Japan spouse visa (spouse of Japanese national)

The marriage must be legally valid both in Japan and in your country and must be registered in the Japanese spouse's family register (koseki). Couples who married outside Japan report the marriage to the Japanese municipality or embassy; couples marrying in Japan also report it to the authorities of the foreign spouse's country. The ISA examines whether the marriage is genuine, so evidence of the relationship matters.

Children born to a Japanese parent and children specially adopted by a Japanese national also qualify; ordinary adopted children do not.

The Japanese spouse provides a family register certificate showing the marriage, a residence certificate (juminhyo) for the household, tax and income certificates for the last year and a letter of guarantee. You add the marriage certificate issued where you married, and the couple completes a questionnaire on how they met and their relationship history, often with photos and communication records.

Mid- to long-term residents receive a residence card at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai and other major airports (elsewhere it is mailed after address registration). Within 14 days of finding a home you must register your address at the city, ward or town office, which also enrols you in National Health Insurance and the National Pension unless your employer covers you under its schemes.

Changes of employer or school, marriage status and address must be notified to the immigration bureau within 14 days. Leaving Japan for up to one year (or until your status expires, if sooner) is possible without a re-entry permit by ticking the special re-entry box at departure.

Extensions and changes of status are filed at the regional immigration bureau up to three months before expiry, or online. From 1 October 2026 the counter fee depends on the period granted: JPY 33,000 for one year, JPY 48,000 for more than one and less than three years, JPY 64,000 for three to under five years and JPY 75,000 for five years. Applications received by 30 September 2026 still pay the former JPY 6,000. Standard processing is two weeks to one month for extensions and one to two months for changes of status.

You may work in any job, including part-time or self-employment. The first grant is often one year; longer periods follow with a stable household. You become eligible for permanent residence once the marriage has lasted at least three years and you have lived in Japan continuously for at least one year, without the independent livelihood test. If you divorce or your spouse dies, you must notify the ISA within 14 days and change to another status within six months, such as Long-Term Resident.