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!
Hi Travis, just out of curiosity, do you have an idea if the one-three months mentioned as standard processing time refers only to cases where no further documentations is request? Or it includes all cases? Thanks. Gab.
Hi Gab,
That’s the standard time for all cases. If your application is complete on submission, then your screening time will be closer to one month (depending on how busy the office is).
Even if extra documents are required, my understanding is that the screening does not go longer than three months. If you haven’t submitted the documents in time to make the three month cut off, they would reject your application and tell you to start again. That has happened to some readers on here in the past.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Travis. We applied about 6 weeks ago in Saitama (part of the Tokyo regional immigration office), and we did submit all the requested docs (plus some). I suppose nothing to do but wait. Gab.
Hi Gab,
Six weeks isn’t so long that I would start worrying yet, especially in Tokyo. As long as they haven’t contacted you to request extra documents, you should be fine.
I hope you hear back soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
I have a question,
If I marry in Japan, can I stay in Japan until the certificate of eligibility is produced ?
Hi Pieter-Jan Van Haecke,
If you get married in Japan and apply for a Change of Status of Residence from Temporary Visitor to Spouse of Japanese national, you can stay until the end of your “Temporary Visitor” status or until 2 months after you submit your application, whichever comes first.
However, there is no guarantee that the Immigration Bureau will accept your Change of Status of Residence application. They might tell you that you need to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, instead. (There is no clear rule, so there is some discretion involved). In that case, you can only stay in Japan until the end of yoru Temporary Visitor status. If your CoE was not released by then, then you would have to leave the country.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Hope you are doing well. I have the same question as his. Me and my fiance will marry and apply for the COE while I am on a “Temporary Visitor” for 30 days. Upon reading your comment here, I know there is no guarantee that the Immigration Bureau will accept my Change of Status of Residence. But we still want to try our luck to extend my stay even until 2 months, so my question is, once I go to there office how many hours/days will it take for me to know if they will allow me to extend my stay or not?
Hi Iwamoto,
I agree that you should definitely give it a try!
After you are married and have all of your paperwork prepared, I would recommend you go to the Immigration Bureau right away with the Change of Status of Residence application and all the supporting materials you need to try to submit it. They should let you know on the spot whether they will accept your application (in which case, you will be able to stay) or whether they will require you to apply for the CoE instead.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your revert. We bought your book yesterday and it is really a big help for us. However, we still have a question regarding the snapshot of us as a couple. Do we need to print each on a photo paper? (If so, what size?) or can I just put many photos as I can on a clean a4 size paper? Your reply will be much appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Iwamoto-san,
Thank you very much!
I am sorry I wasn’t more clear in that section. For the snapshots, it is acceptable to print them out on regular printer paper. It is not strict like the ID photo.
Your idea of printing several out on one piece of A4 paper should work fine! 2 to a page or maybe up to 3 to a page should work. The important thing is just to make sure that the photos are clear and easy for the evaluator to understand.
Best Regards,
Travis
Hey Travis,
Could you help clear up a couple things?
1. Is it possible to have a Brother-in-law be a guarantor/financial supporter? Relatedly, while reading your book it seems to me that wherever the source of financial support is coming from, there needs to be 80,000 Yen per person, is that correct? If I was able to ask my Brother-In-Law would he then need to show 80,000 Yen x 3 = 240,000 Yen for support of himself, his wife and me? It wouldn’t extend to my wife as well, even if we are all living together (on paper anyway to begin with)?
2. If I couldn’t ask my Brother-In-Law and I used my savings, would I need to show enough for 160,000 Yen a month if my wife doesn’t have a job yet? Or just 80,000 Yen a month for myself?
3. Finally, is it safe to alway enter names in “LAST FIRST MIDDLE” order unless specified otherwise in the various applications and questionnaires?
Thanks again!
Oh, one other thing. How realistic is it to go on a Tourist Visa and change the status of residence after getting a COE, considering we are not getting married there, but have been married for over a decade?
I have three scenarios:
1. Fly to Japan from USA, once I get my COE fly back to the USA to apply for the visa.
2. Stay in the USA with relatives while my wife goes to Japan to apply for the COE on my behalf.
3. Fly to Japan and apply for Change of Residence once I have the COE.
4. Ask In-Laws to apply on my behalf in Japan.
#3 would be the best for me, both financially and to avoid being separated from my wife for a longer period of time. But it is not “necessary” so to speak. #4 would be convenient for me but not for my In-Laws and asking for them to be a Guarantor/Supporter is already hard enough.
Hi ET,
Of the options you gave, I would highly recommend #4. It is a bit of trouble for them, especially if they are not close to the nearest immigration bureau office, but if you bring them a nice gift when all is said and done, that should make up for it!
You could fly to Japan and apply for the CoE while here, but there is no guarantee that the CoE would be issued before your 90-day period of stay in the country is over. If it is issued in time, then you would have no problem in that situation taking the CoE back to the Immigration Bureau office and applying for a Change of Status of Residence.
Sometimes it is possible to skip the CoE application and apply directly for a Change of Status of Residence (by submitting all the same documentation you would submit for the CoE, anyway), but this is not allowed “in general” and only permitted in extenuating circumstances, such as if you got married after arriving in Japan so you weren’t legally able to apply for the CoE before coming. Even then, it is a matter of discretion.
If you go with #3, then be prepared for the possibility that it might turn into #1 if there is a problem with the processing time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks again for all your help, Travis!
Hi ET,
1. Yes, a brother-in-law should be fine as a guarantor/financial sponsor. They are not going to ask him to show 80,000 yen for each person that he is already supporting. He needs to be able to commit to providing that much support for you on top of his other financial obligations to his family, etc. He also does not need to state one way or another whether he would be supporting your wife or to prove any resources related to that.
2. You only need to show resources to cover yourself. The immigration bureau is not going to ask about your wife’s finances if she is Japanese, unless she is your sponsor. Also, two people living together would not need 160,000, because there are some significant costs (like rent) that you can combine.
3. Yes!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Very helpful website!
I’m on the JET program, it’s my second year. Married to a Japanese national. Have a baby. Wife is currently not working. My Instructor visa is until August 2019, with the high probability of extending for 2 more years, until August 2021.
I’m a US citizen, and by some agreement, don’t pay Japanese taxes in the first two years while in Japan.
I came here in Aug 2016. So I don’t start paying taxes until August 2018.
Which means I will pay taxes for part of 2018, and onward. In the year 2019 I will pay taxes for the whole year, which means in 2020 I will have a paper that shows that.
My question is: Is it worth it to apply to change the status of residence now, with no proof of tax payment? Or would it be better to wait until I have paid taxes for a whole year and be able to show that? (or am I missing the point, and its more like “It’s better to just ride out the current visa until I have to change it”)
Thanks
Hi Michael,
My opinion – and it’s just an opinion – is that it is best to change to the Spouse of Japanese National status as soon as possible if you plan to live here long-term.
The sooner you change to spouse status, the sooner you will be eligible to apply for permanent residency. Permanent residency opens up more options for things like loans, life insurance, home-building, etc., so it’s good to have if you plan to continue living here!
If you have a legal exemption from paying taxes, do you get a statement to that extent at the end of the year? I list the certificate of residence tax as one of the required documents, but a certificate of exemption from paying residence tax is also listed as a possible document.
If you don’t have that, then you should be able to apply with a copy of your Gensenchoshuhyo and proof of employment (check with your local immigration bureau to make sure this is OK with them first, but this is the solution that worked for me and has worked for a lot of other readers here). A document from the JET program explaining the tax exemption would probably also help as a supporting item.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Follow up question, In this questionaire from osaka immigration, who will fill up this form? me (living here in japan) or my wife( in philippines)? and the last part who’s sign will it be? got confused co’z they gave me 15 days to submit and I thought it will be sent to my wife co’z of long due date..same 15 days they gave me when they request nbi/police clearance from philippines. Thanks again
Hi Ryan,
The questionnaire is meant to be filled in and signed by the spouse living in Japan (the haigusha). I try to make that clear – as well as pointing out who each section applies to – in the book!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank yous sir, I asked my japanese friend to read it for me and he also clarifies that the haigusha is the one who will fill up..Do you have an email address? Have some questions regarding the book..
Hi Ryan,
You can use the contact form on the site or reply to one of the emails if you’re on my mailing list, but to be perfectly honest, I get far more email every day than I can possibly reply to, so there’s a chance that it may take months to reply.
I respond to blog questions on a higher priority, so if you ask here, I’ll be able to get back to you much more quickly!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, Thanks for the pointers and hints.. I am in the process of applying coe for my wife. To clarify things, I am the haigusha? (filipino male living in japan) and my wife is the shinseisha (living in philippines) There is also a return envelope where you enclose the completed questionaire which indicates applicants name? is it my name or my wife’s name to be written?Can I upload a copy of this questionaire in this site..gladly like to help others..
Hi Ryan,
Are you a permanent resident of Japan? If you aren’t then you need to be following a different application process for the dependent visa.
I break down the questionnaire in detail in my book about How to Get a Spouse Visa for Japan, but the “applicant” is the shinseisha is the person applying for the visa. The spouse/haigusha is the Japanese national or permanent resident.
Thank you for your offer. There is no way to upload the document directly. If you want to email it to me, I will double-check the contents and post it, but I’m afraid it will take me a little while to get to it as I have quite a backlog of articles and books I need to finish first.
Thank you again.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi,
Thanks so much for the great post. One thing I’m not 100% sure on is the need for a marriage certificate. My situation is as follows: My wife is Japanese and I am American. We have been married for 14 years. We lived in Japan for 2 years just after getting married (when the process for getting the spouse visa was a lot easier…) The marriage is on my wife’s Koseki Tohon. Is the translated marriage certificate still required?
Also, are original photos required when submitting photos of us as a couple? I have wedding photos but don’t have duplicates of those, and don’t want to lose them. I have plenty of photos over the years of us as a couple but most of them are digital and I’m wondering what type of photo would be acceptable (e.g. would printing a digital photo on paper be ok?).
Thanks so much!
Hi ET,
Thank you for your kind words and for purchasing the book!
Did you get married under Japanese law or American? If you were originally married in the US and then reported that marriage to the Japanese authorities, you would need to provide a translated copy of your US marriage certificate. If you were originally married in Japan, then there would be no US government-issued record of your marriage, so all you would need to provide would be a statement explaining that. (There is a sample in the book and bonus document pack).
You do not need to submit original photos for the pictures showing you as a couple. When I applied, we printed several digital photos ourselves on regular printer paper.
You do need an original photo for the ID photo that you attach to the application, but that’s about it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
We were married under US law, so I guess I will need the marriage certificate.
Thanks a lot for the information, and the book is really helpful too!
Hi Travis,
Awesome article and very informative!
My name is Christian and I’m a Danish national, currently visiting my girlfriend in Osaka. We have just sent off for the notice of marriage ceritificate that I need to get married here in Japan.
I was looking at the Japanese embassy information on applying for the CoE, and I noticed that their information is quite outdated (updateded in 2010…). So my question is this:
Can I apply for the CoE while I’m here in Japan or do I have to “pretend” not to be here, and let my girlfriend submit the application on my behalf? She’s Japanese national, living and working here. I have a landing permit until the 18th of March 2018.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards
Christian
Hi Christian,
There is no problem with applying for a CoE while you are in Japan.
In fact, since you’re already in the country, I would suggest that you try to apply for a “Change of Status of Residence” instead. That would allow you to change from short-term stay status to spouse status without leaving the country.
The difference between the Change of Status application process and the CoE application process is just the application form, itself. All the supporting documents are the same. So, if you collect all of those documents, complete both application forms and turn in the Change of Status one first, then the worst case scenario is that they tell you that you have to apply for a CoE. In that case, you just switch application forms and lose no time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you so much for answering and your advise about change of status application. I will do that 🙂
/Christian
Hi Travis,
Happy New Year to you. This forum is amazingly informative.
My Japanese wife and I (Canadian) are living in Canada currently.
We don’t plan on settling in Japan until 2020 however I wish to apply for spouse visa in order to get permanent residency sooner.
Correct me if I am wrong, my understanding of pre-requisite for PR is 3~5 years of Spouse Visa.
Is it possible for a foreigner living abroad to have Japan Spouse Visa (while NOT living in Japan)?
Please note, my wife doesnt have Juminze as she registered herself as non-resident of Japan awhile ago.
Thank you and have a great day
Hi Mark,
Thank you for your kind words.
Because Japan (frustratingly) uses different terminology from the rest of the world when it comes to visas, I want to make sure we’re on the same page with words. For Japan, a visa is just permission to enter the country. “Residence Status” is permission to stay there. A visa becomes a residence status when you arrive in Japan and the visa itself becomes invalid (used).
Once you apply for your Certificate of Eligibility and receive it, you’ll have to apply for your visa and arrive in Japan within 3 months of the Certificate of Eligibility being issued. So, essentially, a single-entry visa has a shelf life of about 3 months.
There are a few conflicting requirements for PR, but yes, you must hold a spouse residence status for a minimum of 3 or 5 years (depending on which set of requirements is accurate).
Once you hold a spouse residence status, you will need to return to Japan whenever you need to renew it and, unless you specifically apply for a re-entry permit, you can only leave for up to 1 year at a time without losing your residence status.
Technically, you can maintain your spouse residence status that way while living outside of Japan, but the Immigration Bureau may refuse to renew your status or may refuse to grant you permanent residency if it is clear to them that you are not residing in Japan.
My recommendation would be to wait until you actually plan to move to Japan to apply for the visa. There are a few extra rights and privileges you gain as a PR (such as more banks will give you loans, etc.), but for the most part, there is no real difference. As a Spouse, you have full working privileges, etc.
I hope that helps!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis ! Thanks for the information that you’ve shared, it really helps a lot. I’m Filipina and I got married to my husband last year August and we had processed everything. My husband had just claimed CoE for spouse that he had processed in Japan last year December and after that he came back here in Cebu, Philippines and we both processed my visa to go to Japan but in the Philippines, especially here in Cebu we need to go to an agency recommended by the Japanese Embassy. So we did, and submitted the papers same as you mentioned and they told us to come after 3 weeks or they’ll just send message, so probably they’ll send me message by January 19, 2018. Now I’m just getting anxious about my visa whether it’ll be approved or not ( I’ve read stories about visa denied, tourist visa though). My husband is very confident about it and said nothing to be worried about since I’m married to him. So just to put my mind at ease, do I really have to worry about it not getting approved? Please I need your comment on this.
Hi Kathleen,
I’ve never heard of a Spouse Visa being denied after the CoE was issued, so I agree with your husband that you should have nothing to worry about!
I have heard a lot of applicants from the Philippines complain about the agencies and how long they take, but like you said, I have only ever heard of tourist visas being denied.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for the quick reply. It’s really reassuring to read your message. I guess I’m just overthinking things.
Thank you so much again!
Hi Kathleen,
I’m glad I could help reassure you 🙂
I hope you hear good news soon!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi trans
So my gf and I got married this Dec. in the philippines and it would take about 6 months to get a statistics office copy of our marriage certificate. Could we pass a copy of the original marriage certificate which is not certified by the office and tell the immigration that it would take longer to get a certificate from the statistics office.
Hi Kawashin,
I have heard from past readers that you do not need the official report from the Statistics Office for the Philippines. Proof that you have completed the marriage and reported it to the Statistics Office should be sufficient, as you suggested. You might want to contact the Immigration Office directly to check on the format of the document you will submit, though.
The last case I heard of was a couple that had been married in Japan and the Filipino spouse had provided proof of reporting the marriage to the Philippines Consulate in Osaka. That was enough for them.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis ..
I have a question
I’ve been to Japan 3 times for work For talent
Last October 9 ,2017 come to ph. my fiancé invite me to go in Japan for tourists. I apply my tourist visa oct 23,2017 in travel agency but I denied.
Then my fiancé asked a lawyer what a good thing to do.. I’m stay in ph now..
and last nov 2017 we get married to Japan even I’m still here In ph .. all my documents for marriage I passed him.. and he told me that we already married and got my certificate of marriage and kosekitohon.
Then my husband apply me again for my visa but is spouse visa .. I was thinking if I have chance again to denied? Then immigration said 1-3 months before we know the results.. now I’m very stress I’m thinking I’m I have chance to get denied again ??
My husband is japanese citizen and I’m pilipina
Thank you
Hi Ina,
1-3 months is the normal processing time for a Certificate of Eligibility, so there is nothing to be worried about there!
If your husband has submitted all of the required documents, you should be fine. (If not, the Immigration Bureau will contact him if they need something additional.)
Being denied a tourist visa in the past should not have any effect on this application.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Good morning Travis..😉
Thank’s for your quick reply..
I’m happy to hear your message
since my husband send my document last november 22, the immigration not contact him until now it’s mean I don’t have to chance to get denied again
I hope everything will be fine..
Hello Travis
I hope u can help me again
To day my husband get a letter in immigration
My documents tarinai datte .. I need to get a marriage report in PSA .. to get married certificate .. I don’t now if we have a married report in PSA ..
we have only a marriage certificate in Japan
And my husband said we need to get marriage report until February 8
What I need to do
I hope u can help me
God bless Travis
Hi Ina,
If you were married in Japan, you would have been required to report your marriage to the Philippine embassy or consulate as well. The Philippines requires that you report foreign marriages.
You’ll need to report it and submit proof of having submitted that report to the Japanese Immigration Bureau. Based on what past readers have told me, you should not need the final certificate from the statistics office, just proof that you have reported it.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello again Travis my problem is we are married under japanese law
I’m here in Philippine now
I don’t know if my country can issue a certificate of marriage conducted under foreign law ..
where I need to go ? And I’m very stressed because we need to submit in February 8 I hope u can’t help me again.. thank you
Hi Ina,
Even though you’re back in the Philippines now, I would recommend that you contact the Philippine Embassy or consulate in Japan to ask how you should report your marriage now. You may be able to do it from within the Philippines, but either way, the embassy/consulate should know.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply
God bless
Hi Travis!
I am currently filling out the certificate of eligibility application and Im stuck. I am hoping you can answer a few questions to help me out please. For the intended length of stay question, is it best to write down a longer length. I am planning to stay in Japan for a year but should I put down 2 or 3 years in case. Second, what is the difference between dependent and spouse of Japanese national? I think I am both so I’m not sure which one to check. My mother in law will be our supporter since my husband is not employed and living in Japan at this time. Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks!
Hi Kelsey,
First, you can’t be both a spouse of Japanese national and a dependent. You are a “spouse” if your spouse is a citizen of Japan or a permanent resident of Japan. You are a “dependent” if your spouse is a foreign national living in Japan on any other residence status (student, working, long-term resident, etc.).
For the length of stay, unless you have a specific reason why you will leave Japan after 1 year, then I would recommend applying for the longest length of stay possible (5 years for spouse of Japanese national). If your spouse is Japanese, even if you leave the country after a year, you’d likely be coming back to visit from time to time, so having the status would help!
Of course, you might not get the length of time that you applied for, but there’s no harm in asking.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply! I have one more question. Does the application have to be printed on A4 paper? Are they picky about that?
Hi Kelsey,
It should be if you have the option, but I know (and Japanese embassies and universities know) that in some countries, A4 paper is hard to get a hold of.
I have never heard of an application being rejected because it was on letter-sized paper.
I once heard of an applicant ordering A4 paper online just so she could print her application on that size, but I think that might be taking things a little too far. Letter size should be fine!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! 🙂
I am amazed how you are answering all the questions people are asking! 😀 I really appreciate it! Without your step by step quide I would be screwed!
I have few questions as well, since embassy is being very lazy to give me proper answers no matter how many times I ask them..
So, Dear Travis..
I am Finnish and my husband is Japanese. We got married 5 years ago and we’ve been living in Finland whole this time.
My husband got job from Tokyo. He is supposed to start working at the end of January already and now we are stuck with this sudden Visa & CoE application thing. It’s no way I can make it within 1 month :/
We are currently searching apartment from Tokyo, so we don’t have address in there yet, so what should I write on application form?
Also my husband has been university student this 5 years. He had no income during this time. Instead I’ve been the one working. So what can I write on application.. oh lord..
About proxy person. Can this be any person? Like a friend I know from Tokyo or it must be Japanese relative?
As I said we will move to Tokyo. Parents of my husband are living in Miyazaki. Can they be this proxy person and bring CeO to Miyazaki’s immigration bureau or the office must be within the area we are moving?
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi Maria,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
You have to apply for the CoE from inside Japan, so either your husband’s parents would have to submit it, as you suggested, or your husband would have to do so after he arrives in Japan.
Assuming that your parents-in-law will submit the application on your behalf, you could fill in their address as the place you will be living. I assume that is still your husband’s registered honsekichi (legal domicile). I know that won’t be a problem because I did the same thing – I applied using my parents-in-law’s address as my intended place to live but ended up living on the other side of the country, instead. Not a problem.
For your husband’s salary situation: You may want to follow up with the Immigration Bureau office in Japan directly for specific guidance, but I have heard of both of the approaches below working in different situations:
1. One of your parents-in-law could as your guarantor, since they will be able to supply the necessary tax records. Your husband should still be able to serve as your financial supporter if he can provide proof of his salary for his new job. Additionally, if you provide a bank account statement with sufficient funds, you could be your own financial supporter, at least partially.
2. It may be possible for your husband to serve as your guarantor and financial supporter, even without the tax records, if he can provide proof of salary.
In either case, you want to follow up with the Immigration Bureau office in Japan, not the embassy. This is not the embassy’s jurisdiction, and they are not even part of the same government ministry, so they likely can’t answer you anyway.
Your proxy must be your husband, a family member (including your husband’s family), or a lawyer/legal scrivener with permission to serve as an agent for this process. A friend/acquaintance will not be able to serve as your proxy.
You must submit the application within the same jurisdiction as the proxy’s legal residence. So, if your parents in law are your proxy, they would have to submit it in Miyazaki. If your husband submits it as your proxy after coming to Japan, he would submit it in Tokyo.
I hope that help!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
I have a challenging question.
I’m a U.S. citizen by birth with a U.S. passport.
In 1962 I married a Japanese lady, and completed all the necessary U.S. and Japanese
paperwork. We had a marriage certificate issued by the American embassy in Tokyo
and also my name was placed on my wife’s family register in Yamagata ken as her
husband. Subsequently we lived in the U.S. for more than 50 years visiting Japan from
time to time.
About four years ago due to ill health she passed away, but she still has surviving relatives
in Japan who I know very well.
If I wanted to apply for a spousal visa, would it be possible even after my wife has passed
away? I never knew there was such a thing in the past. Not that it is too important, as I don’t
think that I would be moving to Japan permanently at this time, but I’m curious of what
my status is. It would be nice to be able to visit Japan for a while and not have to worry
about constantly getting a tourist visa. I’m retired from the U.S. Air Force and any other
positions, and I am 79 years old.
Thanks.
Hi Walter,
I am sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, you would not be able to apply for a spousal visa in that situation. You have to be actively engaged in the activities specified in the visa – living together as husband in wife, in this case.
Even if you had already been in Japan with a spouse visa before she passed away, you would have been required to leave the country or change your visa status to another valid type.
As a US citizen, though, you do not have to do anything to apply for a Tourist Visa. You get a 90-day stay automatically on arrival in the country each time.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello travis.i have this important question
I applied my husband’s paper last november 22 of this year.immediately after 2 days,they gave us a letter for the lacking papers need to be sumbitted.we sent it again last december 8 but they want a copy of my mother and 2 brothers shakai hoken.since they just applied it to their hakken kaisha they cannot yet provide the card or copy.by the way,since we live in one house together they also require their shakai and residence tax.
Since i am still new working,they only ask for my payslip and shakai hoken as well.
My question is,what if we cannot yet send the copy of their shakai?the immigration gave us until december 22.if we can provide it on january,will the requirements be change already?since it is 2018.or it will be still the same requirement?because we already applied it last november.the only lacking requirement they need is my family’s copy of hoken..
Thanks.waiting for your response
Hi Zel,
The requirements are not going to change for the new year, but if you miss their deadline, they may reject the application and tell you to submit it again from scratch.
If there’s any way that you can hurry up the processing, or get the information yourself from the city hall, that might be a good idea.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thankyou for answering.what do you mean if we cannot complete it on december 22 they will change the requirements next year?start from scratch?
Hi Zel,
The requirements will not change, but if you don’t meet their deadline, then they may judge your application based only on the documents that you have already submitted. In that case, there’s a chance the application would be rejected and you would have to start over.
If you think you’re only going to be a few days late, then I would recommend that you contact the Immigration Bureau and let them know. They may be willing to wait!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
HEllo traviz,i have a good news.We already completed and submitted m y husband’s Paper last dec.27.
How long will it take for the eligibility to come?thankyou
Hi Zel,
Officially, it takes anywhere from 1-3 months. It all depends on how busy the office is and whether or not your application was complete. In my experience, 2 months is about average, but I’ve had a lot of commenters on here say their application took closer to 3.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! Thanks for this blog. I got a lot of ideas and facts here.
I just have a question in mind tho, I and my husband married last Feb 5 2017. And now we are on the process of acquiring my COE.
In the questionnaire phone numbers and addresses of 2 party is required. Problem is I dont know how to contact my father because we have broken family. What should we put in that section? thank you
Hi Kim,
I’m sorry to hear about your trouble.
If you don’t know your father’s location or contact information, you should be able to put “unknown (不明),” but I would recommend that you or your husband contact the Immigration Bureau to double-check. They may want more information or have a specific answer that you should fill in for that case.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much for you fast reply.
Will the embassy call each information listed ?
Hi Kim,
In my experience, no – especially not for anyone living outside of Japan. I know they didn’t contact any of the family members that I listed in that document.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Yay! Thank you soo much. I will update you once I have my COE. A lot of thanks to you for making this wonderf guide 🙂
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your kind words! I hope to hear soon that you have the CoE in hand.
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis! Great news because of this guide , I was able to get my COE! 🙂
Thankkk you soo much ❤️
Now for the Visa. Shall I apply it to Japan embassy here in the Philippines or in an accredited agency?
Also please correct me if Im wrong
but these are the things I need for visa application.
1.) VISA Application form
2.) Passport
3.) Photo 4.5 x 4.5 cm (can this be the same photo I used for the COE?)
4.) COE – original
5.) Birth certificate
6.) Marriage certificate
Thank you sooo much again 😬😬😁
Hi Kim,
Thank you very much for your kind words!
My understanding is that the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines does not accept visa applications directly so you would have to go through one of the accredited agencies.
The visa application requirements vary from country to country, so I would recommend that you double-check the list on the embassy’s website, just to be safe.
The list you wrote looks almost complete to me, but I think you need a photocopy of the CoE in addition to the original.
The photo can be the same, as long as it is less than 6 months old, but the size requirement is different from the CoE, so just make sure it matches the requirement and you should be fine.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you Travis! 🙂 You surely dont miss any comments 😬
Im done with the Visa Application.
Im now waiting for the result.
Kinda nervous of the outcome 😱
Cause last December 2017
I applied for tourist visa and got denied. So we just process the COE.
Will that affect my recent application which is Spouse Visa with COE? Im really thinking it over and over 😭
Hi Kim,
Getting denied on a tourist visa in the past should not affect your Spouse CoE application, so I wouldn’t worry too much!
In fact, I have heard of people getting denied a tourist visa specifically because they were going to visit a Japanese spouse and the conclusion was that they should apply for a spouse CoE/visa instead.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you so much. Got more confidence now. I’ll update you once I receive news from the Agency. 😉😉😉
Hi Travis! I just wanna share good news! Im now in Japan! ❤️❤️
Domo Arigatou for helping me out! So glad you’re there 💁🏻
Hi Kim,
Congratulations! I wish you the best of luck in your new life here.
I’m very happy to hear that I was able to help in some small way.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Kim. We have the same issue, what did you write to your father’s information? Did you right unknown in the entire row or you just wrote your father’s name but the address and contact number you leave it blank or something like that? Hope to hear from you soon. 😊
Hi Trans
I’m Filipino with permanent residency in Japan andme and my gf for 6 months, who is also Filipino, are gonna marry in the Philippines and apply for CoE immediately after the wedding. Do you think we have a low chance of getting our application approved?
Another question is the Questionnaire form in 7.2(proof of relationship) I can’t seem to open your link to the form and does it have to be written in Japanese? Can we pass about 200 pages of the detailed information? Should we hire a translator for the paper?
Thanks
Hi Kawashin,
I’m afraid I don’t have enough information to know whether you’d have a good chance of success or not. It all comes down to the strength of your relationship, as you prove in the Questionnaire form, and your financial resources.
I tested the link to the questionnaire in the article and it works for me. It should go directly to the pdf on the Immigration Bureau’s website. Are you looking at a different link?
Question 7.2 in the Questionnaire form asks about the number of times that the foreign spouse (your girlfriend in your case) has come to Japan in the past.
The questionnaire does have to be written in Japanese (the form itself is only available in Japanese). You don’t have to hire a translator for that. It is all your own input, so you can translate it yourself, if you can.
I think 200 pages would be a little bit too long. I would recommend starting with just the information they ask for in the Questionnaire and supporting materials if you have them, such as conversation records, photos of you together, records of traveling together, etc.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
The questionnaire is in japanese form which means the answers should be in Japanese also? I don’t think it’s possible for me to explain our proof of relationship if I needed to put in in japanese
Hi Kawashin,
Unfortunately, yes, the Questionnaire answers do have to be in Japanese, including the history of your relationship. If you can’t fill in the answers, then I would recommend trying to find a friend to help. If does not have to be an official translation, so anyone can do it on your behalf.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
hello
if it is okay i want to ask a question,i got married with japanese man,and we applied for COE about 2 months ago(and now,waiting is more and more stressful),but when we were applying with our documents,we didnt give an envelope that our adress is writting on it,so i wanted to ask that should we call office to ask about this,or will they call us to give them an envelope when COE is ready? thank you so much
Hi Emi,
I would suggest that you call the Immigration Bureau and ask them if they want you to submit an envelope. That could be a way for you to sneakily find out the status of your application, as well. In my experience, the Immigration Bureau won’t give you any information if you call to ask them about your application status, but if you have a valid reason, like saying that you need to submit the envelope, you might be able to find out how far along it is based on their response.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
thank you so much for your advice
Hi Sir
Im from PH and my wife is in JPY holding permanent residency. I already got the COEs with 1 yr status and my child got 3 yr long term resident status. So next would be applying for the visas here in PH. How long would it take usually for the release of visas? Does that automatically mean approval if all necessary requirements are complete upon application? THANK YOU SO MUCH
Hi Jabo,
Based on what I have seen from past commenters here, it seems to take 3-4 weeks in some cases to get your visa in the Philippines because you have to go through an agency to do it. I don’t have any direct experiences, so maybe someone else can comment with more detailed information.
Officially, approval is not guaranteed, but it should be practically certain as long as you submit all the requirements! I have never heard of someone getting the CoE but being denied a visa.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
HI Travis,
Thanks for the heads up. Ill share my experience soon as I get my visa. BR-Jabo
Hi. How do I acquire a Certificate of Acceptance of Application for Marriage? I just recently mailed all of the documents needed for a certificate of eligibility to my mother in law who lives in Japan. She was told the marriage certificate (US) we sent was not enough and that we needed more proof. Please help! Thanks!
Hi Kelsey,
It sounds like you were legally married in the US, but haven’t reported that to the Japanese government. Is that right?
You can’t apply for the CoE until your marriage is legally registered in Japan, as well. So, your Japanese spouse needs to contact the nearest Japanese Embassy/Consulate to report the marriage.
The process is a little bit different at different embassies and consulates, but if your spouse visits the Japanese version of the embassy/consulate website, the instructiosn should be there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Can you tell me what is exact understanding of end date of COE ? My wife has COE – Issue date 26th Oct 2017. So she can enter Japan on 26th Jan 2018 ? OR she must enter on 25th Jan 2018. ? Please tell.
Hi Ankur,
Based on how I have seen the issue date and validity date used on other documents in Japan, she should be able to enter Japan on 26 Jan. However, if it was me, I wouldn’t risk waiting until the last minute. If her flight gets cancelled or delayed by a day, you don’t want to be in trouble, so earlier is better.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hey Travis, thanks for your help last time. Now, we’re having a bit of dilemma applying for her COE, she’s a Filipina and i am a Japanese citizen.
She’s currently here in japan so we don’t know how we’ll fill the data on number 12 and 14, about her intended date of entry and her intended length of stay, of course as a spouse, we’d like to stay together as much as possible, but i don’t know what we’re supposed to put in this section, Also regarding number 17, about her past entry times, and the latest entry, should we include her latest entry which is just last month (she’s currently here), or should we input her last entry date before this. On number 24, what’s the difference between “supporter in japan” and “guarantor”, because i’m confused how to categorize myself (husband) then there’s number 25 for supporter and number 26 for guarantor, am i supposed to fill in the details for both ? And lastly, are we supposed to write in alphabet or should i help her write it in kanji?
Hope to get in touch with you, thank you.
Hi Tatz,
If she’s in Japan, I’d recommend that you apply for a “Change of Status of Residence” instead. Or at least try. The Change of Status application is nearly identical (including all of the supporting documents), except that the first page is different and it assumes that she is already in Japan.
Sometimes, the immigration bureau won’t let her apply for a Change of Status of residence if she’s on a Temporary Visitor status, but it’s worth a try. (Worst case scenario: Bring both forms when you go to the Immigration Bureau. If they reject the Change form, turn in the CoE application instead)
The CoE application assumes that she would be leaving Japan, applying for a visa, and coming back, so when you fill in that form, pick a date about 2-3 months out. It doesn’t have to be a final commitment, just an estimate.
In the CoE form, you would include her current visit among the times visited Japan, and also enter the date she plans to return to the Philippines as the end date (the last day of her Temporary Visitor status).
If you are planning to support her with your income, then you would fill in both 25 and 26 with your information.
It’s OK to mix romaji and kanji, as appropriate. But you should use kanji as much as possible for Japanese words. It’s fine if you help her fill it in!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Aloha Travis,
This is some of the most helpful information I’ve come across. If once married to a Japanese national overseas (US), is it required that the Japanese national actually return from overseas to Japan with the applicant in order to be granted entry, a visa and legal residency ? Basically, she’s stays overseas and I immigrate to Japan. This is something that I’ve always wondered and no one seems to have the answer, but hopefully you do. Thank you !
Hi Prince,
In order to apply for the spouse certificate of eligibility – and to keep your spouse status of residence once you have it – you have to prove that you are in a legitimate married relationship, which means that you would need to be living together in Japan, unless there was some compelling reason why your spouse had to remain overseas and you had to be in Japan.
I’m not sure how effective the immigration bureau’s enforcement would be, but the plan you proposed would definitely be against their rules/policies.
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis,
Thank you so much for this helpful blog.
I just want to ask if do we fill out the application form in English or Japanese language?
Should the questionnaire be fill out by the Japanese spouse?
Your reply is really a great help.
Thank you.
Queen
Hi Queen,
You should complete the paperwork in Japanese, but don’t translate proper names like people and places. Those should stay in English.
Yes, the questionnaire should be completed by the Japanese spouse entirely in Japanese. I have a full translation and instructions in my book, if you want to examine it in English, but your spouse should be able to complete it with no difficulty!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you for your reply. Really a big help!
Hello Travis!
We really have tough and long waiting time to change our passports here in the Philippines. Do you think it’s okay to apply for CoE before changing wife’s surname? Do you think its okay to use husband’s surname in filling out the application form? (Even if changing of name is still in process)
Hi Queen,
The name you use on the CoE application forms has to match the name on the passport copy that you submit during the application process.
If you’re doing both procedures at the same time, you can include a note saying that the wife is in the process of changing her last name and may have a different name on her passport when she enters the country. As far as I know, that should not be a problem.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Travis, a question about the meaning of “official/professional/certified” translation of the marriage certificate from the home country (Italy for me). If I do the translation in Japan that would mean to use a professional translator (i.e. someone doing it as a profession), and he/she would sign and stamp the docs, and that would be it, right? In Italy on the other hand, a translator can do also a sworn translation. This is what we do when translating from a foreign language to Italian, where the “sworn part” is done at the local Italian embassy. Since the Japanese embassy in Italy does not offer this service (when translating docs from Italian to Japanese), the “sworn part” would be done in front of an Italian public official from the court of law, with all the stamps/written parts in Italian. So I am not sure how useful it would be. Any help in clarifying this? Thanks.
Hi Gab,
In my experience, the translation does not need to be “sworn” as you described. I used to operated TranSenz as a translation company and we worked with several CoE applicants translating their required forms. In those cases, it was always enough for me as the translator sign and seal a certification of competency and accuracy at the bottom.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thanks Travis, another couple of questions. On Line 9 I would put the address of my spouse (she lives with her parents), so on line 20 I should list my wife plus all people living there. But I notices you did not do that in the example (my understanding was you also specified your in-laws address on line 9). Second question, my wife is the guarantor (so her data will go on line 26) but I will be the one actually bringing the application to the immigration office, so my data will go on line 27. My question is what address I have to specify (line 27), since I will be there just as a tourist? Do I write again the same as line 9? By the way, is compulsory to write any address on line 9 or it can be left empty? (the immigration office would still have the guarantor address for any correspondence). Thanks again.
Hi Gab,
The example is not my personal form, so it doesn’t correspond exactly to my situation. In the example, I had assumed the Japanese spouse living alone, not with her family. So, don’t worry about that information being blank in the form.
For line 27, you would fill in the address where you are staying in Japan – I assume it is the same as line 9. That is where the Immigration Bureau will post the CoE when it is complete.
I would certainly recommend that you complete line 9. Never expect the Immigration Bureau to apply logic to understand that it would be he same as line 27 (or anything else, for that matter).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello thanks for this great blog! It definitely helped me a lot, also all the answers in the comments were insightful.
My question: I am still in Japan on a tourist visa, but am able to extend it. However, I want to marry my Japanese girlfriend (of over 2 years now) and be here on a spouse visa. Did I correctly read it that the Immigration Office only stamps your passport for an extended stay until the decision is made when you apply for the change of residence AFTER you got the CoE? In other words, if we “only” apply for the CoE first, will my passport not get stamped, which means I have to leave the country if it doesn’t arrive on time?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Peter,
I think there are only a handful of nationalities that are eligible to extend a tourist visa. I know you’ve researched that, but I wanted to mention it here for the sake of other readers who might see that comment and build up hope.
You are correct that you only get the stamp in your passport when you apply for the Change of Status of Residence, not the CoE. If your period of stay expires while the CoE is processing, you would have to leave the country.
However, in some cases, the Immigration Bureau will let you apply directly for the Change of Status of Residence, even without the CoE, as long as you have an unavoidable reason for why you didn’t apply for the visa before coming to Japan in the first place. For Spouse status, “I couldn’t apply for the visa in advance because I couldn’t get married until I came here” is often accepted as a valid reason.
I would recommend you ask at the Immigration Bureau (and by ask, I mean show up with all of the completed application paperwork and turn it in). The worst thing that can happen is that they tell you to apply for the CoE instead. All of the paperwork is identical, except the application form itself, so even in that case you don’t lose much effort.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Transenzjapan! Your post is amazing and thank you for sharing this to everyone. I just recently got my Certificate of Eligibility 3 weeks after the application and made a post about it here https://binibiningcinnamon.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/how-to-visa-with-certificate-of-eligibility-filipino-with-japanese-spouse/. This was one of my guides for the preparation of the documents I needed. The immigration has granted me 3 years of stay. If you don’t mind me asking, how long did the immigration grant u. Is it true that the length is not always the same? Thanks
Hi Binibiningcinnamon,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m sure it will be especially helpful to future applicants from the Philippines.
My initial period of stay was 1 year. But at the time, neither my wife or I had a job in Japan, so our only source of financial support was my savings. When I applied for a renewal the next year, I had a full time job and was able to get a three-year stay (which was the maximum back then, before the law changed).
Based on what I’ve heard from other applicants, an initial 1-year period of stay seems common if neither spouse is working in Japan. Congrats to you for getting 3, though!
Good Luck in Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, thank you for the details. I have a question, which is much easier, to get married in the Phil. or in Japan? By the way I am a Filipina and my fiance is Japanese.
Hi Ari,
I don’t know how easy or difficult it is to get married in the Philippines, so I can’t really answer your question. In either case, though, once you get married in one country, you’ll have to report that marriage to the other one.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Sakura! i am glad to encounter your blog.
I am Mary from Philippines and I need your help.
My husband and I applied for my residence card.
At the moment, im waiting for it to be mailed.
My questions are:
1. How long does it take to be mailed?
2. Is there any possibility for it to be rejected?
I hope you’ll read this and thank you so much again for this helpful blog.
Hi Mary Therese Fortuna,
I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re referring to. You don’t “apply” for a residence card – everyone with a period of stay automatically receives one. In most cases, you receive it at the airport when you arrive in Japan. If you arrive at an airport that cannot issue residence cards on the spot, then it will be sent to you by mail shortly after you complete your residence registration at the city hall. But in any case, you would never get rejected for a Residence Card if you had a valid visa when you arrived!
If you were referring to something other than the residence card, please reply with more details and I will try to help!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Konnichiwa , I just read this article , and thank you for the meaningful explanations.
I’m a filipino but I am a permanent resident ,and my father is a Japanese citizen. I just started working this month and I am planning to apply my wife a certificate of eligibility , because we just married in the Philippines last August. So here are my questions :
Is it possible for me to apply a COE for my wife even though I just started working this month ? Since its written that I need a one year salary ? . Or can it be the proof of salary of my father ?
Do we need to submit BIRTH CERTIFICATE or just the MARRIAGE CONTRACT ? does it requires to be translated in Japanese ?
Thank you for your helpful article , Thank you in advance for your reply haha .
Hi Patrick,
Thank you for your kind words.
You should not need your birth certificate or hers to apply for the CoE, unless your wife does not yet have a passport (in that case, her birth certificate might be requested as an alternative to the passport to verify her legal name and date of birth).
Regarding the salary, you can still apply even though you do not have a year’s worth of salary, but you should consult with the Immigration Bureau about what to do for your proof of financial resources. You should be fine using your father’s residence tax records (showing the full year of salary) and/or a certificate of employment showing your status and salary.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis!
Im a japanese citizen and my husband is a filipino. Im going to file his coe next week and Im confused what to write in the application form “intended to stay”. Should I write 5 years already or just 1 or 3 years only? And also I dont have a resident tax for the entire year coz I stayed in the philippines for 2years and I just go back here last february. What should I do?
Hi Yums,
It’s OK to write 5 years as your desired period of stay, but you might end up getting a shorter period in the end. (In my case, I had originally applied for 3 years, which was the maximum at the time, but only got a 1 year stay).
I would recommend you double check with the Immigration Bureau about the alternative for the resident tax, but if you have a 源泉徴収票 and a certificate of employment that shows your period of employment and salary, that should usually be acceptable as an alternative.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! I already submitted the ceo for my husband last sept 29. Today, i got a return mail from embassy. There’s a additonal requirements required, tax & payslips. Do you think it will take more time? Ive read some blogs said that they received it in 3 weeks.
Hi Yums,
They won’t continue looking at your application until after you submit those documents and it will certainly take more time. While they’re waiting for your additional documents, everyone else in the queue for evaluation will get moved ahead of you, so you should be sure to submit them as soon as possible!
I think that three weeks is very rare – usually it takes closer to two months (or more) based on my experience. The official timeframe is 1-3 months.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi!! I finally got my husband’s coe last Saturday. I want to ask about the date of arrival in the application form for visa, if i write dec 16, it should be the date of the flight or its just tentative? And once we receive the visa does it mean that he can flight asap? If he receive it on dec 8, he can flight dec.9?
Hi Yums,
Congratulations!
Your husband can fly any time after he has his visa, but he must arrive in Japan no later than 3 months from the day the CoE was issued.
You do not need to wait for the “Anticipated date of arrival” that you entered in the Certificate of Eligibility form. That is just tentative, as you said.
Good Luck and Safe Travels!
– Travis from TranSenz
Got my husband’s coe last saturday! Would like to ask if he receive the visa today does it mean he can flight tomorrow already?
Hi Yums,
Congratulations! Yes, as soon as he has the visa in his passport, he can fly to Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hii. I heard from my cousin’s wife that there’s a seminar you should attend first before you flight. Is that true?
Hi Yums,
I’ve heard that in some countries they offer a seminar to help you adjust to Japanese life, but I’ve never heard of it being mandatory. If it’s going to delay the flight, then I wouldn’t worry about adjusting your schedule to attend. You have enough experience that you’ll be able to help your husband adjust, I think!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! I’m glad reading your guidelines and thanks.
I just want to ask a question, since I am from the PH and got married to my Japanese boyfriend last May, we have completed the paperworks needed for CoE application, and we include my medical certificate since I am 20weeks pregnant now. Would it still take 1-3months for my CoE application to be approved? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Daenrose,
Unfortunately, there are several factors that go in to determining how long it takes to review your application – including how busy (and competent) the immigration bureau office is where you applied, so it’s hard to give you any certain answer.
I would still anticipate that it will take 1-2 months, at least, though.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Oh I see, thanks Travis! Will update you once I get the CoE. 🙂 God bless.
Hi I’m a child of Japanese citizen. I’m Thai-Japanese, Thai nationality. I want to apply the child of Japanese visa to live and work in Japan. Is the procedure similar to this article? If it’s not the same, could you give me some advice please?
Hi Suzuki Aki,
The process is similar, but a little simpler, since you won’t need to submit the Questionnaire proving your relationship background or marriage records from multiple countries.
Instead of those documents, you’d have to supply your birth certificate. The rest of the documentation should be the same.
The complete instructions in Japanese are available on the Immigration Bureau’s page. (Like most other pages on their site, the English version does not have as much detail).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi. Good day ! I would like to ask any assistance about the abandoned wife here in the Philippines. Almost 8 years don’t have any contact my husband name is [redacted]. I am hoping that you will help me about this concern. Thank you and have a nice day. I will waiting your response as soon as possible.
Hi Joan Mercado Hayashi,
I’m sorry, that’s really not something I can help with. You probably need a private investigator and/or a lawyer.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! This is the most helpful article I could ever find in the internet. But, is if okay if I ask some questions? I’m from the Philippines and I finally married my fiancé last aug 14,2017.
You’ve said that you went for your spouse’s last name for your 戸籍謄本 before applying for the COE. My question is, what if I want my husband’s name too in our 戸籍謄本、you think it’s fine if the name in my passport is still my maiden name? Just support it with 婚姻証明書？My husband said it would be a lot of work to change my name on my 戸籍謄本 after we applied for it. ご返事を、宜しくお願い申し上げます！ 🙏
Hi しーちゃん,
Thank you for your kind words!
Actually, I still haven’t changed my name in my wife’s 戸籍, mostly because we seem to visit her home town only on holidays when the city hall is closed. I changed it in my passport, though. As far as I know, you have to do that before you can try to change it in Japanese records, since the Japanese records will only change if you can prove that you’ve legally changed your name in your home country.
It has never been a problem that my name in my passport (and residence card, juminhyo, etc) is different from my name in her koseki.
At this point, there is no need to change your name in the koseki before applying for your CoE. If you were going to change it anywhere in advance, I would recommend your passport, first, since all your legal records in Japan will be based on that name.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi again, Travis!
Thank you so much for your helpful response! 🙂
Regarding the CoE application form, I’m a bit baffled by the Date Of Entry part since I am already in Japan right now. Also, the “Latest entry” portion too. My 90-day stay here would end this Nov 28,2017. Should I put that even if the date hasn’t occured yet?. What do you think would be the best fill to this? Best regards. 🙂
Hi しーちゃん,
Is there a particular reason you’re applying for the Certificate of Eligibility from inside Japan? Did you try for the Change of Status of Residence and get rejected?
If you haven’t tried, I would recommend you ask the Immigration Bureau about applying for the Change of Status of Residence, instead, to see if it’s possible in your case. It’s essentially the same application process, but it assumes that you won’t be leaving Japan to apply for a visa and return.
If you are going to stick with applying for the CoE, then my assumption would be that you will leave Japan to apply for your Spouse Visa and return. In that case, your date of entry would be the date that you plan to return. Your latest entry would be the dates of your current stay (including your expected day of leaving).
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! Thanks for writing this, it has truly been a godsend in navigating this arduous process.
I receieved my CoE and filed an application to change my status to Spouse of a Japanese National. Once the postcard comes I can officially get my visa.
A question I have though is there anything I have to take care of after getting my visa? Such as reporting to city hall?? And if so, what do I report? Sorry I tried to read through all the comments but I’m mainly on mobile so it is quite hard to comb through so many..
Appreciate it and much thanks in advance!
Hi Alice,
Actually, once you receive the postcard, all you have to do is to go back to the Immigration Bureau to pick up your new Residence Card.
You don’t need a “visa” since that’s something you would only need if you were living outside of Japan and coming to the country. Since you’re already here, completing the Change of Residence is all that you need to do.
What you have to do next depends on your current residence status (forgive me if you’ve told me in the past). If you are in Japan as a Temporary Visitor (i.e. you have no residence card now), then you will need to register your residence at the city hall as soon as you get your residence card. However, if you’re on any other status with a residence card and have already registered, you do not need to do anything! The Immigration Bureau will update your records and inform the city hall that your status has changed.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi! Thank you for the information and your great blog. I need your advise also. I am non Japanese living with Japanese husband and 2 kids in another country (not in Japan). I want to keep my Spouse visa for visit Japan when we need and because my kids are Japanese so any time possible to go there. My last visa is for 3 years and will expiry after 2 years.
But from this year city hall started to call to my husbands parents in Japan and strictly ask we take off our residence (juminhyo). They knew it because our daughter did not strart go school in Japan which is duty for every Japanese.
In Japanese law I can not keep my visa without address of residence. But in immigration law I can stay with my visa outside Japan more than one year and can reentry. – Does city ppl hall has to right to remove my residence because currently I am not in Japan? How can I keep my visa in this case? Thank you in advance!
Hi Mamgo,
Unfortunately, that’s beyond my area of expertise, so I’m not sure I can give you any useful advice.
I have never heard of a city hall having the authority to revoke your residence status or a law that says that you need an address to keep your residence status.
As far as I know, you should be able to apply for a re-entry permit from the Immigration Bureau that would allow you to leave Japan for more than a year, so long as you return before your Period of Stay expires, like you referenced.
I would recommend that you contact the immigration bureau directly to ask their advice.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
I am a Mexican citizen currently living in Canada under a 3 year working permit. My husband is a permanent resident of Canada but Japanese citizen. We got married in Canada and currently living here. However we have been planning to move to Japan next year so I’m wondering how soon should I start all this visa and certificate of eligibility process? After reading your guide it made me a little bit nervous for all the paperwork that it has to be done. Plus the confusing thing of me being Mexican residing in Canada married to a Japanese and both living overseas.
Hope this comment is not too confusing!
Hi Elizabeth,
I’m sorry if I made the process sound more complicated than it is. There are a lot of little things that need to be done, but it’s all relatively straightforward. As for your situation, living outside your country of citizenship, don’t worry about that! I am an American citizen and did my entire CoE and visa application process from Thailand, so I know it’s possible!
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you’ve registered your marriage with the Japanese embassy or consulate. Your husband will need to have done that to be able to start your Certificate of Eligibility processing. I’d also recommend that you check with the Mexican embassy/consulate to find out if you are required to register your marriage with them and whether or not they will issue a marriage certificate. (If not, that’s not a problem, you just need to know).
Finally, you’ll need to have someone in Japan help you with a lot of the paperwork, including submitting the application to the Immigration Bureau, unless your husband is planning to move back to Japan before you and do all of the application.
That’s really the most important things to get started. After you have that taken care of, you should start preparing the application paperwork approximately 4 months or so (a little more if you need to get documents from Japan sent to Canada) before you plan to move back. The CoE is only valid for 3 months from the date of issue, so you don’t want to start too early.
Of course, if you want more details, I’ve gone through every step in as fine detail as I could manage in my guidebook on the subject.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
This article was very helpful! However, I have a question about the Foreign Wedding Certificate. I am a citizen of the U.S. and I am marrying a Japanese Citizen. My question is what do I write in the note/letter about the U.S. not issuing this form. Is there an example online I can use?
Thanks for the help!
Jon
Hi Jon,
I had included a Japanese sample in my book, but really a single sentence will do. If your wife is Japanese, she can simply write something to the effect of “The US government accepts marriages conducted under Japanese law as valid and does not issue a separate certificate.”
The Immigration Bureau office should be familiar with this practice, so it’s not as if you’re explaining it for the first time. The letter is really there so that the poor clerk going through your papers doesn’t flag it as missing.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Hope you are doing well. I am a follower of your website and I even commented before in your article on Getting married in Japan. Now, I am in the process of getting informed on how to get a COE. That is why I am here again.
I saw that one of the requirements need to be submitted in applying for COE is the Marriage Certificate issued by my home country, which is the Philippines. My problem is, we are married under Japanese law and I don’t know if Philippines is a country that doesn’t issue any certification for marriages conducted under foreign law. Do you have an idea on this? I hope you could help me.
P.S I know you must be busy as this is a popular website but your kind reply will be a big help! Thanks much!
Hello again Sakura!
I have heard from past commenters that the Philippines does register foreign marriages. You would need to file a report at the Philippine embassy or consulate in Japan.
Fortunately, from what I understand, you do not need the NSO-issued marriage certificate to apply for your CoE. Proof of submitting your report at the embassy/consulate should be sufficient!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Much thanks for the revert, Travis. This is very encouraging news 🙂
Hi Travis, It’s me again. I would just like to ask if you have an idea of How many working days before we can get a Residence Tax? And where to request for it? Your reply will be a big help. Thank you!
Hi Sakura,
You can get it at the city hall (or ward office, etc.) where you reside. The same place you would go for a Juminhyo. It should take only a few minutes to issue once you submit the application form. I just got one last week and it took me longer to fill out the form and stand in line than it took them to give it to me.
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Mrs. Sakura, ask ko lang po sana kung nakakuha ka na po ng CoE and Visa? 😊
If ever nakakuha ka na po ng Visa, ask ko lang po sana kung kaylangan pa din po ng MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE from NSO/PSA as requirements? According po kasi sa nababasa kong articles it takes monthssss pa po bago makakuha ng copy from them. I’m worried po na baka dun pa po tumagal yung pagkuha namen ng Spouse of Jap Visa. Hoping for your reply. Thank you po in advance. 😊
Hello Travis! This article is such a big help for us. Thank you so so much for posting this! 😊
Hello, Travis! I can’t view the link of questionnaire. And do you have an english translation of that file?
We applied our CoE last May 11 and the immigration send us a letter and the first paper saying that we need to submit the questionnaire, translated Birth Certificate, tax last 2016 and 2017 and the pay slip for last 3months. Is there possibility that the immigration will denied our application? Can you give us some advices inorder to increase our chance to get approved? Thank you, Travis! I am always reading here in your forum. And it helps me alot! 😊
Hi Nix,
Thank you for letting me know that you couldn’t access the questionnaire! It looks like the Immigration Bureau changed the link on their site.
I’ve updated the link in the article above, but you can click here to get it, as well. Hopefully that will work.
I have included a translation of the Questionnaire and a detailed explanation of the entire form in my book on How to Apply for a Spouse Visa, but at the moment, at least, it is only available in there, sorry.
About the possibility of being turned down, if you do not turn in the materials they asked for (within the specified time, if they have given you one), then it is almost certain that your application would be declined and you’d have to start over. However, if you are able to turn those in and there are no problems (particularly with the tax/salary records and the relationship history in the Questionnaire), then you should be fine!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Thank you, Travis! We submit the necessary documents that the immigration want us to submit. And we are waiting for the result. My husband wants to go in our home country. Is it okay? While we’re waiting for the result? Just a week only because our daughter is turning one.
Do you think there are possibilities that the immigration will call my husband while he is in our home country? How long it will take to get the result after we submit the necessary documents that they needed? We applied last May 11 and we recieve a notice last July 19. We submit the additional documents last Aug 4.
Hi Nix,
It’s possible, but I don’t know. It really depends on whether or not everything is complete. If you’ve submitted everything to their satisfaction, there should be no problem.
The whole process is only supposed to take three months, which would be August 11, for you. I hope you hear back soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Nix,
Let me just make sure I understand correctly – your husband is the Japanese national or permanent resident, right?
In that case, there should be no problem. When the CoE is ready, the Immigration Bureau will mail it to him, so he can pick it up when he gets back.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, Travis! Its been 3mos and 2 weeks. But the result of our CoE is not yet arrived. I am so worried about our application. Is it normal?
Hi Nix,
That is longer than the “maximum time” they list on the Immigration Bureau’s website.
Normally, immigration does not reply if you call to ask about your status, but if you tell them that it’s been more than 3 months since you applied, they might be willing to give you some information. I’d recommend calling them to ask!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello, Travis! We got our CoE last August 24. And the result was Approved. We’re so happy. And my husband mail it to me. And applied for visa. We applied last September 4 and I got the result yesterday, September 8. I was surprised because my expected time processing is 1month because I saw a comment here that those who are in the philippines who submit there application it took 1month to get the result. I applied in Universal Holidays Inc. in Dusit Thani Hotel. Thank you for your advices it helps me alot! Now, we were booking our ticket! 😊
Hi Nix,
Congratulations! I’m appy to hear everything went well for you.
Good Luck with your move to Japan!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis, I am currently reading all those questions but I cannot find question similar in my case. So here it goes,.. I am Filipina and my husband is half japanese and half filipino since his Father is a Japanese National, he holds a long term resident visa because he still wants to live in Philippines soon. But as of now, we decided to live in Japan. He’s currently staying there for almost 3 years with yearly vacation of 1 month in Phils. He is not included in what they call as Koseki tohon because as he told me that he needs to take the exam but he refuse to take it for some reason. So my problem is, do we need to get it to their City Hall as part of my requirement in visa application since we are now processing my papers? (Anyway, I am here in Phils then I have a multiple tourist visa, visited Japan twice) But we are not register on their Koseki tohon? Another question would be, what kind of visa suit to my case? Is it dependent visa?
I am hoping for your reply, and that would be highly appreciated. 🙂
Hi Shaska,
Without knowing your husband’s residence status, I can’t give you an answer on what kind of visa you would need. “Long-term resident visa” is not a status, so that is not enough information. “Child of Japanese National” or “Permanent Resident” are statuses. If your husband is a Child of Japanese National (or almost anything other than a permanent resident), then you would need to apply for a dependent visa. If he is a Permanent Resident, you would apply for a spouse visa.
In any case, since your husband is not a Japanese citizen, he would not need to submit a copy of his koseki. Unfortunately, without knowing what kind of visa you will apply for, I can’t be any more specific, but if he was to go to the Immigration Bureau office, they would be able to help him pretty easily!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello,
I am french and planning to marry a foreign student in Japan but I need a visa to stay together in Japan (Dependant visa).
I would like to know if it is possible for me to apply for the visa while being in Japan?
Best regards,
Safia
Hi Safia,
I saw you had asked the same question on the article about the Dependent Visa. Since it was more appropriate to that article, I answered it there.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
Thank you for creating this great resource. My wife (Japanese National) and I (US National) are currently in SE Asia for her work and we got married in Japan November 2016. We are planning on moving back to Japan in a week for her job and her company has offered me a position as well. We are preparing to apply for my CoE and the subsequent Change of Status of Residence. Unfortunately, I will be on a tourist visa and to my understanding, they only accept extenuating circumstances as to why I am applying for the CoE and Change of Status of Residence in-country.
Our extenuating circumstances are: 1) We received short notice (two weeks) confirming our move back to Japan; and 2) health concerns with her father and grandmother.
Questions:
1) Are these acceptable circumstances for me applying in-country? If so, what evidence would we need to provide? How much detail is required?
2) How likely is it that they would reject my application citing that I should have applied for these from outside Japan?
Thank you for your consideration!
Hi Dan,
Based on my experience, you would need extenuating circumstances to apply directly for a Change of Residence Status in Japan from tourist (Temporary Visitor) to a working visa or spouse with no CoE. However, if you apply for a CoE first then you shouldn’t have a problem.
It is possible to apply for a CoE from inside Japan and you don’t need any extenuating circumstances to do so.
Provided that you get the CoE before your Temporary Visitor residence status ends (90 days, for a US national), then you can take that CoE to the Immigration Bureau and apply for a Change of Status of Residence then. Sometimes you can get that change approved on the same day. Again, there should be no complications or extenuating circumstances required.
I have done this several times with CoEs/Status of Residence Changes for students at my university when we can’t get their CoEs issued before they leave their home countries for one reason or another and have never had any trouble.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Dear Travis,
Hello it’s me again. Regarding the question of “When, where, and how you first met and a detailed explanation of your relationship up to the date of your marriage.”, I have the following questions.
1) I wonder how many pages should I write to answer that?
I am worrying about this because our situation has been a long-distance relationship since July 2016 and he registered our marriage in the Miyazaki city hall on behalf of me last month. We only met each other in person for 2-3 days each time every 2 months since Oct 2016, except in April this year we met for 3 times while I stayed in Japan for 17 days. Apart from that, we talked daily by a video chat in Facebook.
2) I have heard such a situation would make immigration bureau of Japan suspect if our marriage is genuine or not. And some even said our duration of relationship will be viewed as 16 days before marriage registration as dating by video chat is not considered as “dating” by the bureau. And my Japanese husband wrote 5 pages to describe our 6 dates before marriage registration. He said he had already included all details he could think of. Do you think it is an answer too short to prove our marriage is real? If so, will it help if we describe what happened during our days of “video chat dating” that is related to our decision to get married?
3) After our marriage registration last month, we met in Singapore for 2 days this month but my husband said the trip was after we got married so we couldn’t include it as part of the answer. Is it true?
4) How about supporting our answer by 40+ photos showing our serious relationship, e.g. our pics with my mother in Hong Kong, pics showing our flight to Okinawa from Hong Kong (me) / Miyazaki (him) for an on-site visit to a chapel for our ceremony 8 months in advance, dating pics, etc, plus some screen captures of our Facebook video chat log (we have had video calls almost everyday for nearly 1 year) ?
Any sharing of related experience or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance!
Hi Chloe,
It’s taken me a while to catch up to your question, so I hope you’ve found some resolution in the meantime.
I have a more detailed description of this section (including a complete translation of the Questionnaire) in my book, if you’re still struggling.
1) 1 page of bullet statements should be sufficient (that’s how much space they give in the form), but you can go a little longer if that doesn’t cover everything. (However, if you’re at the point where you can fill more than a page with meaningful statements, you’re probably OK!)
2) If your only relationship was via vide chat, you might have a problem. But since you met regularly as well, they should see the video chats as a way to stay close between in person meetings, which gives them more value. I would recommend printing any records you can of the video chats from facebook messenger and attaching them. Showing the frequency and duration of the chats would be helpful.
3) The questionnaire specifically mentions that you should describe the circumstances up until you registered your marriage, but I don’t see how it would hurt to mention that you travelled to Singapore together afterwards. (Honeymoon?) The worst thing they can do is to ignore it. But even if they technically “ignore” it, as long as the read it, it should have an impact to show legitimacy.
4) That’s pretty extensive! I think the photos showing you with each others parents would be particularly powerful. It sounds almost like overkill. Just for a basis of comparison, my wife and I submitted only three photos and had no trouble. (On the other hand, we had been living together for 6 months overseas after getting married, by that point).
I wish you good luck – or rather, that you have already had a positive result!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi
I am trying to get a CEO for my mother in law I’m currently in the army, however they don’t allow me to take her. What do I need to do in order for her to stay with me for 3 years. Thank YOU.
Hi Bet,
Unfortunately, under Japanese Immigration law, you can only apply for a Dependent CoE for spouses or children. You cannot bring parents or parents in law with you.
If she wants to move to Japan, she is going to have to find another legitimate route, like getting a job here (teaching English?) or enrolling in a school in Japan.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi, traviz! It’s me again, i need to ask you something. My husband and i already submit the complete requirements in the immigration lawyer, our lawyer ask my husband to have at least one school where i can enroll because i need to learn japanese my husband already submit it. We already complete the requirements, tax certificate, Coe from work, his monthly salary, photocopy of his passport our family tree and etc. is there any reason for denied COE? My husband is a good payer to his tax yearly. I don’t know yet if our lawyer pass the application because he is the one who completed our requirements before submitting it to the immigration and one last question my father in law (japanese national) has a problem before, because he guarantor one person and that person overstayed? It happened 11 years ago. Is this cased will affect our application even my husband is my guarantor? Anyway i’m a filipina married to a half japanese and half filipino. Please answer me, it will be a big help to us. God bless, travis.
Hi MK,
Since your father-in-law is not directly involved in your application, I do not think that should be a concern in this case.
I hope you get good news soon!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis! I am a Japanese national and Im applying for my husband’s COE. While waiting for the COE, can he apply for tourist visa first and then when the COE is already issued, can he change his visa without leaving Japan. Can he change his visa right here in Japan when his tourist visa expired or before it expired? Thanks in advance.
Hi Erika,
I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you!
It may be too late to help, but yes, he can do that.
Once he gets the CoE, he can take it to your local immigration bureau office along with a completed Application for Change of Status of Residence, the application fee, and a photo. I’ve seen cases where people in that situation were able to get their new status and Residence Cards issued on the same day, but it all depends on how busy the office is.
He would have to make the change before his tourist status expired. If he doesn’t get the CoE before then, he would end up having to leave the country again. But if you apply for the CoE before he arrives and he has a 90-day stay, then that should not be a problem.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi All ,
I am having issue in getting my COE my husband is a researcher in osaka and he has applied for visa in end of april for me and our baby.we still havenot received the COE .We are not sure why we havenot received our COE we dont have any source to contact them.
Please help me its urgent,Please help me from where i can get information about our COE.
Thanks
Hi Olivia,
It has been a while since your post, so hopefully, you’ve been able to sort out the situation by now.
Your husband should have or be able to look up the contact information for the Immigration Bureau office where he filed the application, as well as the reference number for your application. The best thing to do would be to call them and ask.
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
After reading some of the comments more thoroughly, I have some better questions.
So here is my situation…I just recently got married to a Japanese national in Tokyo at the end of April. I am currently back in Texas (I am American).
My wife intends to submit my COE by the end of May. I’m not sure if this matters but my wife has a well established career in Tokyo…also my mom is a Japanese national (but now living in US) and I have many relatives residing in Tokyo.
I will be returning to Tokyo mid June on the typical tourist visa for two months to attend her brother’s wedding, visit family, and start job searching.
If I were to receive my COE while I am in Japan on a tourist visa…will I be eligible to apply for a change of residency status in order to legally live and work in Tokyo? Also will the timing be sufficient? I saw that with the COE , a change in residency shouldn’t take as long as the COE. Is that correct?
Thanks for the help.
Hi Josh,
Yes, if you have the CoE, you will be able to apply for a Change of Status of Residence from tourist to Spouse while in Japan.
I work with student visas in my day job and usually, if we have a student apply for a change of status of residence with a CoE, they can get it approved on the same day or within a few days, if the office is particularly busy. I hope it is a similarly quick turnaround for you!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hello Travis.
Here’s my situation.
I am a filipino and my husband is Japanese. We got married in Japan just this April 24th.
I went back to philippes on May since my tourist visa will expire soon. My husband applied for COE May 19th and now it is still on going.
Last week May29th I applied for a tourist visa for Japan here in philippines. We were planning that I will go back to Japan thidms month as tourist while we’re waiting for COE and not as spouse yet.
I applied for it under agency because we need to go agency. I prepared all documents as tourist and some legal dcuments that I am married to japanese national since my status already changed. After 3 days my visa got denied and dont know why.
Hi Ann,
Thank you for sharing your story.
Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about applying for a tourist visa through a agency. It’s possible that the embassy saw that you were married to a Japanese national and wanted you to wait until you got the CoE to apply for a spouse visa, since that would be the “proper” way to do it.
Hopefully by now you have the Spouse Visa and have successfully moved to Japan!
Good Luck,
– Travis from TranSenz
Hi Travis,
So I am an American and just married my wife who is Japanese. She resides in Tokyo and I reside in Texas so I’m going to apply for the COE and Visa to he with her in Tokyo.
This may sound like a dumb question, but I wanted to confirm if the COE and Visa will make it eligible for me to work in Japan?
Thanks for the help and awesome site.
Hi Josh,
Yes, with a “Spouse of Japanese National” residence status, you have the same right to work as a Japanese citizen, with no restrictions!
Good Luck!
– Travis from TranSenz