Requirements for foreigners to legally get married in Japan
Please note that the information below is not absolute nor complete and is intended to be used only as a basic guide to help international couples wishing to get legally married in Japan gain a basic understanding of the legal requirements of getting married in Japan.
When it comes to having a wedding ceremony in Japan, there are absolutely no pre-requisites, as a marriage is not legally recognized until a couple registers at a Japanese municipal government office. For many Japanese couples it’s not uncommon to register at a municipal office and be legally married for 2-3 years before having a wedding ceremony. It’s also quite common to register a marriage in the morning before wedding ceremony.
If you don’t reside in Japan we suggest avoiding the headache of getting your marriage license in Japan due to the likelyhood of multiple trips to embassy’s, city hall offices, and the chance that the license won’t be granted. It’s typically easier to hold a quick registry office wedding in your home country, and then having a wedding ceremony in Japan. However, if you have your heart set on being legally married in Japan, start by contacting the consulate of your home country in Japan to learn the most updated legal requirements. The required documents sometimes vary from one Japanese municipality to another, thus you should also contact the local municipal office in the area of Japan where you’re planning to marry to confirm their specific requirements.
Legal requirements to get married in Japan as a foreigner
Some embassies are able to perform legally recognized wedding ceremonies. However, if you choose to have your wedding legally recognized the Japanese way, it will involve a trip to a city hall after obtaining notarial documents from your embassy. We will be on hand to help and guide you through the process, which is different from nationality to nationality, so please contact us for further information.Foreigners and international couples can get married in Japan without being residents or citizens. With that said, both parties are bound to the requirements of elibility of their home nations which differ from country to country. The following are some basic criteria requirements to get married legally in Japan:
All parties should be atleast 20 years of age.
(legal minium age for marriage is 18 years of age for men and 16 years of age for women but anyone under the age of 20 is requred to present a letter of approval from his or her parents.)
Women must wait 6 months after a divorce before legally being able to remarry
Parties cannot be related through blood or adoption
Both parties should present an Affidavit or Certificate of No Impediment from their home country
This is a document that affirms that you and your partner are legally free for marriage. This document can be obtained from your home country’s consulate or embassy office in Japan. Typically the embassy will charge a fee for the affidavit document. Just to be safe, it’s best to contact your local embassy in advance to receive up-to-date legal requirements.
Australia: Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)
Canada: Affidavit
New Zealand: Certificate of No Impediment
Other: Contact the Embassy or Consulate of your home country.
All documents should be accompanied with a Japanese translation
Documents needed to legally register a marriage in Japan
When registering a marriage at a municipal office in Japan, the following are required:
Proof of identification – Both parties should present either a passport, valid driver’s license, or residence card (Zairyu Card/在留カード if they reside in Japan.) It’s a good idea to present passports as they’re considered the most official identification for foreigners in Japan.
Certificate of Marriage Notification (Kon’in Todoke-sho/婚姻届書) – This the marriage registration documentation that you can get from the municipal office. Part of filling in this document includes the requirement of two witnesses signing the paperwork. These witnesses do not need to accompany you but do need to sign the forms and include some of their information. Anyone can be a witness as long as they are over 20 years old.
Certificate of No Impediment /Affidavit / Affidavit of Competency (kon’in yoken gubi shomeisho/婚姻要件具備証明書) – This is a document that proves that you are single and are legally free to marry. from your home country’s consulate or embassy office in Japan. You may need to schedule an appointment in advance with your consulate in order to
*Copy of birth certificate - This isn’t necessarily required but just to be safe bring copies of your birth certificates.
Japanese translation of documents – All documents submitted to the municipal office should be accompanied with Japanese translations. Ie. affidavit, passport information pages, birth certificates, etc. With that said, the translation does not need to be offically or professionally done and instead can be translated by anyone who speaks Japanese. On a positive note, most consulates include Japanese translations with documents that they issue.
Completion of marriage registration in Japan
After submitting all the paperwork and documents to the municipal office and receiving approval, you’re officially married in Japan. While at the municipal office couples can request a certificate to show proof of a registered marriage. These certificates do not need to be requested at the time of marriage registration but they can only be issued from the municipal office where the marriage was registered.
The one page certificate is called Kekkon-todoke juri shōmeisho (結婚届受理証明書) and includes names, nationalities, birthdates, and marriage registration date etc. and takes roughly 30 minutes to apply for and receive.
Depending on the countries that you’re from you may need to report your marriage to the embassy of your home country while some nations don’t need any notification at all. Check your country’s embassy to confirm if there are any marriage registration follow up requirements or notification of marriage needed.