Those who marry Japanese citizens need a spouse’s visa to reside in Japan. In addition to the spouse of Japanese citizenship holders, their dependents can also use this visa to stay in Japan. A Japan spouse visa is a type of long-term visa that allows you to stay in the country temporarily. Before applying for this visa, you must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Japanese Immigration Service.
We will go through the visa application process, renewal, fees, requirements, and other details in the following.
What is a Japan spouse visa?
As mentioned, if you are married to a Japanese citizen or if you are dependent on a Japanese citizen, you will need this visa to stay in Japan. In the following cases, you will need a spouse’s visa:
- If you marry a Japanese citizen
- If you are a relative of a Japanese citizen
- If you are the spouse or child of a foreigner living temporarily in Japan
It should be noted that a spouse’s visa is a type of long-term visa. So if you just intend to meet someone who lives in Japan, you will need a tourist visa. But if you want to join him, you must apply for this visa.
What are the Japan spouse visa documents?
Applicants for a spouse’s visa and his sponsor (family members) must submit the following documents for Japanese immigration services:
- The Eligibility Certificate
- Japan Spouse Visa Application Form: it should be completed and signed by the applicant.
- A valid passport with a copy of it
- Applicant’s photo: The dimensions of the picture should be 3 * 4 cm and on a white background. The face should be fully visible, and the photo should not be shaded. The photo must have been taken during the last three months.
- The applicant must provide a letter of Sponsorship or Guarantee.
- You must provide evidence that your family relationship with your sponsor is proven (such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate)
- Your sponsor should provide the following:
- His job, income, and tax payments
- Copy of your sponsor’s passport if he/she is a foreign national
- Copies of your sponsor’s passport and Residence Card, If he/she is a Japanese national
How to do the Japan spouse visa application procedure?
Applying for a spouse’s visa in Japan is done in two general steps:
Step 1: Receive a Certificate of Eligibility
Step 2: Submission of the visa application
First step:
Applicants for long-term visas must first apply for an Eligibility Certificate. The Japanese Immigration Service issued this certificate. To receive this certificate, your sponsor must send your documents on your behalf. Keep in mind that obtaining this certificate does not mean getting a visa. The receipt of this certificate approves your qualification by the Japanese Immigration Service. To get a Japan spouse visa, the Japanese government must also certify your eligibility.
If you wish to move to Japan as a doctor, read our article.
Second step:
After obtaining the Eligibility Certificate, the visa application process will be a little easier for you. After the certificate is issued, your sponsor must send it to you. You must send this certificate to the Japanese consulate or embassy in your country with other documents mentioned in the previous section. For this purpose, you must first contact the nearest Japanese embassy in your area.
Some embassies do not accept visa applications from individuals. In these cases, you must send your documents via accredited travel agencies. In some situations, you might have to send more documents, or an immigration officer may interview you. After processing the documents and issuing the visa, you can receive your passport.
How long does it take to assess a Japanese spouse visa application?
Processing time and issuance of the visa are 5 to 10 working days. It should be noted that the issuance of an Eligibility Certificate will also take at least three months.
What should Japanese visa holders do after entering the country?
You will receive a landing permit as soon as you arrive in Japan. If your visa is a single entry, it will be invalid by obtaining a landing permit. If you have a multiple-entry visa with longer validity, its validity will remain after receiving the landing permit. Your entry permit will allow you to stay legally in Japan and will replace your Japan Spouse visa.
A residency card and Re-entry Permit are other documents you will receive once arriving in Japan.
If you arrive in Japan via Narita, Haneda, Kansai, or Chubu airports, you will receive your Residency Card as soon as you arrive. If you are coming to Japan from other airports, you must go to the local municipal offices to receive this card. Within 14 days of your stay in Japan, you must send your residential address to the local municipal office to be registered on your Residence Card.
If you want to leave the country and re-enter during your stay in Japan, you must apply for a Re-entry Permit. If your residence outside of Japan is less than one year, you must apply for a Special Re-entry Permit.
How much does a Japanese spouse visa cost?
The fees for a Japan spouse visa are as follows:
- The single-entry visa cost is 3,000 Yen.
- 6,000 Yen must be paid for a double-entry or multiple-entry visa.
It should be noted that the visa application fee must be paid after the visa is issued.
How long is this visa valid?
The Japanese spouse visa is usually valid for six months to three years. If you have been married for less than a year, your visa will probably be valid for one year. If your visa expires, you can apply for a visa extension. When you renew your visa, you will have a better chance of getting a visa with longer validity.
Want to move to Japan as a lawyer? Read our article.
How to renew the Japan spouse visa?
You must petition for an extension before your visa expires. To renew your visa, you must provide the following documents to the Immigration Office:
- Application Form for visa renewal.
- A valid passport
- The Residence Card
- Applicant’s photo
- You have to prove that you will be able to finance your expenses in Japan.
- A copy of the family registration of the Japanese national or foreign citizen
- A copy of the Residence Card of the Japanese national or foreign citizen
- Your sponsor’s profession and income status must be specified.
- Letter of Guarantee from your sponsor
Is the holder of a Japan spouse visa allowed to work in Japan?
If you are married to a Japanese national or a Japan Permanent Resident, you are permitted to work in this country. The dependent or spouse of a foreigner living in Japan has to obtain a work visa before they are employed in Japan.
Let’s sum up …
In previous paragraphs, we answered the most common questions about the application process for a Japan spouse visa. On the Visa Library website, you can learn about other Japanese visas as well as ways to immigrate to other countries. In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences in comments is a great help for applicants.
Hi there,
I have a spousal visa. My current employer is Microsoft. I am working for an American company, remotely. Just wanting to clarify. If I want to work in Japan, I will need to apply for a work visa?
Hello there. Thanks for leaving a comment on our website. A spousal visa includes a work permit as well, so no further visa is required unless your spouse is not Korean.
how can I apply for a Japanese spousal visa from outside japan ?
Dear Sanaz
To apply for the Japan Spouse visa, your spouse in Japan must apply for the Eligibility Certificate. You must send him/her the required documents and the sponsor applies on your behalf to the officials. When the authorities issue the certificate, he/she will send it to you then you can continue the process and apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your home country.
Best wishes with your application
I had a spouse visa years ago and I am still married to a Japanese citizen, though we have lived in the USA for many years. If I want to live and work in Japan, can I do so on a spouse visa, even if my wife is not also in Japan? Can I be there by myself on a spouse visa, or does she have to be with me?
Dear George
Your situation is complicated and weird that we had no one like this before. You would better ask the Japanese embassy in the US, but as you have not lived in Japan during the past few years, it is unlikely that you can live and work in the country but there might be an exception.
I have a Japanese spouse, we live in the Netherlands. How do I optain a spouse visa? Are there any agencies that can assist? The confusing information on the embassy’s website is enough to drive you bonkers.. in Japanese it says this, in English something else..
Dear Jean-Paul
Thank you for asking a question.
Your Japanese spouse should be living in Japan so you can apply for a spouse visa. How long have you lived in the Netherlands?
Hi, we’ve lived here for 6 years.
So back to the spouse vis issue.. so she should apply in Japan? do i join her immedaitely with a tourist visa or wait here in the Netherlands for the visa to be issued?
ِDear Jean Paul
If you did not have a spouse visa before, you can travel to Japan and apply there for the visa. You can save some time applying from inside the country. Also, the entry to the country is subject to change due to Omicron variant spreading.
Hi again, is it time consuming to get a spouse visa? plus, ar the chances of getting one guaranted or are people being denied a visa? I am talking about ‘normal’ people here, without ‘legal’ issues..
Dear Jean Paul
The process of applying for a visa can be long and tiring and it’s up to several factors. One can not estimate the chance of receiving a visa but you can work on your case and improve the possibility to receive a visa. You need to hear from an expert to reduce the risks and eliminate the factors causing them. You can hear from rejected applicants and remove the risk-causing factors.
Good luck with your application.
I am planning to marry a Japanese woman who lives in Tokyo, and I would like to live there with her. To my understanding, she would be my sponsor. Is that correct? And I would have to send her the documents that she would need to apply for the Eligibility Certificate. Is that correct?
I am 23 years older than she is. Would that be a problem?
I believe that we would have to show proof that we’ve been dating for some period of time.
What is the requirement in years for the dating period?
I own real estate in the USA, and renting that would provide me with an income of about
18 man per month. I’m also collecting Social Security, which provides me with about 12 man per month. So, my total income would be about 30 man per month.
Given my situation, would I qualify for the Eligibility Certificate?
Dear paul
Yes, your wife will be your sponsor in Tokyo.
yes, you need to send the list of requirements to your wife, so she can apply for the Eligibility Certificate.
As long as you prove the relationship and provide evidence, your age difference can’t be much of a problem. You can provide photos of yourself together in different places, photos with common friends, the place you have rented and lived together, a shared bill, screenshot of your chats in applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
The decision that you are qualified or not is with the Japanese officials. You would better gather as much as information and evidence as you can to increase the possibility of receiving the Eligibility Certificate.
Good luck
This is so helpful, thanks for this post. I am planning on moving back to Japan with my American spouse (married for more than 15 years) after we retire in a couple of years. That being said, quick question:
– Is renewing the visa pretty easy?
– Every 3 years for renewal sounds pretty short. Does this get longer for when we renew, or is it the max years?
– If I won’t be working anymore, how would I prove sufficient fund for sponsoring? Even without income, would having enough savings/real estate etc be enough? or would it be an issue if I’m not working? I’m hoping it won’t be, I’m sure there are other Japanese people who are on the same boat with us that they want to come back with their spouse after retirement!
Thank you so much!
Dear TMK
You need to be eligible to renew your visa to answer your question. Determine if you are or not.
The rules for visa renewal is the same.
You need to prove your income through documents, and it doesn’t mean you have to work.
I wonder if you can give a bit of guidance about people applying IN Japan. I have lived here for 9.5 years and recently got married. Most of the information I can find online is for people who want to come to Japan on a spouse visa, whereas I just want to apply from within. Is the process any different? If it’s something that the wife has to handle, then I guess I’ll ask her to do that and I’ll just support as best I can.
The application should not be any different and as you are inside the country, it would be easier. You can visit the immigration officials in-person and get first hand information. They guide you on your situation.
Cheers!
I would like to work with a Japan visa please give me a chance to work on it
The way to get a Japan visa is explained in the article. We just provide information.
All you have to do is explained in the article. We do not provide visa services at the moment.
I’ve been married to a Japanese woman for 35 years, used to be a permanent resident ofJapan, and we now live in the US. My wife is in the process of applying for the certificate of eligibility. How long after I receive my spouse visa do I have before I have to enter Japan? I’ve heard two stories: I have (a) three months from when my wife receives the certificate of eligibility OR (b) three months from when I receive the visa itself. Which is correct? Thanks!
Dear Mark,
Suppose a Certificate of Eligibility is not submitted when the visa application is made. In that case, issuance of the visa will typically take one to three months, doesn’t matter whether or not there is a problem with your application’s content.