What is international marriage?

 

・When a Japanese and a foreigner are married internationally, it is necessary to submit a marriage registration on both the Japanese side (municipal office) and the foreign side (foreign diplomatic missions in Japan and foreign municipal offices) and register the marriage in both countries.

 

・The government offices that take care of international marriages are municipal offices, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign embassies and consulates in Japan, Legal Affairs Bureaus, foreign municipal offices, foreign Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc.

 

・Marriage requirements such as the age at which marriage is possible are stipulated in the laws of each country. For international marriage, it is necessary to investigate and confirm the civil law of Japan and the law on marriage in the other country.

 

・There are ways to do the marriage procedure first in Japan, and then report the marriage to the other country, and the way to submit a marriage registration in the other country, and then report the marriage registration to Japan.

 

A. How to submit a marriage registration first in Japan

 

It is roughly divided into the following 1 to 3 steps.

 

1 Procedures at the municipal office

 

Basically, the following documents will be submitted with Japanese translation and English translation. Please be sure to check the documents submitted to the municipal office where you are submitting in advance.

 

●Marriage registration (It can be obtained at each office, but the signature of the foreign spouse and the signature and seal of 2 witnesses are required)

 

●Marriage requirements certificate, or affidavit or single certificate + birth certificate + application form

 

"Marriage Requirement Requirements Certificate" is a document certified by the other country's government that the foreign fiancée is single and has the conditions to be married under the law of the other country, and the format varies from country to country. In general, it will be issued by the embassy or consulate in Japan in your home country. Some countries have not issued it, but in that case, you will obtain alternative documents such as "affidavit", "statement", "marriage certificate", etc.

 

B.

 

●A copy of the family register of Japanese people

 

●Passport of a foreign spouse

 

After receiving the marriage registration, the new family register will be compiled in about 2 weeks, and it will be possible to obtain a copy of the family register with the facts of marriage.

 

2 Report of marriage to the embassy and consulate in Japan

 

When the marriage is established in Japan, we will report the marriage to the embassy or consulate of the other country. Depending on the country, you may have to submit a report marriage registration directly to the government office of your home country.

 

When applying for a spouse visa at the Immigration Bureau, the marriage certificate of the other country is required.

 

Description in the family register

 

In the case of Japanese people, when the marriage registration is accepted, a new family register only for the couple will be compiled. However, in the case of international marriage, only Japanese people will be the first, and the family register will be compiled. The Japanese surname is written in the conventional one, and the fact that the international marriage was made in the status column and the name, date of birth, and nationality of the foreign spouse are listed.

 

3 Spouse visa application to the Immigration Bureau

 

Even if you complete the international marriage procedures in both countries, you will not be able to stay in Japan for a long time. You will be able to stay in Japan for a long time only if you get permission for the status of residence of "Japanese spouse, etc." at the nearest Immigration Bureau. ( Foreigners with working status of residence are not obliged to change their status of residence to "Japanese spouses, etc.")

 

● At first, you will almost always get a period of stay of 1 year, and then the period of stay will be renewed.

 

Inquiries about spouse visas

 

B. How to register a marriage first in a foreign country

 

1 Do marriage procedures at a foreign city, town and village office

 

Prepare the necessary documents such as a copy of the Japanese family register and travel to the home country of the foreign fiancée.

 

A certificate of marriage requirements will be issued at the consulate of the Japanese Embassy abroad. ( It may be issued by the Japan Legal Affairs Bureau before traveling, confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and consular certification at foreign embassies in Japan.)

 

We will submit a marriage registration at a foreign municipal office.

 

Depending on the country, you may hold a wedding ceremony, take an oath in front of a priest or judge, establish a marriage, and register your marriage at the office.

 

If you do the marriage procedure first in a foreign country, a marriage registration certificate will be issued in many countries. We will report the marriage to the Japanese side with this marriage registration form as a document of evidence.

 

2 Make a report of the marriage report to the Japanese side

 

We will report the marriage to the municipal office in Japan or the local Japanese embassy or consulate. Notification to the municipal office in Japan can shorten the time required for the procedure.

 

3 Apply for a spouse visa to the Immigration Bureau

 

Inquiries about spouse visas