Japan Spouse Visa Requirements: 6 Key Approval Factors (2026 Guide)

What Is the Japan Spouse Visa?

The Japan Spouse Visa — officially called the "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" status of residence — allows foreign nationals who are legally married to a Japanese citizen to live in Japan. Unlike most work-related visas, the spouse visa comes with no restrictions on employment, meaning you can work in any job or start a business.

Japan's immigration system is managed by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA, formerly known as the Immigration Bureau). All visa applications are reviewed by regional immigration offices throughout the country. Understanding what these offices look for in a spouse visa application is the key to a successful outcome.

Depending on your situation, you will file one of three types of applications:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Application — If your spouse is currently living outside Japan, the Japanese spouse (or a legal representative) files this application at a regional immigration office in Japan. Once approved, the COE is sent to the foreign spouse, who then applies for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in their home country.
• Change of Status of Residence — If your spouse is already in Japan on another visa (e.g., student, work, or designated activities), they can apply to switch to the spouse visa without leaving the country.
• Extension of Period of Stay — If your spouse already holds a spouse visa and the expiration date is approaching, they apply to renew it.

The ISA evaluates spouse visa applications based on 6 key factors. This guide, supervised by a certified administrative scrivener (a licensed legal professional specializing in immigration procedures in Japan), explains each factor in detail.

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Factor 1: A Legal Marriage Must Be Established

A legally registered marriage is the absolute prerequisite for a spouse visa application. This is the most fundamental requirement — without it, your application will not even be considered.

Common-law or de facto relationships do not qualify

Under Japanese immigration law, "spouse" means a person in a legally registered marriage. Living together as an unmarried couple (common-law marriage, de facto relationship) or being engaged does not qualify for a spouse visa application.

Previous marriages must be legally dissolved

If either the Japanese or foreign spouse has been previously married, the divorce must be legally finalized before the new marriage can be registered. If the previous marriage has not been formally dissolved, the new marriage may be considered legally invalid due to bigamy laws.

Special considerations for international marriages

For international marriages, it is usually not enough to register the marriage only in Japan. You may also need to complete marriage procedures in the foreign spouse's home country. Requirements vary by country, so it is important to check with the relevant embassy or consulate well in advance.

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Factor 2: Immigration Violations Make Approval Extremely Difficult

If the foreign spouse has a history of immigration violations, the spouse visa review becomes significantly more difficult. Depending on the type and severity of the violation, it may even be impossible to apply.

Deportation history

If you have been deported from Japan, you are subject to a re-entry ban — typically 5 years (or 10 years for repeat offenders). During this period, you are generally not permitted to enter Japan at all. Even after the ban expires, a deportation history remains a major negative factor in the review.

Overstay history

If you are currently overstaying your visa, the normal application process is not available to you. You would need to consider turning yourself in to immigration authorities and applying for Special Permission to Stay. A past overstay (already resolved) is still considered a negative factor in the review.

Unauthorized employment

Working outside the scope of your visa status (e.g., exceeding the 28-hour weekly limit for student visa holders) is treated as a serious negative factor in the immigration review.

Criminal record

A criminal record — whether in Japan or abroad — significantly hurts your application. The type and severity of the offense, as well as how much time has passed, are all taken into consideration.

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Factor 3: Authenticity of Marriage Is the Most Important Factor

The authenticity of your marriage is the most heavily weighted factor in the spouse visa review. The ISA's primary concern is: "Is this a sham marriage entered into solely for the purpose of obtaining a visa?" To answer this question, they examine your relationship from multiple angles.

Length of relationship

The length of your relationship is one of the basic indicators used to assess authenticity.

• 2 years or more — Generally viewed as strong evidence of a genuine relationship
• 6 months to 2 years — Within the normal range and unlikely to raise concerns
• Less than 3 months — Considered high-risk and likely to draw extra scrutiny

That said, the length of the relationship alone does not determine the outcome. A shorter relationship can be offset by strong evidence of authenticity in other areas.

Number of in-person meetings

For long-distance international relationships, the number of times you have met in person is an important evaluation factor.

• 10 or more meetings, or having lived together — Viewed very favorably
• 5 to 9 meetings — Within the standard range
• 3 to 4 meetings — May be considered somewhat insufficient
• 1 to 2 meetings — High risk of being suspected as a sham marriage

Online communication (LINE, video calls, etc.) can serve as supplementary evidence, but it does not replace in-person meetings.

Communication ability

The ability to communicate between spouses is considered fundamental to a real marriage.

• Fluent in a shared language — No issues
• Basic conversational ability — Generally acceptable, but more supporting evidence may be required
• No shared language, relying solely on translation apps — Raises concerns about whether genuine communication is possible

How you met

The circumstances of how you met are also reviewed.

• Workplace or school — Viewed as a natural way to meet, favorable
• Introduction by friends or family — Normal and not a concern
• Dating apps or matchmaking websites — Widely accepted as a common way to meet nowadays and generally not an issue by itself
• Marriage agencies or brokers — Requires caution. These have been used as channels for sham marriages, so immigration tends to scrutinize these cases more carefully

Age difference

An age difference of more than 20 years does not automatically lead to rejection, but when combined with other risk factors, it can increase suspicion of a sham marriage. For example, a large age gap combined with a short relationship and few in-person meetings would be a particularly concerning combination.

Evidence preparation is key

Preparing solid documentary evidence of your relationship is one of the most important things you can do to strengthen your application.

• Photos of the two of you taken at different times and places (trips, meals, events, etc.)
• Communication records from LINE, Messenger, or other apps showing regular daily interaction
• Travel records (passport stamps, flight booking confirmations, etc.)
• Remittance records (if you have been sending living expenses)
• Letters or cards exchanged between you (if available)

A lack of photos together is a major red flag that can lead to doubts about the reality of your marriage.

Introduction to families

Having been introduced to both families is strong evidence that your marriage is socially recognized. An introduction to only one family is better than none, but not having met either family is a risk factor.

Wedding ceremony or reception

Holding a wedding ceremony is not mandatory, but having one — especially with family members in attendance — is viewed favorably. Even a small dinner party is better than nothing at all. If other risk factors are present, the lack of any ceremony can become an additional negative point.

Divorce history

Divorce history attracts particular scrutiny in the following cases:

• The foreign spouse has a previous divorce from a Japanese national — May raise suspicion that the previous marriage was a sham entered for immigration purposes
• The Japanese spouse has multiple divorces from foreign nationals — May raise suspicion of repeated involvement in sham marriages

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Factor 4: Demonstrating Financial Stability

The ISA also reviews whether you have sufficient financial resources to live a stable life in Japan. The underlying concern is: "After entering Japan, will this person end up in financial hardship and become dependent on public assistance?"

Income guidelines

The general guideline for household income is:

Required annual income = ¥2,500,000 + ¥500,000 per dependent

For example, a couple with no children would need approximately ¥2,500,000 (approx. USD $17,000), while a couple with one child would need about ¥3,000,000 (approx. USD $20,000).

The Japanese spouse's income is the primary focus, though the foreign spouse's income can also be considered. However, for COE applications (where the foreign spouse is still overseas), the foreign spouse's "expected income in Japan" is treated as uncertain and carries less weight.

What if your income is below the guideline?

Even if your income falls below the guideline, the following can help compensate:

• Savings — Having ¥2,000,000 or more in savings can effectively offset an income shortfall
• Additional guarantor — Having a financially stable family member serve as an additional guarantor can help alleviate concerns about financial stability

However, if your income is significantly below 80% of the guideline, you have little savings, and no additional guarantor is available, the risk of rejection increases substantially.

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Factor 5: Fulfillment of Public Obligations Is Required

In Japan, all residents — including foreign nationals — are required to enroll in the public pension system and national health insurance. These are not optional, and the ISA takes compliance with these obligations very seriously.

Following the 2024 amendment to Japan's immigration law, compliance with public obligations is now reviewed more strictly than ever. Previously, minor lapses might have been overlooked if other aspects of the application were strong. Now, failure to pay these obligations can directly lead to rejection.

Three public obligations reviewed

• Resident Tax (住民税 / jūminzei) — A local tax levied by your municipality based on your previous year's income
• National Pension (国民年金 / kokumin nenkin) — Japan's public pension system; all residents aged 20–59 are required to contribute
• National Health Insurance (国民健康保険 / kokumin kenkō hoken) — Japan's public health insurance; all residents must be enrolled in some form of health insurance

All three must be fully paid up at the time of application.

Risks of non-payment

If any of these obligations are unpaid, the risk of rejection is very high — regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.

• Previously late but now fully paid — Not an automatic rejection, but still a negative factor
• Pension exemption approved — If you have gone through the official exemption process, this is acceptable
• For COE applications — The Japanese spouse's payment status is the primary focus

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Factor 6: Living Together as a Married Couple

The spouse visa is based on the premise that you will live together as a married couple in Japan. The ISA verifies that you actually intend to reside together after entry.

How cohabitation is evaluated

• Already living together — The best scenario (for change of status or extension applications)
• Plan to live together immediately after arrival (housing already secured) — No issues. Being able to provide a specific address is important
• Plan to find housing after arrival — Slightly unfavorable, as it may give the impression of insufficient preparation
• Living apart with a reasonable explanation — Situations such as job transfers may be accepted with proper documentation
• Living apart with no particular reason — Significantly increases the risk of rejection, as it may suggest the marriage lacks substance

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Additional Notes on Extension Applications

Extension applications tend to be reviewed somewhat more leniently than first-time applications (COE or change of status), since you have a track record of having been approved before.

Progression of stay periods

Spouse visa periods of stay typically progress as follows:

• First renewal — Usually granted a 1-year period of stay
• Second and subsequent renewals — If everything is in order, may be extended to 3 years
• Long-term stable marriages — A 5-year period of stay is possible for couples with a long, stable marriage history

Key areas reviewed during extension

Extension reviews focus on:

• Continuity of the marriage — Is the marriage still intact and functioning well?
• Cohabitation — Are you actually living together?
• Public obligations — Are taxes, pension, and health insurance payments up to date?

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Summary: The 6 Key Factors

Here is a recap of the 6 factors the ISA evaluates for spouse visa applications:

1. Legal marriage — A legally registered marriage is an absolute requirement. Common-law relationships do not qualify.
2. Immigration violation history — Deportation, overstay, unauthorized work, or criminal records make approval extremely difficult.
3. Authenticity of marriage — The most heavily weighted factor. Length of relationship, number of meetings, communication ability, and documentary evidence are all critical.
4. Financial stability — Guideline household income is ¥2,500,000 + ¥500,000 per dependent. Savings and additional guarantors can compensate.
5. Public obligations — Full payment of resident tax, pension, and health insurance is required. Stricter enforcement since the 2024 legal reform.
6. Cohabitation — Living together is the default expectation. Living apart without good reason is a major risk factor.

Understanding these factors and preparing thoroughly is the most reliable path to approval. If you have concerns about any of these areas, consider consulting a certified immigration specialist (administrative scrivener or attorney) who handles immigration cases.

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Disclaimer

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration reviews are decided on a case-by-case basis, and the information in this article may not apply to every situation. For advice on your specific case, please consult a qualified immigration specialist such as a certified administrative scrivener or attorney.