Contents
Key points
- If you live in Japan as a Nikkei 3rd generation on the Long-Term Resident status, your spouse and your minor, unmarried children can usually join you on the same status.
- Your family can apply at the same time as you when you first come to Japan, or join you later.
- Your spouse needs a real, legal marriage, good conduct and enough household income.
- A child of your spouse from a previous relationship can apply as your spouse’s child. Adopted children are covered only if they are under 6.
- Children aged 18 to 35 may qualify for the Nikkei 4th generation program instead.
Please read first
Your family can apply together with you when you first apply to come to Japan, or join you later once you are living in Japan. If they join you later, your own period of stay generally needs to be 1 year or more.
If you are not yet sure which status fits your own family line, start with our article Nikkei 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation? Which Japanese visa fits your family line.
1. Who can join you
| Family member | Can they come? | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Your legal spouse | Yes | Long-Term Resident (Notification No. 5) |
| Your biological child, under 18 and unmarried | Yes | Long-Term Resident (Notification No. 6) |
| Your spouse’s child from a previous relationship, under 18 and unmarried | Yes, as your spouse’s child | Long-Term Resident (Notification No. 6) |
| Your adopted child under 6 | Yes | Long-Term Resident (Notification No. 7) |
| Your child aged 18 or over, or married | Not as your dependent | May qualify for the Nikkei 4th generation program (age 18 to 35) |
| Your Nikkei parent (2nd generation) | Not as your dependent | Usually qualifies in their own right |
2. Bringing your spouse
Requirements
Your spouse can apply for Long-Term Resident under Notification No. 5. The main requirements are:
- A legal marriage. You must be legally married, and the marriage must be valid. A common-law partner or fiancé(e) does not qualify.
- A real marriage. Immigration checks not only the marriage certificate, but also whether you actually live as a married couple. You will need to explain how you met and how you have kept in contact.
- Good conduct. Your spouse must not have been sentenced to imprisonment or a fine in Japan or abroad. Fines for road traffic violations are an exception, but repeated violations can still count against them. Your spouse needs to submit a criminal record certificate from their country of nationality. If they live in another country, a certificate from that country is usually required as well.
- Financial stability. Your household must be able to support itself in Japan. Immigration looks at your income and tax records.
Documents
When your spouse applies from abroad for a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書), the Immigration Services Agency lists the following documents (when you are employed by a company).
Documents about you (the 3rd generation):
- Your juminhyo (住民票, certificate of residence)
- Your resident tax certificates for the most recent year (課税証明書 and 納税証明書)
- A certificate of employment (在職証明書) from your employer
- A letter of guarantee (身元保証書), usually signed by you
- A certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification (婚姻届受理証明書), only if you registered the marriage at a Japanese municipal office
Documents about your spouse:
- Application form and photo
- Marriage certificate and birth certificate issued in their home country
- Criminal record certificate issued in their country of nationality, and in their country of residence if they live in another country
- An official identity document
- A questionnaire (質問書) about your relationship
- Materials showing your relationship, such as photos of the two of you together
Documents issued in Japan must be issued within the last 3 months. Documents in other languages need a Japanese translation. If you are self-employed or not working, different documents about your income are required.
If you apply at the same time: when you and your family apply together from abroad, documents such as your juminhyo and Japanese tax certificates do not exist yet. The applications are filed together, and you instead show how you will support your family in Japan, for example with a certificate of planned employment (雇用予定証明書) or a job offer letter (採用内定通知書) from your future employer. The exact documents depend on the case, so check with the immigration office before applying.
Period of stay
The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months. Your spouse can get the longest period of 5 years only if, among other conditions, your marriage and life together have lasted more than 3 years, your family has met its tax and other public obligations, and your spouse has a certain level of Japanese (for example, JLPT N2, or at least 6 months at a designated Japanese language school).
3. Bringing your children
Your biological children
Your biological children can apply for Long-Term Resident under Notification No. 6 if they are:
- Under 18 at the time of the application
- Unmarried
- Supported by you (living as your dependent)
This includes children born outside marriage and children from a previous marriage, as long as you are their legal parent. Immigration does not refuse a child just because the child is close to turning 18, as long as the child will actually live as your dependent.
Because your children are Nikkei 4th generation, the good conduct requirement also applies to them. Older children usually need to submit a criminal record certificate from their country of nationality and, if they live in another country, from that country as well.
Your spouse’s children from a previous relationship
A child of your spouse from a previous relationship is not your biological child, so they cannot apply as your child. Instead, they can apply as your spouse’s child under Notification No. 6.
Whether the child can apply at the same time as your spouse depends on the case. Check with the immigration office before applying.
Adopted children
An adopted child under 6 whom you support can apply for Long-Term Resident under Notification No. 7. An adopted child aged 6 or over is generally not covered.
Children aged 18 or over
Once a child turns 18, or marries, they can no longer newly apply as your dependent. If they are between 18 and 35, they may be able to come under the Nikkei 4th generation program (Designated Activities). See Nikkei 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation? Which Japanese visa fits your family line for its requirements.
On the other hand, a child who is already living in Japan on this status does not lose it just because they turn 18, marry or start working.
Documents for your children
The Immigration Services Agency lists the following documents for when you already live in Japan. If your children apply at the same time as you, the documents about you differ in the same way as for your spouse.
- Your juminhyo showing all household members
- Your resident tax certificates and proof of your job and income
- A letter of guarantee, usually signed by you
- A letter explaining why the child needs your support (理由書)
- The child’s birth certificate issued in their home country (and a certificate of acknowledgment of paternity, if any)
- The child’s criminal record certificate and an official identity document
- Official documents proving that the child’s grandparents and parents existed, such as passports or death certificates
4. What about your parents?
There is no notification that lets a Long-Term Resident sponsor their parents as dependents. However, if your parent is the Nikkei 2nd generation, they usually qualify in their own right, as Spouse or Child of Japanese National or Long-Term Resident. Your other parent may then qualify as the spouse of the 2nd generation.
5. Common pitfalls
- The marriage is not registered in your spouse’s home country, or the names and dates on the certificates do not match.
- There is not enough household income. Gaps in employment or unpaid resident tax can lead to refusal.
- The spouse or child has a criminal record that was not disclosed.
- The child turns 18 during the process. Apply early if your child is close to 18.
Tip
Family applications often involve documents from several countries. Before you apply, check that names, dates of birth and marriage dates are spelled and written the same way on every document, or prepare an explanation for any difference.
6. If your situation changes
The Long-Term Resident status of your spouse and children depends on their relationship with you. If you divorce, or your family situation changes in another way, your spouse’s status may no longer be renewed on the same basis. Depending on the circumstances, a change to another status may be possible, so check your options before the period of stay expires. See also our page on change of status of residence.
Sources
- Immigration Services Agency, “Long-Term Resident: spouse of a Nikkei 3rd generation (when the 3rd generation is employed by a company)” (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “Long-Term Resident: when a Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident or Special Permanent Resident supports the applicant” (Japanese)
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of October 7, 2026. Laws, guidelines and their application may change without notice. Requirements and documents can also depend on the details of each case. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information. In case of any difference between our English descriptions and the original Japanese texts, the Japanese texts prevail.