your Report of Marriage in DFA in the Philippines maybe around 2-3 months, then after you get the ROM in DFA they will give you a reference number and go to NSO to ask for a copy of your marriage. That is my experience and waiting is also tiring but at least it’s all worth it..I have waited for almost 9 months because of that ROM process..Urggh!
Hi Travis.
This website has been a great help.
I have just married my fiance in Japan. I am now in the process of applying for a Visa. We have been to the regional immigration buerau to gather forms. The forms we were for a application for change of residents. I am still learning japanese but im not sure this is the rite form. Would you have any advice for me? It asks for all the same relative documents you have losted in the blog but im a little dubious bout it. Also. I am currently here on a tourists visa which expires at the end of the month. Is there any extention on this that i am eligible for while this process takes place? We tried asking the office person at the bureau but we had an inclear response.
Thank you
Josh
Hi Josh,
I’m glad this guide has been helpful! It sounds like you’re on the right track: “Change in Status of Residence” is what you apply for if you’re already in Japan.
If you have a Certificate of Eligibility already, then it’s an easy change, but if you don’t have one, then the application to Change Your Status of Residence is almost identical to the Certificate of Eligibility process.
You cannot extend a tourist residence status, but if you submit your application for Change of Status of Residence before your period of stay in Japan expires (refer to the “Landing Permission” stamp in your passport, not your visa), you can stay in Japan for up to 60 days after the day your period of stay expires or the day the Immigration Bureau’s review ends, whichever comes first.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the reply. Did you also wait for your marriage certificate from nso before applying? How long did it take for you to get it after giving nso the reference number?
Hi Jenny O,
Thanks for this! It brings a lighter path to the process to everyone related.
‘d like to ask, where did you report the marriage? Japan or Philippines?
Regards,
Kris
This blog is very helpful! I followed all the steps and got my certificate of eligibility in a month. And my visa in around 11 working days. I just want to share this information to everyone who wishes to be with their husband in japan and build a family there. God bless you all!
Thank you for giving us a relative timeframe as to when you received your materials! This helps!
Hi, I have a question about the following, my brother is actually married to a Japanese woman, and I also have a Japanese girlfriend, however, the fiancee of my brother told me that you cant get married and get a visa unless my girlfriend shows proof of enough income (money) or else the immigration won’t provide me wit the visa..? is that true? as I never have heard or come across such rule.
thanks for the information.
Hi Jay,
You can certainly get married – there are not financial support questions in the Marriage Registration Documents.
For the Certificate of Eligibility/Visa, though, you will have to show sufficient financial support. Not having enough money to cover your living expenses could be a reason for your application to be rejected or for you to get a shorter period of stay than you want. The bare minimum figure I’ve heard is 80,000 yen per month.
However, your source of financial support does not necessarily have to be your spouse. If you have savings that you can rely on for 80,000 yen/month for a year, or another financial supporter such as your parents or your spouse’s parents, that would work!
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi! And thank you for this great article!
I have a few questions if you could help.
My spouse is Japanese, we got married in my country in Europe and I’m moving to Japan in couple months.
Plan is to get a job as soon as possible, so just sitting around and wait for 3 months to get a CoE doesn’t sound too good for me. I guess I’m not permitted to get a any kind of job while they are prosessing my application?
Also, we haven’t registered our marriage in Japan yet, and if just getting a CoE can take 90 days, can I even stay in the country if it doesn’t come thru while In that time, or do I have to leave after 90 days of my arrival?
Finally, could my wife start this process with CoE and registering our marriage before I get there?
Thank you!
Hi Simon,
I’m glad you’ve found the article helpful!
Your wife can certainly start the process of registering the marriage and applying for the CoE before you get there. That would be the “standard” way of doing it.
Whether she is in Japan or not, she should register the marriage right away. The CoE can application can only be completed in Japan.
If you were to go to Japan first and your CoE was not issued within the 90 days of your tourist stay, you would have to leave the country. It is not possible to extend a tourist status. You also wouldn’t be allowed to start working (collecting pay) until after you had the Spouse Residence Status (which you apply for after getting the CoE). However, you could certainly start looking for a job in the mean time. If you tell the companies you visit that you have a Spouse status under application, that would make you a much more desirable candidate than someone who needs a working visa.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi, My husband is currently having a visa of “child of a japanese national with a 1-yr validity”, can I and my child apply for dependent visa? thank you so much
Hi Cherrie,
Your husband should be able to apply for a dependent CoE for you, at least. Once you have that CoE, then you can apply for a dependent visa.
Is your child his child as well? If your child is from another marriage and your husband has not formally adopted him/her, then you might need to file for a different category in that case.
Good Luck
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi thank you for this blog this is a big help. I just wanted to ask if some of the papers that need to be filled up is fine to answer in english. I’m a half japanese half filipino and my husband is filipino. I grew up in Philippines that’s why I can’t write kanji and is it fine if we won’t change our surname?hoping for your answer thanks in advance. Have a good day!
Hi Joanne,
For the forms you need to fill in, it should be fine to write in English (especially your name, etc). However, if you have other official documents, like a marriage certificate, that would need to be translated into Japanese.
Also, it is not necessary to change your surname. As long as the surname on your marriage documents matches the surname on your passport, you should be fine!
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi just wanted to ask some question again. Is it necessary for me to get my own apartment before applying for my husband’s CoE? I’m living with my co-worker now and the mansion we are living is her own house. Thank you for your response.
Hi Joanne,
You do not need to have your own place when you apply for the CoE. I’ve known students who applied for their spouse’s CoEs while living in the dorm and didn’t move out until the spouse arrived.
Unless your co-worker’s mansion is a multi-family dwelling, you will probably need to have your own living arrangements before your husband arrives, for his residence registration purposes.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi just wanted to ask again if it is necessary for me to get my own apartment before applying my husband for coe. I’m living now with my friend/co-worker in her owned apartment and is it fine if I will I will give them my jyuminzei last year?because the city hall told me that I don’t need to shinkoku this year since last yr july1-jan.25 this yr I’m in Philippines because I gave birth to my baby there. So I think my jyuminzei this year will be 0 I’m just wondering if it is fine to give them my jyuminzei last yr. Thanks in advance for your reply it really helps me since I don’t have much idea in this.
Hi Joanne,
Sorry if my last answer was confusing. I meant “apartment” when I said “place.” You should not need your own apartment when you apply for the CoE, but you will most likely need one before your husband arrives.
About the Juminzei, I’ve never heard of anyone submitting a “zero” Juminzei report or a two-year-old report before. I’d recommend that you contact the immigration bureau to ask directly, since I don’t have experience and don’t want to give you the wrong information.
As for obtaining a CoE for your husband without a high salary, I can’t make any promises, but you should be able to get one for him. It might be a shorter period of stay (e.g. one year), but if he gets a job during that time and you both have income, then when he applies for renewal, it should be easier.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply. Hoping that I can have his coe even if my yearly income is only 200+man. If I get denied should I get another guarantor?
Hi Joanne,
If you get denied, and you think the low salary has something to do with it, you would want to find additional Financial Supporter(s). You would still be the guarantor.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for useful information,
I nepalese citizen, I had entered Japan in feb 5, 2015 as a student and changed my status of residency in march 2016 as working visa. I have got 1 year work visa and working in that company. My monthly salary is just ¥169000 but I got about ¥150000 in my account. I have applied for COE from sendai immigration office for my wife and 17 months daughter on 2nd May 2016 but It is still waiting. The office suggest to submit monthly salary sleep of last month and I have submitted it on 12 june 2016. I had not shown bank balance. What is the chances to get coe. In case coe is rejected when and how can re-apply? Can it be re-apply immediately?
Hi Jay Lal Bhatt,
There is no appeal process for the application, so if it is rejected, you have to start over. As far as I know, you do not need to wait for a specific amount of time to reapply. But reapplying with the exact same information probably wouldn’t be useful, so you would have to have another source of finances or new information to have a better chance the second time.
I don’t know what your chances are for getting the CoE. To be quite honest, that is not a very high salary or account amount to support three people. If your application is rejected, then you may want to find an extra financial supporter next time – either in Japan or Nepal.
Other things that matter include your job status. For instance, if you are in a full-time, permanent position, that is better for your chances. In that case, showing proof of not just your salary but your employment status would be helpful. Also, if you have a longer visa in Japan yourself, that would be helpful.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
This article is incredibly excellent. Thank you so much!
I’ve been living in Japan for about 5 years (quite close to you actually – I’m in Iwate) and got married to my Japanese lady last month. We’re preparing for the visa application now. Although my situation is different from yours it looks like I’ll just be filling out certain sections differently on the CoE form. Thanks for all the advice and tips.
Take it easy, best wishes,
Leigh
Hi Travis,
I appreciate the concise info. My Japanese wife and I were married in the US over 5 years ago. We now wish to move to Japan together. Since neither of us is currently residing in Japan, it appears we must rely on her parents to submit the Juminzei. While they are upper middle class and have a substantial savings, they are retired and therefor have no income. Is a fat bank account sufficient to convince the immigration bureau that we are financially covered, or do we need to seek an additional sponsor? Thank you so much for your time and expertise!!
Josh and Suiho
Hi Josh and Suiho,
In my experience, a fat bank account is sufficient to be your Financial Supporter – but you may get a shorter “Period of Stay” than you would with recurring income of your own. In that case, the only downside would be that you would have to renew your status earlier. (That’s what happened to me).
I’m not completely certain that it works the same way if your Guarantor is also living off a bank account, but I can’t see why it would be a problem.
If they are retired, they should also be collecting Japanese national pension, no? That’s probably not as substantial as their accounts, but it would be something.
The surest thing to do would be to phone the immigration bureau and ask them directly. Whenever I’ve called them with similar questions, they’ve been able to give me straightforward answers.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello Sir.
I am a Filipina and already married to a Japanese National. He already started the application of COE and it’s been 1 and half month already. I am quite worried about the process. He complied with all the requirements given to him. What are the chances that the application will be denied? Will the immigration inform him beforehand if there are problems with the application? Or do we have to wait 3 months to know if there are problems or lacking documents? I cannot find specific answers over the internet. I hope you can help me with this. Thank you!
and by the way, is being a mother of a japanese national increase the chances of being approved in the application of COE? I heard that my husband had issues on his taxes. will this greatly affect the result?
Hi again 🙂
I think your chances of being approved would be high in any case, but yes. When I applied to renew my Spouse status, I told the Immigration Bureau that I was soon to be the father of a Japanese national, and they asked me to submit records of that because it would strengthen my case for a longer period of stay.
Being the mother of a Japanese national might influence how long of a period of stay you receive initially. But your husband’s financial situation could also affect that.
In either case, even if you get a shorter stay at first, you can always renew later.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Meg,
I’ve never heard of a CoE application for a spouse being declined before, but they do take time and 1.5 months or more is not unusual.
If there are any missing documents or extra submissions required, the Immigration Bureau will contact the applicant. I had that happen to me during my initial application, and I’ve seen it for other people, as well.
They will usually let you know right away if there are problems. They won’t just reject it and tell you to try again.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
I just wanted to thank you so much for providing such wonderful and detailed information. I’m truly grateful and in your debt for all of this!
Hi 🙂 i just want to ask if how long is the processing days of applying my CoE for visa. Im from DAVAO CITY PHILLIPINES, and i apply my CoE last saturday May 14 in one of the agency here in davao that is accredited to japan embassy. I just want to ask if how long it take that i can get a visa or my CoE is attached to my paasport. Thanks 🙂
Hi Saldy,
I’ve never heard of applying for a CoE through an agency in another country, so I can’t speak to that timeline. In general, when you submit the application to the Immigration Bureau in Japan, it takes 1-3 months. It all depends on your paperwork being in order and how busy the Immigration Bureau is at that time of year.
Maybe someone else can add a comment about using one of those agencies.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi! Travis!
Thank you for your helpful blog. I’m Naina from Nepal and my question is a little different than others. My sister has been residing in Japan since a long time and now she owns a restaurant business. she is 5 months pregnant and wants to invite my brother in a cook visa who is a cook by profession and has 3 – 4 years of experience in the same field in Nepal. She talked with a lawyer regarding the paperwork but in reply he said there is a least chance of getting a visa by a family member. he said he’s seen visa refusals in the cases like ours. I don’t know how true is that and why? Her restaurant serves Nepali and Indian cuisines and previously she has invited a highly experienced cook from Nepal (neither our family nor relatives) and he did not encounter any problem. He got his visa within a month and now he’s still working in her restaurant. She’s pregnant, her restaurant is big and needed more cook so she wanted my brother to assist her. I know my problem is different but I hope you can help me.
Many thanks,
Hi Naina,
I don’t know if it’s true or not that it would be harder to invite a qualified cook that was a relative rather than a qualified cook that wasn’t. I have never worked with working visas, sorry.
It would make sense to me, though, that the Immigration Bureau is going to give a more thorough investigation for a family member. I’m sure that many people in the past have used similar applications to invite family to Japan even if they couldn’t cook or had no other job prospects, so it sounds suspicious, even if it is legitimate in your sister’s case!
I am also sorry to say that as of the last time I heard, Nepalese in Japan had one of the highest rates of illegally overstaying their visas, so that may also result in a more strict screening.
But in your case, the invitation is legitimate and your brother is qualified to help her, so if they can provide documentation of his working experience, then you should be able to make it work in the end! Make sure you have paperwork (employment certificates, etc) to back up everything you say. Japan is all about the documentation.
Good Luck,
Travis from TranSenz
I got married last january 2016 and now i get marriagecontract on the 2nd page my surname had one letter clerical error that would affect when i apply for eligibilty for my husband? My visa is long term resident in japan i work her for 2yrs.
Hi Aiko,
I think you would be applying for a Dependent, or “Kazoku Taizai” Certificate of Eligibility, not a Spouse Certificate, unless you’re a Permanent Resident.
If possible, I would suggest getting your marriage contract corrected, especially if it was issued in Japan.
Otherwise, consult with the Immigration Bureau and ask for their advice. They may just ask you to submit some form of proof saying that your name was misspelled.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
I got my coe what arethe requirements when applying for visa ..? My husband is nikeei jin 3rd gen. Had a long term visa
Hi Aisa,
It depends on your country, so check the Japanese Embassy website for your country.
Usually, you’re going to need the visa application form, a photo to go on it (5 cm x 5 cm), your passport, and the CoE. You might need to pay an application fee or submit more documents, depending on where you are, so make sure to check with the Embassy!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hi. we already applied for COE last March 31 its a month and a half now since the application starts. then my husband from japan recieves a letter from immigration to go to post office is the post from immigration says an approval or deny application. coz we have no idea yet about the letter he will go for pick up on Saturday bcoz he have work. the letter says for PICK UP. is this letter have chances that it is denied or it is a sure approval. our daughter and i are waiting for this for a long time.
Hi Psuguihara,
For Certificates of Eligibility, usually the Immigration Bureau mails the CoE directly to the applicant, so I don’t know why he would have to go to the post office.
Sometimes, the Immigration Bureau may ask applicants to submit additional documentation by post, but that should be specified in the letter he received. I would recommend that he show it to a Japanese colleague to ask what it means.
If you applied for a “Change in Status of Residence,” then when the decision is approved, you will receive a postcard telling you to go to the Immigration Bureau to pick up the new Residence Card. In that case, you will have to first go to the Post Office to purchase a revenue stamp for the cost of the card issuance fee.
I have never heard of someone having the Certificate of Eligibility denied, so I don’t know what would happen in that situation.
I hope the letter was good news!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi i am Ragavendiran and have valid visa for one year.I applied dependent visa for my spouse and its valid upto 2 Aug 2016. But COE expired (validity is 2 May 2016 ).i like to bring her in june month
I like to know whether she can travel to Japan or again i have to apply for COE.
please suggest
Hi Ragavendiran,
To the best of my knowledge you will have to return the old Certificate of Eligibility to the immigration bureau and apply for a new one.
You might want to double-check with the Immigration Bureau first, though, to see if there is any possibility of an exception. I think you would need a good reason why your spouse was not able to come while the CoE was valid, though.
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
I am living in Japan for almost 2 years on student visa and I want to invite my younger brother to stay with me in Japan for a 1 month,
so could anyone tell me that what is the procedure for getting the visa for him,
thanks,
Hi Alex,
It depends on your nationality. For many countries, your brother could come without any special paperwork. For some others, your brother would need a “Tourist” or “Visiting Relatives” visa.
The best place to find information is to search google for “Embassy of Japan” and your home country name. The Embassy of Japan for that country will have all the visa application paperwork you need!
Good Luck,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Alex
All You need is the documents:
1,Your Residence card copy
2, Letter of Guarantee
3, Schedule of stay( where your sibling will visit in japan and the arrival and departure must be same with those of flight ticket)
4, Bank statement
5, certificate of relation ship like birth certificate
6, certificate of enrollment from your department an evidence of a student
7. from the ward office you need three certificates a, residence certificate b, tax c, and income certificate
8, proof of ability to support if you have scholarship or Job
9, for the guarantee it depends you can be or you have to find a Japanese guarantor it depends on the embassy that your apply
This are the documents you need.
Hope it will help you. God bless you.
Travis,
Thank you for the great info. My wife and I will be submitting our spousal visa application in Kanazawa. Do they send out off to the Nagoya main office or is it reviewed in Kanazawa?
Thank you.
Hi Kris,
As far as I understand, the initial review would occur in Kanazawa and final approval in Nagoya. But the Kanazawa office would be your first point of contact for any questions or concerns.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi.. My fiance and I will get married in August this year in the Philippines. After a month, we shall be able to get the marriage certificate. Would it be all right if we just got married for one month? We’ve been engaged for 7 years now. I currently work as a teacher in Japan for 10 months now. Also my passport will still bear my last name and not his should we apply for the CoE in September. Would that be okay?
Hi Liz88,
Congratulations!
There is no minimum marriage duration to be able to be eligible to apply for a spouse visa, so you can apply as soon as you can get proof of your marriage. I think a 7-year engagement is more than enough to prove that you are committed and that it is a genuine marriage!
Will you be changing your name eventually? I recommend changing it in your passport before applying for the CoE, if possible. It won’t be a problem for the CoE, but if you change your name before applying, it’s just one less bit of paperwork you have to do later.
By the way, if you’re living in Japan now, you should be able to get married in Japan and apply for a “Change in Status of Residence” without leaving the country. You don’t have to do it that way, but I just wanted to mention that it could be easier.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello, thank you for this, it’s very helpful. I’m wondering if you can shed any light on how to proceed with my particular case. I had been living in Japan for 9 years, the last of those on a spouse visa/residence permit (I changed my resident status after getting married). However, I relocated to my home country with my Japanese wife last year, and allowed the residence permit to expire as I was not planning on returning to Japan for a while. Then, we found out my wife was pregnant, and she is now back in Japan living with her mother in preparation for the birth. As it’s possible that this new development may mean relocation to Japan, I would have to reapply for a spouse visa.
My question is this: As my wife has no current income, and probably won’t for the rest of this year (hence no tax returns etc.) and I myself was in the process of starting up a business living off my savings and therefore have no income for this year either, how do we fill out the parts of the form regarding work, income, guarantor etc? Can my wife act as a guarantor even when she has no income of her own or not living in Japan? The only alternative we have is her mother, who is retired and living off a (fairly generous) pension. Can a retiree be an acceptable guarantor?
Also, I am slightly worried about the fact that for the majority of this year, my wife will be officially living away from me (because of the restrictions in international travel during and after a pregnancy). Perhaps we can explain that in a cover letter? Are such things accepted?
The rest of the application (koseki, juminhyo, wedding certificate, questionnaire, photographs etc) are no problem – and keep in mind that we were already approved for a spouse visa once. It’s still the same marriage, if anything we have even more compelling reasons to be together.
If anyone has been in a similar situation or can help with this, any advice will be much appreciated! Thank you in advance.
Hi JJ,
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! I don’t have any direct familiarity with a case similar to yours, so I would recommend asking your wife to follow up with the Immigration Bureau by phone directly to be sure, but here is what I can suggest:
1) It seems that your mother in law would be your guarantor (Question 25 in the form). It should not be a problem that she is on a pension- income is income! Getting her tax statements or pension statements would be helpful for your application. Submitting those documents does not, of course, obligate her to support you, it just proves to the immigration bureau that she can, if necessary.
2) You can also fill in that your method of support to pay for expenses is “self” in question 24(1). I did this when I applied and attached a bank account statement. I had no income, but I did have enough savings at the time to support my family for a year. I don’t know whether it helped my application or not, but you can never show too much financial support!
3) Being away from your wife for the reasons you gave should not be a problem. There are many practical, legal reasons why a husband and wife would be separated during the visa application process and I have never heard of a visa being rejected on those grounds. You will have the opportunity to detail the timeline of your relationship in the “Questionnaire” form that you submit for the application, so that would be the best place to explain the reason you are currently living separately.
Perhaps one of the other readers has a similar experience to yours and can comment further.
In any case, congratulations again and good luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your kind reply, Travis. My wife did call Immigration in Tokyo and their suggestions match yours. Apparently since my wife worked for most of last year, and is currently back living in Japan, she can still use her last year’s returns to act as guarantor, provided we apply within this calendar year. I could try to change a tourist visa to the spouse permit, but the “official” way to do it would be for my wife (or someone else in Japan) to apply for the CoE there, send it to me once issued, and then for me to complete the procedure in my home country before landing with the official permission already obtained. However, as many others have also noted, the latter process is simply adding additional steps so in case the change of status is approved I think it may be easier.
Anyway, now we have to decide which steps to follow and when! And also for me to find funds to put into my bank account so that the financial statement looks passable. 🙂
Thanks again for your help.
Hi,
Thank you for the clear explanation of the immigration procedure.
I need a clarification on getting dependent visa for my mother. I am residing in Japan with a Engineer Visa which is valid for 3 years and my spouse is having dependent visa. Now I would like to bring my mother to Japan as she is staying alone in India. Please note that my father had expired 4 years ago. Can I get COE for my mother as she is actually depends on me? but heard that only spouse and children are dependents as per the guideline. How can I leave my mother alone in India. Please suggest the possibilities to get her dependent visa.
Thanks!!!
Hi Suresh,
A dependent visa is limited to spouse and children under Japanese immigration law, so you could not bring your mother to Japan under that visa category.
Almost everything I write on this blog is based on my own personal experience, and I have no experience with bringing a family member to Japan. However, I did some research on Japanese immigration lawyer websites and found that there might be a way you can do this. Please understand that everything from here on out is based on other sources, so I cannot verify it.
It seems that there is a chance that she can come to Japan on a short-term stay visa and then change to what is called a “Designated Activities” visa, “for the purpose of living with family.” There are no precise qualifications for this and it is not defined by law, so everything is up to the immigration bureau’s discretion. However, according to the sites I read through, the following requirements seem to be true:
1) Your mother would have to be age 70 or older
2) There would have to be nobody in your home country that could support her
3) You would have to have sufficient financial resources to support her in addition to your own expenses.
Again, I have no experience with this, personally.
If your mother is younger and still active, then you might consider trying to find an employer in Japan that would hire her so that she could get a working visa.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for the feedback and clarifications.
Condition 2 and 3 are fine. But my mother’s age is 55 only. I am planning to bring her on tourist visa for 90 days. Getting working visa from Japan might be diffucult as she is aged. But it would be good if MOJ can provide dependent visa for mother as well in future.
-Suresh
Hi Suresh,
Age isn’t necessarily a problem, depending on the job. I would suggest looking in areas where being non-Japanese would be an advantage, such as a restaurant or language teaching, if she has any experience in those areas.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your suggestion. I brought her on tourist visa to Japan for 90 days.
I am trying to extend her stay for another 90 days. Is it possible to extend tourist visa for another 90 days?
Regards,
Suresh
Dear Suresh,
No, you cannot extend a tourist visa. She would have to leave the country, apply again, and come back.
If she overstays the tourist visa, she may get rejected for later tourist visa or visa change applications, so it’s best not to risk it.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello. I’m goin to apply for a CoE for my husband, I was wondering even if my guarantor is at UK, will that be allowed? Last year i do have work here at japan but this year i don’t have one..what will i do about Certificate of Receipt of Juminzei (Residence Tax) and how will i fill up #23 and #24 on the application?please help. thank you so much
Hi Wilma,
Are you a Japanese Citizen or Permanent Resident? If you’re on any other kind of visa, then you need to apply for a “Dependent” CoE for your husband, rather than “Spouse.”
If you are a Japanese Citizen or Permanent Resident, then read on.
– You would be the guarantor for your husband. The Guarantor is typically the spouse themselves and is the person who will guarantee that the person follows Japanese law and will support them in case of an emergency. That is difficult from a financial supporter. As you can see in question 24, the financial supporter can be another person in Japan or outside of the country.
– I don’t have enough information about your financial situation to make any recommendation about the Juminzei certificate, so I would recommend that you talk to the immigration bureau directly and explain your situation.
– For Question 23, if your husband has no prospective place of work decided yet, then you should be able to fill in “undetermined,” but please confirm with the immigration bureau, first. I did not have a place of work decided when I applied for my CoE and that is how I completed it, but they may have changed the procedures since then.
Good luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Hi.
I’m Joy. I’ve been married to a Japanese man since September 2003. Since then, my visa application did not pursue for some reasons. I still have the document from Fukushima Shi, stating that our marriage here in the Philippines was reported. Now, I have no information of the whereabouts of my husband. Here is my question: Is there any way for me to get a visa? Is the marriage still valid? Please advise.
Thank you.
Hi Joy,
Legally, your marriage is still valid in Japan, at least. But to apply for a spouse visa, you would need to show that not only are you legally married but that you are living together as husband and wife. The Questionnaire that is part of the application process is designed to determine the closeness of your relationship. So, I don’t think you would be able to get a spouse visa on those grounds.
I would recommend that you go to the Japanese embassy there, explain your situation, and see what you may be able to do.
Good Luck!
-Travis from TranSenz
Thank you very much Travis.
Hi Mate,
Are you sure that anyone have to enter Japan within 3 months from CoE issue date? There is something interesting information published on Ministry of foreign affairs (MOFA) in Japan site. Please check it out. It clearly mentioned that someone with a valid visa need to enter in Japan within three months of Visa issue date but not from CoE issue date.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/process/long.html
What do you say about this?
Cheers
Hi Amitava,
If Japanese government websites provided clear, complete information, there’d be no need for my blog 🙂
MOFA is in charge of visas, so they’re only telling you that the visa has a 3 month validity period.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is responsible for Certificates of Eligibility, which also have a 3 month validity period. They clearly say on the CoE itself and on their website that the CoE has a 3 month validity and you need to enter Japan within those three month. See question 7 on the page below:
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/qa.html
(It’s even clearer in Japanese).
Cheers,
-Travis from TranSenz
Hello Sir/Ma
My name is Paul am a Nigerian, I have a Japan tourist visa, i have girlfriend in Japan,that we have agreed to marry each other.
Kindly Advice me, Can i change my tourist visa to spouse visa, what are the steps needed for me to follow when i enter Japan with my tourist visa, or if i was employed, can i find a company that can change my tourist visa to work visa.
Regards
Hi Paul,
In general, you cannot change your visa status from tourist to spouse or work after arriving in Japan.
In order to change from tourist to another status, you would need a Certificate of Eligibility (like the instructions above say for the Spouse Visa) and the Certificate of Eligibility application takes up to three months, which is the longest a tourist visa lasts. You cannot renew a tourist visa.
So, even if you arrived in Japan, got married (or hired by a company) and filed your complete, mistake-free Certificate of Eligibility application on the same day, it might not be issued in time for you to apply to change your status.
You do not need to be in Japan to get married to your girlfriend under Japanese law. You can do it by mail – That is what I did. (You can find that guide at: http://www.transenzjapan.com/blog/international-marriage-in-japan/). I would recommend that you do that first, then have your girlfriend apply for your CoE and come to Japan with a Spouse Visa not a Tourist Visa. That is the surest way to make sure you can complete all the paperwork in time.
Good Luck
-Travis from TranSenz
Travis,
Great website, lot’s of great resources here. I wanted to address your response to Paul as much anecdotal evidence and my own experience (tourist to humanities and then later to instructor) illustrates that people change their visa status quite regularly and that it is a fairly common procedure. I am actually contemplating which route to take, doing it “by the book” or going first and then doing an adjustment of status once on the ground (currently married to a Japanese national and living in the US). Regarding the 90 day time frame and the concern of having the tourist visa expire, once the the application is submitted and the process started it seems that they stamp your passport and this absolves that issue. Perhaps the CoE was applied for along with the visa application… Its been a while since I did it, so my memory is a bit hazy regarding the timeline and order in which things were handed in. In any case, I am genuinely curious to hear your answer as it will help me make a decision.
Hi Neelz,
I know that people do change their status regularly – in fact I help students do just that in my day job. (Many arrive as tourists then change to student after arrival). However, we always provide a Certificate of Eligibility to those students – and we generally apply for it well before the student arrives in Japan.
When I checked with the local immigration bureau, they said a CoE was required to change from tourist to something else. Of course, the immigration officials are not always consistent. You do not need a CoE to change from a non-tourist visa to another type (e.g. from humanities to instructor).
When you changed from tourist to humanities, did you have a Certificate of Eligibility from your employer?
You are right that once you submit the change of status application they will stamp your passport and you can stay in the country for up to 2 months from that date, even if your other status expires. However, that is for the Change of Status of Residence application, which assumes you already have the CoE.
My advice to Paul was based on timing. He said that his girlfriend had agreed to marry him. He was already in Japan with less than 90 days left (might be less – I don’t know the tourist visa duration for Nigeria) and still had to do the marriage paperwork plus the CoE paperwork within those 90 days. If he could do that, then he could apply for the Change of Status and stay up to an extra 2 months. Similarly, finding an employer and getting a CoE within that time frame seemed unlikely.
Many of the folks who ask about timing here plan to come to Japan as tourists, then get married, get a CoE, and apply to change statuses. That’s a very risky timeframe. In your case, being already married, if you had your CoE application ready to drop off a day or two after you arrive in Japan as a tourist, and you have a 90-day tourist stay, you should probably be OK, but it’s still a small risk. I always advise going “by the book” since that’s guaranteed to work.
Good Luck
-Travis from TranSenz