Contents
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Key points
- When two foreign nationals marry at a Japanese municipal office, the marriage is valid under Japanese law, but it is not recorded in any koseki (family register). The notification form itself is the official record.
- There are two certificates: the certificate of acceptance (受理証明書) and the certificate of the contents of the notification (届書記載事項証明書).
- You request both from the municipal office where you filed, not from the office where you live now.
- Notifications that only concern foreign nationals are kept for a limited time: about 50 years for marriage (and divorce, adoption and recognition of a child) and about 10 years for birth and death. After that, they may be discarded.
- For immigration, a certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification is one of the documents accepted as proof of marriage, for example for the Dependent visa.
1. Why there is no koseki record of your marriage
The koseki is a register of Japanese nationals only. When a Japanese national marries, the marriage is entered in their koseki, and a copy of the koseki proves the marriage for years to come.
Two foreign nationals living in Japan can also marry by filing a marriage notification (婚姻届, kon’in todoke) at a city, ward, town or village office. Under Japanese law, the form of a marriage follows the law of the place where it is celebrated, so once the office accepts the notification, the marriage is valid in Japan. (Each person must still meet the marriage requirements of their own country’s law. This is why the office usually asks for a certificate of legal capacity to marry or a similar document.)
However, because neither of you has a koseki, nothing is entered in any register. The marriage notification form and its attachments, kept by the office that accepted them, are the only Japanese record of your marriage. The same applies to other notifications that concern only foreign nationals, such as the birth of your child in Japan, a divorce, or a death.
So when you need to prove your marriage in Japan, or in your home country, you need a certificate issued from that notification.
2. The two certificates you can get
| Certificate of acceptance (受理証明書, juri shomeisho) | Certificate of the contents of the notification (届書記載事項証明書, todokesho kisai jiko shomeisho) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | That the office accepted the notification. It shows the type of notification, the date of filing, the names of the persons who filed it and of the persons concerned (for foreign nationals, the nationality is shown instead of a registered domicile), a summary of the notification, and the date of acceptance | The contents of the notification form itself, usually as a certified copy of the form |
| Who can request it | Only the person who filed the notification (for a marriage, either spouse), or their agent with a power of attorney | An interested party (such as the persons named in the notification) who has a specific reason to need it |
| Where | Only the municipal office that accepted the notification | The municipal office that accepted the notification |
| Typical fee | ¥350 (special B4 version: ¥1,400) | ¥350 |
| Typical use | Visa applications, registering the marriage with your embassy | When the receiving authority needs the details of the form, such as the parents’ names or where you lived |
Certificate of acceptance
This is the certificate most foreign couples use. Under the Family Register Act, only the person who filed the notification can request it. Both spouses sign a marriage notification, so either of you can request it. Someone else, such as a family member or a gyoseishoshi, can request it on your behalf with a power of attorney signed by you.
For marriage, divorce, adoption, dissolution of adoption and recognition of a child, you can also ask for a special version (特別受理証明書) printed on high-quality B4 paper. It was introduced so that Japan could issue a formal certificate similar to marriage certificates in other countries, and some embassies ask for it. It costs more, can take several weeks, and some offices issue it only at their main counter.
Certificate of the contents of the notification
Notification forms contain private information that is not recorded anywhere else, so as a rule they are not open to the public. The law allows access only to an interested party with a specific reason. In practice, a foreign couple who needs to prove a marriage made in Japan is generally treated as having such a reason, because for them the notification is the only proof. You will be asked to write on the request form why you need the certificate and where you will submit it.
How these requests are handled can differ between municipalities, especially for notifications that concern only foreign nationals. Check with the office before you apply.
3. How long the office keeps your notification
A koseki is kept for a very long time. A notification that concerns only foreign nationals is different: it is kept by the office that accepted it for a set period only. Under the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Family Register Act, the periods are as follows.
| Type of notification | Examples | Retention period |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications that create a legal relationship when filed | Marriage, divorce by agreement, adoption, dissolution of adoption, recognition of a child | 50 years from the year after the nendo (年度) of filing |
| Notifications that report a fact | Birth, death | 10 years from the year after the nendo (年度) of filing |
After the retention period, the office may discard the notification, and you may no longer be able to get any certificate from it.
Birth notifications are kept for only 10 years
If your child was born in Japan to two foreign parents, the Japanese record of the birth may be gone after about 10 years. Register the birth with your embassy or consulate, and keep the certificate of acceptance of the birth notification and your home country’s birth certificate in a safe place. You may need them later for your child’s passport, visa applications or school.
4. How to request the certificates
Go to the office where you filed
The certificates are issued only by the municipal office that accepted your notification. If you married in Osaka and now live in Tokyo, you request them from the Osaka office. Your current city office cannot issue them.
What to prepare
- The office’s request form (often called 戸籍証明書等請求書), or a letter with the same information
- The type of notification, the date of filing, and the names of the persons concerned (as written on the form). For foreign nationals, the “registered domicile” (本籍) field is your nationality.
- Your ID, such as your residence card or passport
- For the certificate of the contents: the purpose and where you will submit it, and any document that shows this
- A power of attorney, if someone else requests on your behalf
Requesting by mail
Many offices accept requests by mail. You usually send the request form, a copy of your ID, the fee as a fixed-amount postal money order (定額小為替, teigaku kogawase) and a stamped return envelope with your address. Postal money orders can only be bought at Japanese post offices, so if you live outside Japan, ask the office in advance how you can pay.
If you don’t know the date of filing
Offices ask for the date of filing on the request form. If you do not remember it, try these first:
- Your home country’s records. If you registered the marriage with your embassy or consulate, the document you received may show the date of your marriage in Japan. A marriage filed at a Japanese office takes effect on the day the office accepts it.
- Your past immigration applications. If you once submitted a certificate of acceptance to immigration, for example for a Dependent visa, the copy in your application file shows the date. You can request copies of past applications. See how to get copies of your past immigration applications.
If you still cannot find the date, contact the office where you filed. Every municipal office keeps a reception register (受附帳, uketsuke-cho) that records each notification it accepts, with the names of the persons concerned, their nationality and the date of acceptance. This register is kept for 150 years, much longer than the notification forms. Give the office your names (as written on the form), nationalities, dates of birth and the approximate year of filing, and ask whether it can find the notification. Whether and how an office will search differs between municipalities, so ask by phone before you send a request.
5. Using the certificates for immigration
The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) asks for proof of marriage in several types of applications. For example:
- Dependent (家族滞在): To prove the relationship with your spouse, you submit one of the following: a koseki copy, a certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification, a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, or a similar document. For a couple who married in Japan, the certificate of acceptance is often the simplest choice. See our guide to the Dependent visa.
- Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (永住者の配偶者等): The ISA asks for a marriage certificate issued by your country of nationality. If you also filed the marriage at a Japanese office, it asks for the certificate of acceptance as well.
Certificates issued in Japan must be issued within the last three months. Because the certificate is in Japanese, no translation is needed for the ISA.
6. Registering the marriage in your home country
A marriage that is valid in Japan is not automatically registered in your home country. Many countries ask their nationals to report a marriage made abroad to their embassy or consulate, and the certificate of acceptance is the usual Japanese document for this. Some countries also require an apostille or consular legalization on the Japanese certificate, or a translation. Requirements differ from country to country, so check with your embassy before you request the certificate.
Divorce works the same way
If a foreign couple divorces at a Japanese municipal office, the divorce is also not recorded in any koseki, and you prove it with a certificate of acceptance of the divorce notification. Whether a divorce by agreement in Japan is possible for your nationality, and whether your home country recognizes it, depends on your country’s law. Check this before filing.
7. Practical tips
- Request several copies when you file. You will need them for your embassy, for immigration and possibly for your employer. Getting them on the same day saves a trip later.
- Write down the filing details. Keep a note of the office, the date of filing and the names exactly as written on the form. You need these details for any later request.
- Keep the originals safely. Japanese offices may ask for a recently issued certificate, but an old original can still help you show the facts if the record is later discarded.
- Check your embassy’s requirements first. Ask whether they need the standard certificate, the special B4 version, an apostille or a translation.
For questions about your own situation, see our Written Answer. If you would like us to handle your visa application, send us an inquiry. We will tell you whether we can help and which of our services fits.
Sources
- e-Gov, Family Register Act, Article 48 (Japanese)
- e-Gov, Ordinance for Enforcement of the Family Register Act, Articles 21, 50 and 66 (Japanese)
- e-Gov, Act on General Rules for Application of Laws, Article 24 (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “Dependent” (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident” (Japanese)
- Kobe City, “Certificate of acceptance of family register notifications” (Japanese)
- Koto City, “Certificate of the contents of notifications” (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 November 4, 2026. Laws, guidelines and their application may change without notice. Fees and procedures for certificates differ between municipalities. 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.