Flow of international marriage procedures and precautions

XNUMX. XNUMX.What is international marriage?

What is international marriage?Marriage between people of different nationalitiesHere, I will mainly explain the marriage between Japanese and foreigners.

Recently, the number of Japanese who marry foreigners has increased, and in 2018, more than 2 internationally married couples were born.
In terms of the ratio of international marriages, there were 1 cases where the husband was Japanese, and the partner countries were mostly China, the Philippines, and South Korea, and 5,060 cases where the wife was Japanese, and the partner countries were South Korea, the United States, and China. The data shows that there are more nationalities.

Many people are getting married internationally, but there are some things you need to be careful about when getting married internationally.
Unlike marriages between Japanese people, there are many formalities required for international marriages.
Issues with your status of residence will also arise, so if you do not prepare in advance, you may not be able to get married on the date you planned.
Additionally, if you live in Japan with your foreign spouse, there are some things to keep in mind regarding your status of residence, so please check them as well to ensure a smooth marriage.

XNUMX.Documents required for international marriage

The following documents are required to complete the procedure for international marriage in Japan.

Marriage registration

This is a general marriage registration that even Japanese people use.

Passport

Foreigner's passport (Japanese are basically unnecessary) Used to prove nationality.

Family register

Required only for Japanese people (foreigners cannot obtain one because they do not have a family register)
In principle, it is not required if you are getting married in your domicile.

Marriage requirements certificate

Marriage requirements vary from country to country, but the question is whether the foreigner trying to marry meets those requirements in his or her home country.
The Marriage Requirements Certificate is a certificate that proves that the person meets the marriage requirements in each country.

XNUMX. XNUMX.About Marriage Requirements Certificate

As mentioned above,Marriage requirements certificateis a foreigner getting married in JapanCertificate to prove that you meet the marriage requirements in your home countryHowever, it differs from country to country, and some countries do not issue it.
Of course, there are cases in which a Japanese person who marries a foreigner overseas also needs a certificate of eligibility for marriage, which certifies that the Japanese person meets the marriage requirements under Japanese law. It is possible to obtain one at a town or village office, but in some countries it may not be recognized if it is issued at a municipal office, so it is a good idea to check in advance.

It's a little different from the certificate of fulfillment of marriage requirements,Bachelor certificateExists as a similar document.
The biggest difference is that the certificate of singleness is just a certificate to prove that you are single, while the certificate of fulfillment of marriage requirements meets all the requirements (mainly age) that must be cleared for marriage. It is proved that you are.

The certificate of fulfillment of marriage requirements will be obtained at the home country or the embassy, ​​but in the case of countries that do not issue the certificate of fulfillment of marriage requirements (India, Bangladesh, etc.), a certificate of singleness or a written oath will be used instead. It will be a substitute document.

Regardless of which document you submit, you will need to submit it to the government office along with your marriage registration.Japanese translationis required by the Enforcement Regulations of the Family Registration Act.
Be sure to submit it with a document translated into Japanese.

XNUMX.Flow of international marriage procedure

1. XNUMX. XNUMX.Collection of necessary documents such as a certificate of fulfillment of marriage requirements and a copy of the family register
2. XNUMX.Acceptance of marriage notification at the municipal office → Receipt of marriage notification acceptance certificate
3. XNUMX. XNUMX.Submit a certificate of acceptance of marriage notification to the embassy or consulate in Japan
4. XNUMX.Applying for a Japanese spouse visa

XNUMX.Precautions for international marriage

Documents issued overseas that are submitted to the government office together with the marriage registration are not uncommon these days, but if there are few international marriages at the local government office or if the country has not dealt with much, It may take some time to check the documents.
In some cases, it is not uncommon for there to be no one who has experience in accepting international marriages.
Since the government office cannot process the request appropriately, it is possible that the request will not be received until the next day.
If you are particularly particular about your wedding date, it is a good idea to consult with us in advance.

XNUMX.What we want to discuss before we get married internationally

When you get married internationallyCitizenshipYou can expect problems with this.
In some countries, you automatically acquire the nationality of the other country just by getting married, and there is also the issue of the nationality of your children.

in JapanPedigreeismhas been adopted, so if one spouse has Japanese nationality, their child will also be given Japanese nationality.
Similarly, if the foreign country is pedigree, it will retain two nationalities.

However,Dual citizenship is prohibited by law in Japan.Therefore, those who acquired dual nationality before the age of 20 must acquire either nationality by the age of 22, and those who acquired dual nationality after the age of 20 must acquire either nationality within two years from the time they acquired dual nationality. Must be selected.
If you do not choose your nationality within this period, in the worst caselose Japanese nationalityPlease think carefully before coming to a conclusion and completing the procedures within the deadline.

XNUMX.Status of residence (visa)

After the marriage formalities are completed, the finalProcedures for residence status (visa).
If the couple is based in Japan,Foreign spouses must obtain a residence status (visa).
Even if you are married to a Japanese person, foreigners cannot work in Japan unless you have an appropriate status of residence.

Since Japan has a status of residence system, as of 2021, you will be permitted to work in Japan by obtaining a status of residence that suits your activity from a total of 29 types of status of residence.
For foreign spouses who are Japanese spouses,Japanese spouse etc.A status of residence is available.
The requirement for this status of residence is that you are married to a Japanese person (in the case of a child, you must be a natural child of a Japanese person or a special adopted child).
The key points of the review are:the marriage is lawfulabout,It is a real marriageThat's enough to live in Japan.have the meansThis will be checked.

Legal marriage means not only having a wedding ceremony, but also having a marriage procedure under the laws of both countries.
A substantial marriage is mainlyCohabitationYou will be asked whether or not there is.
If you are applying for the first time, it is possible that you may not be living together yet, but when you renew your period of stay, it will be difficult to see if you are living together.
Formal marriage = living together is the criteria for immigration.
Please note that permission may be refused even if you live apart due to unavoidable circumstances such as moving away from home.
Anyone can afford to live in Japan.
Even if the person in question is unemployed, he or she may be approved if he or she has savings or can receive support from his or her parents.

The residence status of a foreign spouse is not limited to "spouse of a Japanese national, etc."
For example, typical employment status"Technology/Humanities/International Affairs"It is also possible to obtain and stay in Japan.
However, there are likely to be few people who obtain a status of residence other than spouse, etc. of Japanese nationals.
This is because Japanese spouses have a very favorable status of residence compared to other statuses of residence.

There are two major reasons why "Japanese national spouses, etc." are given preferential treatment.
The first isThere are no restrictions such as employment restrictionsIt is that.
If you have an employment status of residence, you can only do the work that is approved by that status of residence, but if you are a spouse of a Japanese national, you can do any kind of work as long as it is not against the law. (There are some jobs that foreign nationals cannot hold, such as civil servants.)
the other one is,Short period to become a permanent residentIt is that.
Most other statuses of residence require a period of stay of 10 years or more, but Japanese spouses can apply for permanent residence within 3 years of marriage and 1 year or more of residence.
Considering these two merits, few people will bother to choose another status of residence.

Summary

International marriage can be done by anyone with proper procedures.
However, there are many things that must be different from marriage between Japanese people, and it is often difficult to get married due to improper procedures.
It's a good idea to plan well for a smooth marriage.
In particular, there are many people who stumble when applying for status of residence, so if you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact the administrative scrivener corporation Climb.

For questions regarding international marriage, please contact Climb
Please feel free to contact us by phone or inquiry form!

Click here for consultations and inquiries