Applying for a Japan Spouse Visa When Both Spouses Live Abroad: COE Representative, Required Documents and Steps

Note: This article is based on Japanese laws and materials published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) as of October 9, 2026.

When both spouses live abroad, a relative living in Japan acts as the representative and applies for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE, 在留資格認定証明書) for a spouse visa (status of residence "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", 日本人の配偶者等). The application is filed with a regional immigration services bureau. Who can act as a representative is set by a Ministry of Justice Order (法務省令) as "the person's relative who resides in Japan" (本邦に居住する本人の親族).

The documents to submit when the expenses for the stay cannot be certified with Japanese resident tax (Individual Inhabitant Tax) certificates are stated on the ISA's page. This article explains who can apply, the documents to be submitted, the steps up to entry into Japan, and the time the examination takes, following the published materials.

Who applies when both spouses are abroad?

When both spouses live abroad, a relative living in Japan acts as the representative and files the application. In principle, the application is filed with the regional immigration services bureau that has jurisdiction over the address of the relative who acts as the representative.

A Certificate of Eligibility is a document by which a foreign national who intends to enter Japan has it certified in advance, before entry, that he or she meets the conditions for landing. The persons who can apply are set as follows.

Source: Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (in Japanese), Article 7-2; Regulation for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則) (in Japanese), Article 6-2 and Appended Table IV; Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Application for Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese)

If the Japanese spouse lives in Japan, the Japanese spouse acts as the representative. While both spouses live abroad, the Japanese spouse does not count as "a relative who resides in Japan", so the couple asks another relative living in Japan to act as the representative.

While both spouses are abroad, a representative is needed even if you engage a gyoseishoshi. This is because a gyoseishoshi's role is to submit the documents in place of the applicant or the representative when that person is staying in Japan.

The scope of "relatives" who can act as a representative

The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and its Regulation for Enforcement do not define the scope of "relatives" who can act as a representative. The Civil Code (民法) defines relatives as "relatives by blood within the sixth degree of kinship, a spouse, and relatives by marriage within the third degree of kinship" (Civil Code, Article 725).

Applying the Civil Code's definition, the Japanese spouse's parents are the applicant's relatives by marriage in the first degree, and the Japanese spouse's brothers and sisters are relatives by marriage in the second degree. Whether the immigration office decides using the same scope as the Civil Code is not stated in the published materials (as of October 2026).

In our office's experience with applications where both spouses lived abroad, a relative of the Japanese spouse, living in Japan, acted as the representative.

When a representative submits the documents, the representative presents a document, such as a family register certificate (戸籍謄本), for confirming that he or she is a person who can submit the application documents.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q3 and Q4, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese); Civil Code (in Japanese), Article 725

Documents to be submitted as set by the ISA

The list of documents to be submitted is the same as when the Japanese spouse lives in Japan. The ISA's page has no separate list for couples living abroad (as of October 2026).

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese)

When both spouses live abroad, three items, namely the resident tax certificates, the Letter of Guarantee and the Certificate of Residence, sometimes cannot be prepared as the list requires. The next three sections explain how each is handled.

Certifying the expenses for the stay when resident tax certificates cannot be submitted

The documents to submit when the expenses for the stay cannot be certified with resident tax certificates are stated on the ISA's page.

The ISA's list describes the person who submits the resident tax certificates as "the person who bears the expenses of the applicant's stay" (申請人の滞在費用を支弁する方). It then advises that when the expenses for the stay cannot be certified with these certificates "because the person has only recently entered Japan, has moved, or the like" (入国後間もない場合や転居等により), the following documents and similar materials should be submitted.

It is stated that a copy of a bankbook may also be, for example, a printout of an online bankbook screen (one that shows the transaction history). However, this is limited to printouts made in a form that cannot be edited; Excel files and the like are not accepted.

This page contains no statement that specifically names the case of living abroad and not being subject to Japanese resident tax (as of October 2026).

How the case of being unable to submit resident tax certificates is handled also appears in the ISA's Q&A (a common question under "Procedures during your stay" (在留中の手続)). The answer is to prepare, in any format, and submit a statement of reasons (理由書) explaining why they cannot be submitted. If you have documents that give an indication of your income for the most recent year, such as a withholding record (源泉徴収票) or pay slips, submit them together.

In our office's experience with applications where both spouses lived abroad, we prepared the following documents.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese), "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q26

Who writes the Letter of Guarantee?

Who becomes the guarantor (身元保証人) when the Japanese spouse lives abroad is not stated on the ISA's page (as of October 2026).

What the ISA's page has is one sentence: "The Japanese spouse residing in Japan is to be the guarantor."

In our office's experience with applications where both spouses lived abroad, a relative of the Japanese spouse, living in Japan, became the guarantor.

When asking a relative, explaining what the guarantor's responsibility involves makes it easier for the relative to decide whether to accept. The Letter of Guarantee guarantees three things: "living expenses while in Japan" (滞在費), "transportation fee for repatriation" (帰国旅費) and "to abide by the Japanese law" (法令の遵守).

The ISA explains that the guaranteed matters have no legally binding force and that, even if they are not fulfilled, the authorities go no further than giving guidance. However, it states that in that case the person loses social trust, for example by being regarded as lacking the suitability to be a guarantor in later applications for entry or residence, and that the guarantee therefore imposes a moral responsibility.

The guarantor writes his or her name on the Letter of Guarantee in his or her own handwriting. The ISA's form has no space for a seal.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese), "Letter of Guarantee" (in Japanese), "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q53

What to do when there is no Certificate of Residence

The document to submit instead when a Certificate of Residence cannot be submitted is not stated on the ISA's page either (as of October 2026). A person who has filed a moving-out notification for moving abroad has no Certificate of Residence in any municipality in Japan.

In our office's experience, we submitted the Japanese spouse's "supplementary family register" (戸籍の附票). The supplementary family register is a record of addresses that the municipality of the registered domicile (本籍地) keeps for each family register. For a person who has filed a moving-out notification for moving abroad, it records "that the person has moved out of Japan" (国外転出者である旨).

A copy of the supplementary family register can be requested by the person himself or herself, and also by a spouse, parents and grandparents (lineal ascendants), and children and grandchildren (lineal descendants). A gyoseishoshi who has been engaged can also apply for it to be issued.

Another way is to request a copy of the "deleted Certificate of Residence" (住民票の除票) kept by the municipality where the person last lived. The retention period for a deleted Certificate of Residence is 150 years from the date the Certificate of Residence was deleted.

This retention period also applies to deleted Certificates of Residence that municipalities were keeping as of June 20, 2019. Older ones that were no longer kept at that point cannot be issued.

Which to submit, the supplementary family register or the deleted Certificate of Residence, is not something the ISA specifies.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese); Basic Resident Registration Act (住民基本台帳法) (in Japanese), Articles 15-4, 16, 17 and 20; Order for Enforcement of the Basic Resident Registration Act (住民基本台帳法施行令) (in Japanese), Article 34, paragraph 1; Cabinet Order No. 26 of 2019, Supplementary Provisions, Article 2, paragraph 2

Points to check for the other documents

For the marriage certificate, the Questionnaire and the Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate (結核非発病証明書), the preparation changes depending on the couple's circumstances and the applicant's nationality.

Marriage certificate issued by an authority of the country of nationality, and its translation

Attach a Japanese translation to documents in a foreign language. The ISA answers that anyone may do the translation, as long as the translation is accurate and bears the translator's signature.

If no marriage certificate is issued by an authority of the country of nationality because the marriage notification was filed in Japan first, write the circumstances that prevent you from submitting it on a document in any format and submit that.

The name and format of the certificate differ from country to country.

Questionnaire

The Questionnaire is an eight-page document in which you write the time you first came to know each other and the developments leading to the marriage, the language used by the couple, relatives and other matters. At the end, the applicant's spouse signs it.

For the developments leading to the marriage, it is stated that if the space provided is insufficient, you may use additional pages.

Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate (for applicants of the designated nationalities)

Applicants who hold the nationality of a designated country submit a "Tuberculosis Clearance Certificate" when applying for a Certificate of Eligibility. It is a certificate issued by a medical institution in the designated country that has been designated by the Japanese government. Its validity period is, in principle, 180 days from the date of the medical examination, and a copy is acceptable.

The rows for Indonesia, Myanmar and China show the schedule as of October 2026.

Even with a designated nationality, an applicant is not subject to this requirement if it can be confirmed by a residence permit or similar document that the country or region where he or she now lives is not a designated country. In this case, submit a copy of the residence permit or similar document of the country or region where you live, and a written explanation.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q24 and Q51, "Questionnaire" (in Japanese), "Pre-entry Tuberculosis Screening" (in Japanese)

Steps from application to entry into Japan

A Certificate of Eligibility is valid for three months, and it loses its effect unless an application for landing is made within three months from the date of issuance. From application to entry, the steps proceed in the following order.

1. Ask a relative living in Japan to act as the representative, and gather the documents
2. The representative files the application with the regional immigration services bureau that has jurisdiction over his or her address (a gyoseishoshi who has been engaged can submit the documents in place of the representative)
3. The regional immigration services bureau examines the application and issues the Certificate of Eligibility
4. Send the COE to the applicant abroad (a COE received by email can be forwarded as it is)
5. The applicant presents the COE at a Japanese embassy or consulate general (在外公館) and is issued a visa (査証)
6. Come to Japan within three months from the date of issuance and make the application for landing at the airport

A COE can be received by email when you apply online, and when you complete user registration online in advance and apply at the counter. A gyoseishoshi who has filed the notification with a regional immigration services bureau can apply for a COE through the Online Residence Application System.

The applicant can apply for the visa and make the application for landing by showing the received email on a smartphone or similar device.

Holding a COE alone does not allow you to enter Japan. The ISA advises applicants to be sure to obtain a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad. A COE also does not guarantee entry: if a change in circumstances or the like comes to light in the landing examination, landing may not be permitted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that, if you hold a COE, it becomes easier to be issued a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad within the standard processing time (five working days). Issuance is not guaranteed.

No fee is charged for the issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility. A fee is charged for an extension of period of stay after entry. The amounts are summarized in Revision of Fees for Status of Residence Procedures.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q4 to Q6, "Application for Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese), "Digitization of the Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese), "Online Procedures for Residence Applications" (in Japanese); Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Specified Visa: Spouse or Child of Japanese National" (in Japanese)

Time the examination takes, and when to apply

For a Certificate of Eligibility for "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", the national average from acceptance of the application to issuance is 106.5 days (COEs issued in July 2026). The standard processing time stated by the ISA is one to three months.

The 106.5 days is an average of only the applications for which a COE was issued. Where additional documents were requested, the days until those documents were submitted are also included. The number of days for each regional immigration services bureau is not published (as of October 2026).

Cases our office filed within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau are summarized in How Many Months Does a Spouse Visa COE Application Take?.

Decide when to apply by counting back from the following two points.

If your intended date of entry is fixed, count back from that date the days for the examination and the days needed for the visa application. If you apply too early, the COE may be issued three months or more before your intended date of entry, and you may have to bring your plans forward. In our office's applications, we have seen issuance take six months or more within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, so we recommend applying early.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Processing Time for Residence Examinations" (in Japanese; COEs issued in July 2026), "Application for Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese), "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q6

If you have no relative in Japan to ask

If there is no relative in Japan who can be asked to act as the representative, one option is for the Japanese spouse to return to Japan first and act as the representative.

Once the Japanese spouse lives in Japan, the Japanese spouse becomes the representative and the guarantor, and can also obtain a Certificate of Residence. If, soon after returning, the expenses for the stay cannot be certified with resident tax certificates, submit a copy of a bankbook and the like. There will be a period in which the couple live apart until the applicant enters Japan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises that, in cases such as where the Japanese spouse lives outside Japan and the application for a COE cannot be made in Japan, you consult in advance the Japanese embassy or consulate where you will apply for the visa. It is also possible to apply for a visa directly at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad without a COE, but it is stated that many documents are required and that processing takes several months.

Entering Japan together as Temporary Visitors

Having the couple come to Japan first and changing from Temporary Visitor (短期滞在) to a spouse visa in Japan is, in principle, not permitted. The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act provides that a change of status of residence from Temporary Visitor is not permitted unless it is based on "special unavoidable circumstances" (やむを得ない特別の事情).

Even if a COE is issued while you are in Japan, that alone does not amount to special circumstances. Coming to Japan as a Temporary Visitor is for the activities of a Temporary Visitor, such as visiting relatives. To live in Japan as a spouse, you receive a COE, obtain a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad, and then enter Japan.

Which approach suits you depends on whether you have relatives in Japan, when you want to enter, and the couple's work circumstances. In our consultation on spouse visas (Certificate of Eligibility) for couples living abroad, we review the representative and how to put the documents together with you.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q3 and Q55, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National' (when the applicant is the spouse)" (in Japanese); Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Specified Visa: Spouse or Child of Japanese National" (in Japanese); Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 20, paragraph 3

Frequently Asked Questions

How much in savings is enough?

The ISA's page does not state a standard amount (as of October 2026). What the ISA lists is types of documents: besides a copy of a bankbook, there are the certificate of prospective employment and the notice of job offer issued by a company in Japan. If your job in Japan has been decided, submit those documents as well.

Can I obtain a Japanese family register certificate while still abroad?

Yes. One way is to have your parents or grandparents in Japan request it, and another is to engage a gyoseishoshi.

A family register certificate can be requested by the person himself or herself, and also by a spouse, parents and grandparents, and children and grandchildren, and it can also be sent by post (Family Register Act (戸籍法), Article 10). A gyoseishoshi who has been engaged can request it when it is necessary for his or her professional duties (Article 10-2, paragraph 3 of the same Act).

What period of stay will I be given when I enter Japan?

The period of stay for "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" is five years, three years, one year or six months. Which period applies is decided by the immigration inspector when permitting landing (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 9, paragraph 3).

The Immigration and Residence Examination Guidelines (入国・在留審査要領), a document for immigration staff, list five conditions for granting five years and require that all of them be met. One of them is that the marriage and life as a spouse are expected to continue (limited to cases where the period of living together after marriage exceeds three years). Three of the conditions, including fulfilment of notification obligations, are stated not to apply to the decision at the time of landing.

Summary

When both spouses live abroad, a relative living in Japan acts as the representative and applies for the Certificate of Eligibility for a spouse visa. The list of documents to be submitted is the same, and when the expenses for the stay cannot be certified with resident tax certificates, a copy of a bankbook and the like are submitted. Because the handling of the Letter of Guarantee and the Certificate of Residence is not stated on the ISA's page, the documents are put together to fit the couple's circumstances.

A COE is valid for three months, and the national average until issuance is 106.5 days (COEs issued in July 2026). Checking first whether you have a relative in Japan who can be asked to act as the representative, and your intended date of entry, makes it easier to decide when to apply.

References

• Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (in Japanese), Article 7-2; Article 9, paragraph 3; Article 20, paragraph 3
• Regulation for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (in Japanese), Article 6-2, Appended Table II and Appended Table IV
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Application for Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence 'Spouse or Child of Japanese National'" (in Japanese), "Same (when the foreign national (applicant) is the spouse (husband or wife) of a Japanese national)" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Letter of Guarantee" (in Japanese), "Questionnaire" (in Japanese) (forms)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A" (in Japanese), Q3 to Q6, Q24, Q26, Q51, Q53 and Q55
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Pre-entry Tuberculosis Screening (for nationals of the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam and Indonesia)" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Digitization of the Certificate of Eligibility" (in Japanese), "Online Procedures for Residence Applications" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Processing Time for Residence Examinations" (in Japanese; COEs issued in July 2026)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Specified Visa: Spouse or Child of Japanese National" (in Japanese; March 2023)
• Civil Code (in Japanese), Article 725
• Basic Resident Registration Act (in Japanese), Articles 15-4, 16, 17 and 20; Order for Enforcement of the Basic Resident Registration Act (in Japanese), Article 34, paragraph 1; Cabinet Order No. 26 of 2019, Supplementary Provisions, Article 2, paragraph 2
• Family Register Act (in Japanese), Article 10 and Article 10-2, paragraph 3
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Immigration and Residence Examination Guidelines (入国・在留審査要領), Part 12, Chapter 2, Section 28 (a disclosed document; it is not published on the ISA's website)