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SPOUSE OF JAPANESE NATIONAL
The visa commonly known as the marriage visa. Demonstrating the substance of the marriage is at the heart of the examination.
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OVERVIEW
This status of residence covers the spouse of a Japanese national, a person born as the biological child of a Japanese national, and a special adopted child of a Japanese national — commonly known as the marriage visa. Unlike work-based visas, there is no restriction on the type of job you can do, which is a major advantage. At the same time, examination has grown stricter year by year in order to prevent abuse of the status through sham marriages.
Simply registering the marriage at a municipal office is not enough. Under a Japanese Supreme Court ruling (17 October 2002), a marriage is, in substance, "a relationship in which the two parties genuinely intend to build a shared life aimed at a lasting spiritual and physical union." In other words, the "substance of the marriage" is an essential precondition — if the marriage has lost its substantive basis and exists only in form, the status of residence itself will not be recognized.
REQUIREMENTS
The marriage procedures must be legally completed under both Japanese law and the law of the applicant's home country. Same-sex marriages (even if legally valid abroad), unregistered common-law relationships, and a second wife/husband under a foreign law that permits polygamy are not recognized under this status.
In principle, the couple is expected to live together, supporting and helping each other. That said, living apart for an objectively reasonable reason — a work posting, medical treatment, or child-rearing — can still be accepted if the couple maintains a shared household and regularly sees each other. Living apart to escape domestic violence (DV) is also treated as a legitimate reason and is taken into account at renewal.
Examiners look at whether the couple has a stable financial basis to sustain married life in Japan long-term. Unlike a Dependent visa, the applicant does not necessarily need to be financially supported by the Japanese spouse — the application can be approved even where the foreign spouse's own earnings support the household. As a practical guideline, a household's income over the most recent year is often expected to be at least roughly ¥780,000 × (1 + number of dependents).
POINTS TO PREPARE
Where any of the following applies, the Immigration Services Agency tends to examine the application more closely. Even so, preparing thorough documentation of the marriage's substance can meaningfully improve the chances of approval.
A large age gap between the spouses (roughly 20 years or more)
The larger the age gap, the more closely the application tends to be reviewed. It helps to prepare a written account of how the couple met, together with objective evidence such as photos and message history.
The couple met through a matchmaking agency or a dating app
These relationships often involve a shorter courtship, so it is worth documenting the genuineness of the relationship concretely — through message records, travel records, and similar evidence.
One or both spouses have divorced and remarried multiple times
It helps to prepare materials that reasonably explain the circumstances under which the previous marriage(s) ended.
The couple has limited ability to communicate in a shared language
Being able to communicate day-to-day in a common language — whether a native language or another shared language — is an important factor in demonstrating the substance of the marriage.
The foreign spouse continues working in nightlife/hostess-type work after marriage
If this applies, it helps to prepare materials showing that the marriage is nonetheless being maintained in good faith.
The shared residence is small or cramped
To avoid doubts about whether the couple is genuinely living together, it helps to prepare documentation of the living situation — the lease, a floor plan, and photos of the residence.
DOCUMENTS
Required documents differ for a change-of-status or renewal application, and additional documents may be requested depending on the specifics of your case.
In principle, the guarantor must be the Japanese spouse living in Japan. However, where the spouse's cooperation cannot be obtained — for example, while fleeing domestic violence (DV) from the Japanese spouse, during divorce mediation or litigation that has damaged the relationship, or where the spouse is incarcerated — an employer, friend, or relative may serve as guarantor instead, together with a written explanation of the circumstances submitted with the application.
IF THE MARRIAGE ENDS
Within 14 days of divorcing or losing your Japanese spouse, you must file a "Notification of Termination of Spousal Relationship" with the Immigration Services Agency (Article 19-16, item 3 of the Immigration Control Act). Failing to notify, or notifying late, can be viewed unfavorably in future renewal or change-of-status applications.
If, after a divorce or bereavement, you do not engage in activities as the "spouse of a Japanese national" for six continuous months without a legitimate reason, your status of residence becomes subject to revocation (Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 7). If you wish to remain in Japan, you should promptly consider changing to another status of residence.
If you wish to remain in Japan after a divorce, changing to "Long-Term Resident" status is, in practice, a common path. Approval is more likely where the marriage (including cohabitation) lasted roughly three years or more, you have income sufficient to be self-supporting, you have a minimum level of Japanese ability, and you have properly fulfilled public obligations such as taxes and insurance contributions. Where the divorce resulted from domestic violence, or where you are raising a biological child who is a Japanese national as their custodial parent, humanitarian considerations often make approval more likely even where the marriage lasted less than three years.
FAQ
A short courtship does not automatically mean refusal, but examiners will look more closely at how the couple met, the frequency of contact, and concrete plans to live together. This is especially true where the couple met through a dating app — being able to document the relationship concretely matters.
In principle, yes — the guarantor (mimoto hoshōnin) is the Japanese spouse residing in Japan. However, where the spouse's cooperation cannot be obtained — for example, while fleeing domestic violence (DV), during divorce mediation or litigation, or where the spouse is incarcerated — an employer, friend, or relative can serve as guarantor instead, together with a written explanation of the circumstances submitted with the application.
Within 14 days of the divorce or the Japanese spouse's death, you must file a "Notification of Termination of Spousal Relationship" with the Immigration Services Agency (Article 19-16, item 3 of the Immigration Control Act). In addition, if you do not engage in activities as the "spouse of a Japanese national" for six continuous months without a legitimate reason, your status of residence becomes subject to revocation (Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 7). If you wish to remain in Japan, you should promptly consider changing to another status, such as "Long-Term Resident."
Yes, absolutely. We confirm the reason for refusal with the Immigration Services Agency, analyze what was missing from the previous application, and advise you on the prospects for reapplying.
Fees vary depending on the nature of the case (a new application from overseas, a change of status, or a reapplication after a refusal), so we do not publish a single fixed price. We provide a formal quotation after a free consultation.
Reference: Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Spouse or Child of Japanese National (official Immigration Services Agency of Japan website)
CONTACT
Your first consultation is free, and we accept cases from anywhere in Japan. If you are not confident in Japanese, we can assist you in English or Vietnamese.
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