How to Marry a Japanese Man in Japan: Steps and Documents

This article explains how a foreign woman living in Japan legally marries a Japanese man: where to register the marriage, which documents you prepare, and what comes next. In short: you submit a marriage registration (婚姻届) at a city, ward, town or village office in Japan. Your main document is a certificate from your own country that says you are free to marry, and your embassy decides how to issue it.

How does marriage become legal in Japan?

In Japan, a marriage becomes legal when the city office accepts your marriage registration.

Article 739 of Japan's Civil Code (民法) says a marriage takes effect when it is registered under the Family Register Act (戸籍法). The Ministry of Justice's Q&A on international marriage says the same: once the registration is accepted, a valid marriage is formed.

There is no wedding ceremony required by law. A ceremony is your choice. The legal part is the paperwork.

Which country's rules apply?

Each person must meet the marriage rules of their own country.

Japan's Act on General Rules for Application of Laws (法の適用に関する通則法), Article 24, says the conditions for marriage are decided by each person's national law. So:

Your Japanese partner must meet Japanese rules.
You must meet the rules of your own country.

The form of the marriage follows the law of the place where it takes place. And when a marriage is done in Japan and one person is Japanese, it must follow the Japanese form, which means registering at a city office.

Japanese rules your partner must meet

The Civil Code sets these basic rules, among others:

Both people must be at least 18 years old (Article 731).
A person who is already married cannot marry again (Article 732).
Close relatives cannot marry each other (Article 734 and after).
The registration must be signed by both of you and two adult witnesses (Article 739, paragraph 2).

The city office accepts the registration only after checking that these rules are met (Article 740).

Step 1: Ask your embassy for a "certificate of legal capacity to marry"

The key document from your side is a certificate from your country that says you can legally marry.

In Japanese this is called 婚姻要件具備証明書 (konin yoken gubi shomeisho). In English, embassies call it things like a "certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage." It is issued by an authorized official of your own country, such as your embassy or consulate in Japan.

According to the Ministry of Justice Q&A:

You need this certificate and its Japanese translation.
The translation must show who translated it. You may translate it yourself.

What if my country does not issue this certificate?

The Ministry of Justice Q&A says other documents may be accepted instead.

For example, a sworn statement that you made in front of your country's consul in Japan may be accepted. If that is not possible either, you may need to submit a copy of your country's marriage law with its source, together with official documents such as your passport, a certificate of nationality, or a birth certificate. Each needs a Japanese translation.

What is accepted can differ by case. Ask the city office where you will register, or a Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局), before you prepare the documents.

Example: Filipino women in Japan

The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo issues a Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (LCCM) only to Filipinos living in Japan.

The embassy's LCCM page lists, for a single Filipino applicant, documents including:

Application form
Passport and Japanese residence card (or visa)
PSA birth certificate, apostilled by the DFA
PSA Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), apostilled by the DFA (the page says it is valid for six months)
Passport-size photos

The same page says:

Applicants aged 18 to 20 need an affidavit of parental consent, and applicants aged 21 to 25 need an affidavit of parental advice.
If you were married before, you need more documents. For a divorce, the embassy's advisory says a Philippine court order recognizing the foreign divorce is needed, along with an annotated marriage record.
Your Japanese fiancé also submits documents, such as his family register (戸籍謄本) issued within three months, an ID and photos.
Both of you appear in person by appointment. If you apply by mail, or one of you cannot attend, both forms must be notarized by a Japanese notary public.

Fees, processing time and documents can change. Please check the embassy's latest page or ask the embassy before you apply. If you are from another country, ask your own embassy what it issues and what it needs.

Step 2: Prepare the documents for the city office

You bring your certificate and translation, and your partner brings his family register.

The documents usually include:

Document	Who	Notes
Marriage registration form (婚姻届)	Both	Signed by both of you and two adult witnesses
Certificate of legal capacity to marry (婚姻要件具備証明書)	You	Or the other documents the office accepts
Japanese translation of every foreign-language document	You (or anyone)	The translator's name must be shown
Partner's family register (戸籍謄本)	Partner	The Ministry Q&A lists this for the Japanese partner

The city office may ask for more, depending on your case. Call the office first and ask what they need from someone of your nationality.

Step 3: Submit the marriage registration

For a foreign national, the registration is made at the office of the place where you are.

The Family Register Act, Article 25, says a registration is made at the registered domicile (本籍地) of the person concerned, or at the place where the person filing is. For registrations about foreign nationals, it is made at the place where the person filing is. In practice, ask the city, ward, town or village office where you live, or where your partner's registered domicile is.

After the office checks the documents and accepts them, you are legally married in Japan.

Do I get a Japanese family register?

No. Foreign nationals do not have a family register in Japan.

The Ministry of Justice Q&A says that the marriage is recorded in the Japanese spouse's family register. If he is not yet the head of his own register, a new one is made for him.

Step 4: After the registration

Get proof of the marriage, then think about your visa and your home country's records.

Proof for immigration

To apply for the spouse status, the Immigration Services Agency asks for your husband's family register that shows the marriage. If the marriage is not yet written in it, the Agency says you can add a Certificate of Acceptance of Marriage Notification (婚姻届出受理証明書). You can ask for this at the office where you registered.

Changing your visa

Marriage does not change your status of residence automatically.

If you live in Japan on another status, such as Technical Intern Training, Specified Skilled Worker or Student, you apply for a Change of Status of Residence. See the spouse visa in Japan for the documents and fees.

Your home country

Your own country may also want the marriage recorded there. The rules differ by country. Ask your embassy what you need to do and by when.

FAQ

Do we need a wedding ceremony?

No. Under the Civil Code, a marriage takes effect when it is registered. A ceremony is not a legal requirement.

Can I translate my documents myself?

Yes. The Ministry of Justice Q&A says the translator may be the applicant. The translation must show who translated it.

Who can be a witness?

The Civil Code says two adult witnesses must sign. The law does not say they must be Japanese. If you are not sure who can sign, ask the city office.

I was married before. Can I marry again?

It depends on the rules of your country, because your marriage conditions follow your own national law. For Filipinos, the embassy says more documents are needed for people who are divorced, annulled or widowed. Ask your embassy first.

Summary

In Japan, a marriage becomes legal when the city office accepts your marriage registration (婚姻届).
Each person must meet the rules of their own country. Your partner meets Japanese rules (age 18 or older, not already married, two adult witnesses, and others).
Your key document is a certificate of legal capacity to marry (婚姻要件具備証明書) from your embassy, with a Japanese translation. Each embassy decides how it issues this.
After you register, get proof of the marriage and apply to change your visa if you need to.
Requirements differ by country and by person. In the end, please check with the city office, your embassy, and the regional immigration office.

If you met your partner on a dating app, please also read dating apps and romance scams in Japan.

References

Ministry of Justice, Q&A on international marriage and family registers (国際結婚、海外での出生等に関する戸籍Q&A): https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/minji15.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Civil Code (Articles 731, 732, 734, 739, 740): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/129AC0000000089 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Family Register Act (Article 25): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000224 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Act on General Rules for Application of Laws (Article 24): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/418AC0000000078 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Embassy of the Philippines in Tokyo, Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (LCCM): https://tokyo.philembassy.net/?p=2578 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Embassy of the Philippines in Tokyo, Public Advisory: LCCM and Certification: https://tokyo.philembassy.net/advisory-lccm-and-certification/ (Checked on October 25, 2026)
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, documents for the spouse of a Japanese national: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/spouseorchildofjapanese01.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)