Spouse Visa in Japan

There is no fixed number set in law. Immigration instead makes a broader judgment: combined income, savings,etc. That said, it is naturally more favorable if you have consistent income coming in, and it also depends on your expenses. Do you live in a city or a suburban area? Do you own your home or will you rent? At Small Seasons, we evaluate this based on the documents available and, depending on the case, may ask you to submit additional documents to strengthen your application.

Generally speaking, no. Tokyo Immigration no longer allows switching directly from a Tourist Visa to a Spouse Visa. There was never a formal direct change-of-status application available for this; rather, it was a special treatment offered to those whose COE was issued while they were on a Tourist Visa. We do not recommend relying on this approach anymore, unless there are humanitarian reasons you can argue for, but “because you are married” unfortunately isn’t enough on its own.

Processing could take 4 to 6 months for a Certificate of Eligibility, though it can extend beyond 6 months depending on the case. Regional immigration bureaus outside Tokyo, such as Osaka or Fukuoka, tend to process faster due to lower application volume.

Yes, one of the advantages of the Spouse Visa is that it doesn’t come with work restrictions like many other visa types. That said, some professions (medicine, law, etc.) still require their own separate licenses or qualifications in Japan, regardless of your visa status.

No. Japan does not currently recognize same-sex marriage, so unfortuantely a Spouse Visa on this basis isn’t available for same-sex couples. A “Designated Activities” (特定活動) visa, however, is available to foreign same-sex couples, provided both parties have a marriage that is legally valid in their respective home countries.

You can begin as early as 3 months before your current visa expires. You could of course start preparing even earlier, but also note that whatever official documents you submit, such as tax certificates, should be issued within 3 months of your submission date.

No. Renewal is simpler than the initial application, and the lengthy questionnaire isn’t required the second time around.

You generally need to have been married for more than 3 years, lived in Japan continuously for over a year, and hold a Spouse Visa with a certified term of stay of 3 years or more. Consistent, on-time tax payments over the past 3 years also matter. Note that the government is currently discussing changing this period to 5 years, as well as introducing income and expected pension amount requirements, so there may be additional requirements to fulfill in the future.

This varies depending on how quickly required documents (such as marriage certificates, tax records, and the relationship questionnaire) can be gathered, but we typically need 1-1.5 months from the initial consultation to submission.

Once submitted, the immigration bureau’s own processing time (4-6 months) is separate and outside our control.

Yes. We regularly support clients applying from outside Japan, guiding the Japanese spouse through the COE application process and coordinating with you remotely throughout. That said, you will need a family member residing in Japan, if not your Japanese spouse themselves, to apply for the COE while you are overseas.

Yes. Our team is fully bilingual, so you can work with us entirely in English or Japanese, whichever is more comfortable for you, from the initial consultation through document preparation and submission.