Spouse Visa in Japan: Requirements and Changing Your Status
Published 2026-10-25
This article explains the residence status for the wife of a Japanese man, the documents the Immigration Services Agency of Japan asks for, and how to switch to it if you already live in Japan on another visa. In short: after your marriage is registered, you apply at your regional immigration office for a "Change of Status of Residence," and immigration decides each case based on the documents you submit.
People often call it the "spouse visa." The official name is Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等). This article uses the official name so you can use it at the immigration counter.
What is the Spouse or Child of Japanese National status?
It is the residence status for the husband or wife of a Japanese national, and for some children of Japanese nationals.
The Immigration Services Agency lists three groups who can hold this status:
- The spouse (husband or wife) of a Japanese national
- A special adoptee (特別養子) of a Japanese national
- A person born as the child of a Japanese national
This article is about the first group: a woman who is legally married to a Japanese man.
Period of stay
The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months. Immigration decides which period you receive. You cannot choose it yourself.
Can I work with this status?
The Immigration Control Act does not limit the type of work for this status in the way it limits work visas.
Under the law (出入国管理及び難民認定法), the work limits in Article 19 apply to the statuses in "Appended Table I," such as work visas, Technical Intern Training and Student. Spouse or Child of Japanese National is in "Appended Table II," which covers statuses based on a person's family position. Holders of a Table II status stay in Japan to live as a person in that position, here as the spouse of a Japanese national.
Who decides, and what does immigration look at?
The Minister of Justice gives permission only when the documents show a good reason to approve the change.
Article 20 of the Immigration Control Act says a change of status is approved only when there is "sufficient reason" (相当の理由) to approve it, based on the documents the applicant submits. The Agency's page on the change of status also says the planned activity must be genuine.
For a spouse, this means two things in practice:
- The marriage is legally valid. It must be registered (see how to marry a Japanese man in Japan).
- You really live as a married couple. This is why immigration asks for photos of you together, a questionnaire about your relationship, and proof of how you will pay for living in Japan.
Being married on paper is not enough. The law also lets immigration cancel this status if a spouse has not lived as a spouse for 6 months or more without a good reason (Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 7).
Changing your status if you already live in Japan
If you are in Japan on another status, you file an Application for Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請) at your regional immigration office.
This is the normal route for women who are already in Japan on, for example:
- Technical Intern Training (技能実習)
- Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能)
- Student (留学)
- A work visa such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務)
The law lets any foreign national with a status of residence apply to change it. Whether the change is approved is decided case by case. The Agency's general pages do not publish special rules for each starting visa, so if you hold Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker, ask the immigration office about your own situation before you apply.
When to apply
You can apply from the time the reason for the change appears (for you, after the marriage is registered) until the day your current period of stay ends. The Agency also warns that if you are not doing the activities of your current status, that status may be cancelled. So do not wait long after your situation changes.
If you apply before your current period of stay ends and the decision has not come yet, Article 20, paragraph 6 of the Act lets you keep staying with your current status until the decision, or until two months after your old expiry date, whichever comes first.
Where to apply and who can submit
- Where: the regional immigration office that covers the address where you live. Online application is also available.
- Who: you yourself, or in some cases an approved agent (取次者). The Agency lists, for example, staff of your employer, school or supervising organization who are registered for this, and lawyers or administrative scriveners (行政書士) who have notified the immigration office.
- Note: even if an agent submits for you, you must be in Japan. Being busy with work or school is not accepted as a reason for not going yourself.
How long it takes
The Agency's standard processing period is about 1 to 2 months. There is no appeal procedure for this application.
Documents for the change of status
The Agency publishes one list for the spouse of a Japanese national, and most items come from your husband.
This is the list for a Change of Status of Residence on the Agency's page for the spouse of a Japanese national:
| Document | Who prepares it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application form for Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請書) | You | 1 copy |
| Photo | You | 1 photo in the official size |
| Husband's family register (戸籍謄本 / 全部事項証明書) | Husband | Must show the marriage. Issued within 3 months. If the marriage is not written in it yet, add a Certificate of Acceptance of Marriage Notification (婚姻届出受理証明書) |
| Marriage certificate from your home country | You | 1 copy |
| Husband's residence tax certificate (住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書) and tax payment certificate (納税証明書) | Husband | For the most recent year. Issued within 3 months |
| Letter of guarantee (身元保証書) | Husband | The guarantor is your Japanese husband |
| Husband's residence record for the whole household (世帯全員の記載のある住民票の写し) | Husband | Issued within 3 months. My Number must be left out, but nothing else |
| Questionnaire (質問書) | See the form | Available in several languages. Use the current form. Old versions are not accepted |
| Proof of your relationship | Both | 2 or 3 clear photos of you together (no app filters), or records such as social media or call history |
| Passport and residence card | You | Show them at the counter |
Some points from the Agency's page:
- Your home-country marriage certificate. If your country issues family registers, a family register showing the marriage can be accepted instead.
- Proof of living costs. If your husband's tax certificates cannot show this (for example, right after a move), you can submit things such as a copy of a bank book, or a job offer letter from a Japanese company.
- The rule of 3 months. Certificates issued in Japan must be issued within 3 months.
The Agency adds that other documents may be requested depending on your case.
Fees from October 2026
The fee for a change of status was revised on October 1, 2026, and it now depends on the period of stay you are given.
The Agency's page lists these fees for an application at the counter. You pay with revenue stamps (収入印紙).
| Period of stay approved | Fee |
|---|---|
| 3 months or less | 10,000 yen |
| More than 3 months, up to 6 months | 18,000 yen |
| More than 6 months, less than 1 year | 25,000 yen |
| 1 year | 33,000 yen |
| More than 1 year, less than 3 years | 48,000 yen |
| 3 years or more, less than 5 years | 64,000 yen |
| 5 years or more | 75,000 yen |
- Applications received by September 30, 2026 pay the old fee of 6,000 yen, even if permission is given on or after October 1.
- For applicants who meet certain conditions, the fee can be reduced. The reduced fee is 10,000 yen regardless of the period.
- When a special type of residence card is issued (特定在留カード), a card fee may be added.
- Fees for online applications are explained on a separate page of the Agency.
Coming from abroad: the Certificate of Eligibility
If your partner lives abroad and wants to come to Japan as a spouse, the usual route is a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書).
This is mainly for couples where the wife is outside Japan. The document list is almost the same as above. Differences include a return envelope with postage, and no need to show a residence card. This site is for women who already live in Japan, so most readers will use the change of status instead.
After you get the status: reporting a divorce or death
If you divorce or your husband dies, you must report it to the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days.
This is a "notification regarding a spouse" (配偶者に関する届出) under Article 19-16, item 3 of the Act. You can report online (the electronic notification system, open 24 hours), in person at a regional immigration office with your residence card, or by mail to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau. Online, no supporting documents are needed.
FAQ
Can I change from Technical Intern Training to the spouse status?
The Act allows any holder of a status to apply for a change, and immigration decides each case on the documents. The Agency's general pages do not give a separate rule for Technical Intern Training. Ask your regional immigration office, or the Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC), about your own case before you apply.
Do I need to leave Japan to apply?
No. If you already live in Japan, you apply for a Change of Status of Residence at the immigration office for your area. You must still be in Japan when the application is submitted.
Can I work part-time or full-time with the spouse status?
The work limits in Article 19 of the Immigration Control Act apply to Table I statuses such as work visas and Student. Spouse or Child of Japanese National is a Table II status, so those limits do not apply in the same way.
Where can I ask questions in English?
The Immigration Services Agency's Foreign Residents Comprehensive Information Center (外国人在留総合インフォメーションセンター) answers general questions by phone at 0570-013904 on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15. It supports English and several other languages, including Vietnamese and Thai. It cannot tell you the result or progress of your application.
Summary
- The official name of the "spouse visa" is Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等). The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months.
- If you live in Japan on another visa, register your marriage first, then apply for a Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請) before your current period of stay ends.
- Most documents come from your husband: his family register, tax certificates, residence record and letter of guarantee. You also need a questionnaire and proof of your relationship.
- From October 1, 2026, the fee depends on the period of stay (10,000 to 75,000 yen at the counter).
- Visa rules depend on each person's situation. In the end, please check with your regional immigration office.
For the steps before the visa, see how to marry a Japanese man in Japan. If you met your partner online, also read dating apps and romance scams in Japan.
References
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" (日本人の配偶者等): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/spouseorchildofjapanese.html (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)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Application for Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-2.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, notification regarding a spouse (配偶者に関する届出): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00016.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Foreign Residents Comprehensive Information Center: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/consultation/center/index.html (Checked on October 25, 2026)
- e-Gov Laws and Regulations, Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Articles 2-2, 19, 19-16, 20, 22-4): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 (Checked on October 25, 2026)
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