Marriage/Divorce

In the event of marriage or divorce, please apply to both your country’s embassy/consulate, and local city hall in Japan.

The documents required for international marriage and divorce in Japan, will vary according to your city hall or your country of origin. Please enquire about the required documents at your embassy, consulate or city hall.

In the event of marriage in Japan, you will need a notice of marriage document. konin todoke

In the event of divorce in Japan, you will need a notice of divorce document. rikon todoke

These documents are available at the city hall. When going to obtain these documents, please enquire ahead as to the necessary items you need to take with you, in order to acquire these documents.

Marriage

In the event of marriage between a Japanese citizen and foreigner, the couple getting married must each apply to the embassy of their own country.

When applying, a document proving that the couple are not married to other people and are legally eligible for marriage, is necessary. This document is called a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage. koninyoukengubishoumeisho You can obtain it from the embassy or consulate.

The documents required to obtain a certificate of legal capacity for marriage will vary according to your country of origin.

Please enquire ahead, before visiting the embassy or consulate.

When giving in the documents to the city hall, please have them translated into Japanese.

Conditions required in order to be eligible for marriage in Japan

• Males must be over 18 years of age Females must be over 16 years of age
• Persons who have not yet reached 20 years of age, require the permission of a parent, in order to get married.
• For women remarrying after divorce, it is required that 6 months must have passed since the date of divorce.

Marriage between a Japanese citizen and foreigner

In the event of marriage in Japan

Please enquire as to the documents required for international marriage at your city hall.

The notice of marriage/konin todoke is available at the city hall.

When applying for marriage at the city hall, please obtain a certificate of acceptance of marriage (konin todoke jyuri-shoumeisho).

A foreigner does not automatically obtain Japanese nationality upon marrying a Japanese citizen.

In order to obtain Japanese nationality, you must apply for naturalisation (kika), first.

Persons wishing to change their visa status after marrying a Japanese citizen, should enquire at the immigration bureau.

Required documents for marriage between a Japanese citizen and foreigner

• Notice of marriage (konin todoke)
• Family register of the Japanese citizen (koseki touhon)
• A certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage (koninyoukengubishoumeisho) for the foreigner, and a Japanese translation of the certificate (The translator’s name must be written on the translation. You may translate your own documents).
• passport

Necessary applications in Japan, after marriage abroad

The couple that have married overseas, must bring documents proving marriage to the Japanese embassy or consulate, or the city hall of the permanent address (honsekichi) of the Japanese citizen, within 3 months of marriage.

Necessary documents

• Notice of marriage (konin todoke)
• The family register (koseki touhon) of the Japanese citizen
• The marriage certificate of the foreigner’s country
• passport

Marriage between foreigners in Japan

The procedures for foreigners marrying in Japan, varies according to country.

Please enquire as to the necessary documentation at the embassy or consulate of the countries of the couple planning to wed.

The marrying couple must obtain a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage (koninyoukengubishoumeisho) and other documents from the embassy or consulate, and a Japanese translation of such documents.

Please enquire ahead as to the necessary items to bring to the Japanese city hall.

Please also apply to the countries of the couple getting married.

Children's nationality

Please read for more details in the “birth and child reading” section.

Link:http://www.sir.or.jp/en/fls/useful/detail/id=128

Divorce

In the case of divorce in Japan, the foreigner must also hand in a notice of divorce (rikon todoke ). The notice of divorce must be handed in to both the city hall and also to the foreigner’s own country.

In Japan, if the couple wishing to get divorced have any children under the age of 20, the parents must decide whether the mother or father will take custody of the child, otherwise they will not be eligible to give in a notice of divorce.

Divorce between a Japanese citizen and foreigner

When both parties agree to a divorce by mutual consent

When both parties agree to a divorce by mutual consent (kyougi rikon), they must give in the required documents to the city hall.

If one of the couple does not consent to divorce

The divorce must be decided at a family court (katei saibanjyou).

Once a divorce has been agreed to, the person who applied for the divorce, must hand in the required documents to the city hall.

If a person does not consent to a divorce, they must apply for and hand in a notice of non-acceptance of the offer of divorce (rikon todoke fujyuri moushide) to the city hall. Please enquire for more details at the city hall where the permanent residence or address of the Japanese citizen is registered.

In the case where a person has made a marriage application both overseas and in Japan, please make sure to apply for divorce overseas, after you have completed the Japanese divorce procedures.

When a foreigner divorces a Japanese citizen, they will lose their “spouse of a Japanese citizen” visa status. Please enquire as to the procedure of changing one’s visa status at the Immigration Bureau.

Necessary documents

• notice of divorce (rikon todoke)
• the family register of the Japanese citizen
• passport
• residence card
• 調停離婚のときは、 判決書など

Divorce between foreigners in Japan

The divorce application process varies for different countries. Please enquire to your respective embassy or consulate, as to the necessary application procedures for divorce.

In the case of complications, please refer to an administrative lawyer or notary public.

There are days when a free consultations are available with an administrative lawyer or notary public, run by the International Association or city.

Necessary procedures in the event of international marriage or divorce

On the occasion of marriage or divorce, one must inform various places.

Necessary application	Place to apply
Change of visa	Immigration Bureau
Change of resident card (jyuminhyou) information	City Hall
Change of name and address for National Health	City Hall
Insurance and Pension scheme Change of name and address for drivers license	Police station or Drivers license Test Centre
Notification of change of status (shinjyouidou todoke) (to notify your place of work of your marriage or divorce, and change of address)	Your company or place of work
Change of name and address for you bank passbook	Bank
Change of billing name and address for electricity, gas, and water	Electricity Company, Gas Company, Water Company
Notification of change of address	Post Office
Change of billing name and address for telephone	Telephone Company