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Home›Getting Married›Marriage Registration (婚姻届)

Marriage Registration (婚姻届)

This is the filing that legally creates a marriage in Japan (Civil Code art. 739, Family Register Act art. 74). File it at the municipal office for the notifier's registered domicile or current location; there is no fee. A foreign national normally needs a certificate of legal capacity to marry issued by their home country.

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Documents needed

✓Marriage Notification Form (Konin-todoke — A3 size, available at any municipal office or online)
✓Signatures of 2 adult witnesses — stamp/seal is optional (any adult is eligible, including foreign nationals)
✓Government-issued ID (My Number Card, driver's license, etc.)
✓Family register certificate (not normally needed - since March 1, 2024 staff can check the register at your registered domicile even when you file elsewhere, so attaching it is no longer required as a rule; exceptions exist, so check with the office first)
✓Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
✓Certificate of Eligibility for Marriage (issued by your home country's embassy, consulate, or relevant authority in Japan)
✓Japanese translation of the Certificate of Eligibility for Marriage (if not in Japanese — self-translation is acceptable)
✓Passport (may be requested depending on the municipal office)
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Steps

1

Obtain your Certificate of Eligibility for Marriage from your home country's embassy or consulate in Japan (allow several weeks as it may take time)

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Obtain the Marriage Notification Form (A3 size) from a municipal office or their website

3

Fill in the form and obtain signatures from 2 adult witnesses (stamp/seal is optional)

4

Bring the documents to the municipal office for the notifier's registered domicile or current location and file there (Family Register Act, art. 25). There is no fee

5

Once accepted: the marriage is recorded in the Japanese spouse's family register; the foreign national's resident record is updated

6

The 'family status' entry on your Residence Card is updated at the immigration office when you apply for a status change or at your next renewal

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Important notes

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For Japanese-Japanese couples, one spouse's surname must be chosen as the marital surname. Foreign spouses generally keep their home country surname

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Many municipalities accept the form at an after-hours desk on nights and weekends, with review and acceptance following on the next working day. Opening arrangements differ by municipality

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The certificate's name and format vary by country. Korean nationals may substitute with a Family Relations Certificate (Gajok Gwangye Jeungmyeong) + Marriage Record Certificate. Confirm with the municipal office in advance

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Where the home country has no system for issuing such a certificate, an affidavit sworn before its consul in Japan and signed by the consul may be accepted instead. If even that is unavailable, you submit a copy of the relevant home-country law plus official documents such as a passport, nationality certificate or birth certificate - all with Japanese translations

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After the marriage is registered, if you wish to change your visa status to 'Spouse of Japanese National,' you must separately file a Status of Residence Change application

Official info verified: 2026-09-10 / Source: moj.go.jp ↗
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