Getting Married in Japan as a Foreigner

Reviewed by Jordy Meow & Emi (accountant) · Updated 22 Jun 2026 · About

Marrying a Japanese national is one of the most common ways foreigners put down roots in Japan. The legal part is surprisingly cheap and quick. The parts worth thinking about carefully are the property rules, what a divorce would mean, and the visa. Here is the whole picture.

This is general information, not legal advice. Marriage and family law gets complicated fast for international couples, because more than one country's law can apply to your assets and any future divorce. For anything with money or children at stake, talk to a family lawyer1.

Registering the marriage (婚姻届) #

In Japan, you are married when your marriage is registered, not when you hold a ceremony. You register by submitting a marriage registration form2 (婚姻届) at a city or ward office, signed by both of you and by two adult witnesses. Once accepted, the marriage is entered into the Japanese partner's family register3 (戸籍).

As the foreign partner, the key extra document is a Certificate of No Impediment4 (婚姻要件具備証明書), which proves you are legally free to marry. You normally get it from your country's embassy in Japan, and the exact process differs by nationality. One recent change worth flagging: from September 1, 2025 the US Embassy no longer notarises the old "Affidavit of Competency to Marry" and instead provides a statement to take to your city office.

You will also typically need your passport and birth certificate, with Japanese translations attached (you can usually translate them yourself; you do not need a certified translator). Gathering everything takes most couples one to three weeks; the city-office visit itself takes an hour or two.

The registration is free. There is no government fee for the 婚姻届 itself.

So what actually costs money? #

Not the marriage, the wedding. A full ceremony and reception in Japan is famously expensive and commonly runs well into the millions of yen once you add a venue, catering, dress and photography. The good news: none of that is required to be legally married. Plenty of couples register at the city office for nothing and celebrate however they like, or not at all.

Is there a "marriage contract"? Japan's default property rules #

There is no Western-style marriage contract you sign at the altar. Instead, the law sets a default property regime, and in Japan that default is separate property:

  • What each of you owned before the marriage stays yours.
  • What is acquired in one person's name during the marriage is treated as that person's.
  • Property that clearly belongs to neither is presumed jointly owned.

This matters because it is different from "community property" systems some foreigners are used to back home.

Why a foreigner might want a prenup (夫婦財産契約) #

If you want to depart from that default, Japan does allow a marital property agreement5 (夫婦財産契約). Foreigners reach for one more often than Japanese couples do, usually to bring clarity to cross-border assets, protect pre-marriage or family wealth, or set out what happens to property held in another country.

The rules are strict, so this is not a DIY job:

  • It must be concluded before you register the marriage.
  • To be enforceable against third parties (and your spouse's heirs), it must be registered before the marriage is registered.
  • It cannot run against Japanese public policy.

Because which country's law governs your matrimonial property can itself be a complex question for an international couple, this is exactly the kind of thing to set up with a lawyer well before the wedding date.

If it does not work out: divorce #

Japan recognises divorce by mutual agreement (the simplest, you both sign and file a divorce form), by family-court mediation, and by court judgment when you cannot agree. The money splits into two very different buckets, and it is worth being clear-eyed about both.

A one-time split of assets. This is the division of property6 (財産分与): the assets the two of you built up during the marriage are divided, often roughly in half, regardless of whose name they are in. It sits on top of the separate-property default, so what counts as "marital" versus "personal" is frequently the heart of the fight. On top of this, consolation money7 (慰謝料) may be owed where one side is clearly at fault, and pension records built up during the marriage can be split too.

Ongoing child support, for years. This is the part people underestimate, and it is usually the real financial weight. If you have children, the parent who does not have custody pays child support11 (養育費) every month, normally until the child is grown (commonly age 18 to 20, and often through university by agreement). The amount comes from the family courts' calculation tables, based on both parents' incomes, the number of children and their ages. As a rough example, a payer earning ¥6 million with an ex on ¥3 million and two young children would owe somewhere around ¥60,000 to ¥80,000 a month. From April 2026 there is also a statutory floor of ¥20,000 per child per month even where nothing was agreed.

So the honest picture is not really 50/50. The asset split is a one-time, roughly-even event. The lasting cost is child support, and here the system has long leaned heavily one way: custody is awarded to the mother in the large majority of cases (around 80 to 90 percent), which means it is usually the father paying support for many years, often while seeing the children far less than half the time. For a lot of foreign parents this has been the single hardest part of divorcing in Japan. The 2026 reform below changes who is allowed to hold custody, but it does not remove the support obligation.

Custody is changing in 2026 #

This is the big recent change. Japan historically allowed sole custody only after divorce, which caused real heartache for many foreign parents. A revised Civil Code, passed in 2024, introduces joint parental authority8 (共同親権) and takes effect on April 1, 2026.

In short:

  • Parents can choose joint parental authority after divorce, and the family court can order it even if one parent objects.
  • Joint authority means big decisions are made together, but it does not mean the child splits time equally between homes.
  • There are safeguards: the court must award sole authority where joint custody would harm the child, for example in cases of domestic violence or abuse.
  • A statutory minimum child-support system launches alongside it.

If children are involved in an international relationship, this reform changes the landscape, so get current advice.

The visa: Spouse of a Japanese National #

Marriage opens the door to the Spouse of a Japanese National visa9 (日本人の配偶者等). It is one of the most flexible statuses: you can do any kind of work (employee, company owner or freelancer, unlike most work visas), and it is a relatively fast route toward permanent residency. You still have to apply for it, prove the relationship is genuine, and renew it.

What many people do not realise is what happens to it in a divorce:

  • You must file a notification with the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days of the divorce.
  • The spouse status loses its basis, and as a rule it can be cancelled if you have not changed it within six months.
  • The common move is to apply to change to Long-Term Resident10 (定住者), which is realistic if, say, you have been married a while or are raising a Japanese child, or to switch to a work visa. If you qualify for neither, you may have to leave.

If you are freelancing on a spouse visa and a divorce changes your status, our freelance visa guide and the 2025 to 2026 visa changes summary are good next reads.

Official references: Immigration Services Agency · Ministry of Justice, Civil Code custody reform · US Embassy, marriage in Japan

This might help #

1 Lawyer : 弁護士 bengoshi
2 Marriage registration form : 婚姻届 kon'in todoke
3 Family register : 戸籍 koseki
4 Certificate of No Impediment : 婚姻要件具備証明書 kon'in yōken gubi shōmeisho
5 Marital property agreement : 夫婦財産契約 fūfu zaisan keiyaku
6 Division of property : 財産分与 zaisan bunyo
7 Consolation money : 慰謝料 isharyō
8 Joint parental authority : 共同親権 kyōdō shinken
9 Spouse of a Japanese National : 日本人の配偶者等 nihonjin no haigūsha tō
10 Long-Term Resident : 定住者 teijūsha
11 Child support : 養育費 yōikuhi

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to get married in Japan?
The legal registration itself is free. The cost is the celebration: a full ceremony and reception in Japan commonly runs well into the millions of yen, though you can marry for almost nothing if you skip the party.
Do I automatically get a visa if I marry a Japanese national?
No. Marriage lets you apply for the Spouse of a Japanese National visa, but it is a separate application with its own documents and proof of a genuine relationship. Approval is not automatic.
Can we sign a prenuptial agreement in Japan?
Yes, a marital property agreement (夫婦財産契約) is allowed, but it must be signed and registered before you register the marriage to be effective against third parties. They are rarely used in Japan, so get a lawyer.
How much is child support in Japan, and how long do you pay it?
It is set from the family courts' income-based tables. As a rough example, a payer earning ¥6 million with an ex on ¥3 million and two young children would owe around ¥60,000 to ¥80,000 a month. It usually runs until the child is grown, commonly age 18 to 20 and often through university, so it is a long commitment rather than a one-time split. Custody goes to the mother in roughly 80 to 90 percent of cases, so in practice it is most often the father who pays.
What happens to my spouse visa if we divorce?
You must notify immigration within 14 days, and the spouse status loses its basis. As a rule you have up to six months to change to another status, such as Long-Term Resident or a work visa, or you must leave Japan.
Is custody joint or sole after a divorce in Japan?
Historically Japan allowed sole custody only. From April 1, 2026 a reform allows joint parental authority (共同親権) after divorce, decided either by agreement or by the family court.