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Spouse or Child of a Japanese National

Spouse of Japanese national status is Japan's most flexible family status, with no limit on the work you may do.12 That flexibility comes with the heaviest genuineness examination in the system, because sham-marriage enforcement shaped how every file is read.3

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency site. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi for an eligibility or filing read, or an immigration lawyer for a refusal, a sham-marriage allegation, or an appeal.

Last verified: 2026-09.

Overview​

The 日本人の配偶者等 (nihonjin no haigūsha tō, "spouse or child of a Japanese national") sits in Appended Table 2 of the Immigration Control Act, the table for status based on position rather than activity.14 It covers foreign spouses of Japanese citizens, biological children of Japanese nationals, and children adopted through special adoption.12

This article covers the status mechanics: eligibility, periods, work rights, renewal, and the path to permanent residence. The marriage registration sequence belongs to the family-children pillar's marriage guides, and the evidence craft has its own companion in this subcategory on documenting a genuine relationship.

Eligibility: marriage, children, special adoption​

Spouses​

A qualifying marriage must be legally registered in both countries, which for Japan means an entry on the Japanese spouse's koseki.5 ISA examines whether the marriage is genuine using interviews of both partners, communication records, cohabitation evidence, and home visits in high-risk files.3

Japan registers no same-sex marriage at the national level, so a same-sex partnership with a Japanese national does not qualify for this status as of 2026-09.5 The workaround routes are covered in this subcategory's article on same-sex partnerships and residence status.

Children and special adoptees​

The status also covers children born as children of Japanese nationals and children adopted under Civil Code Article 817-2, the special adoption track decided by a family court.12 Ordinary adoption does not qualify; the statute names the Article 817-2 track specifically.1

Periods of stay and how they escalate​

Granted periods are 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months.52 First grants skew short, often 1 year, and escalate toward 3 and then 5 years as married cohabitation lengthens.3 No published threshold guarantees a longer grant; examiners weigh marriage length, cohabitation stability, and household livelihood together.3 Documentary detail varies slightly by regional bureau, so assemble against your bureau's published list.5

Filing routeFee basisAs of
In-country permission (extension or change)Revised schedule effective 2026-10-01; filings by 2026-09-30 pay pre-revision fees2026-0967

The figures above follow the ISA fee leaflet as of the stated date; confirm current figures with ISA. A Certificate of Eligibility filing from abroad carries no ISA fee, while consular visa issuance has its own separate charge.56

Work rights: no activity restriction​

Holders may do any lawful work, including self-employment, with no 資格外活動許可 (shikakugai katsudō kyoka, "permission for activity outside the status") needed.2 This is the sharpest contrast with Dependent status, where work is banned by default and part-time hours are capped.

Renewal and what kills your renewal​

Renewal re-tests the genuine ongoing marriage, typically through cohabitation plus a shared livelihood.3 Keep joint records continuously; a file that goes quiet between filings invites a short re-grant.3

What kills your renewal:

  • Divorce or bereavement left unaddressed. Notify the regional bureau within 14 days of the event.8 Staying 6 months or more without spousal activity then exposes the status to revocation under Article 22-4(1)(vii), with an Article 22-5 opportunity to seek a change of status or PR first.1910
  • Separate lives with no explanation. Living apart from the start, or drifting apart without a defensible reason, contradicts the status purpose at renewal.3
  • A sham finding. A paid or brokered arrangement ends the file and can draw criminal penalties plus re-entry bars.13
Divorce starts two clocks, not one

The 14-day notice clock runs from the event date, and the 6-month non-spouse clock runs in parallel. Filing the notice preserves nothing by itself; only a change of status or PR filing secures your stay.89

Path to permanent residence​

PR guideline practice opens the spouse track after a genuine marriage of 3 years or more plus 1 year or more of continuous residence in Japan.11 Eligibility runs on the person, not the status label, so a work-status holder married to a Japanese national can apply under the spouse track without converting first.11

Good to know​

Keep cohabitation evidence from day one​

Renewal weighs the shared address and shared bills across the whole period, not just the filing month. Save leases, utility records, and dated photos as they happen.3

A short courtship plus a large age gap draws deeper scrutiny​

Practitioner sources describe interviews and home checks clustering on these files. Extra documentation up front costs less than a document-request cycle later.3

File the 14-day divorce or bereavement notice before planning the next step​

The notice clock runs from the event date regardless of conversion plans. Notify within days, then build the Long-Term Resident or work-status filing with professional help.8

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法」. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. 出入国在留管理庁. 「2025-2026 出入国管理手続案内」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001425124.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. ACROSEED. "Spouse Visa Japan: Period of Stay (1/3/5 Years)." https://english.visajapan.jp/qa/qa_spouse7.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  4. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格から探す」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/index.html ↩

  5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. "Specified visa: Spouse or child of Japanese national." https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/visa10.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  6. 出入国在留管理庁. 「外国人の在留手続に関する手数料」リーフレット. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469200.pdf ↩ ↩2

  7. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等について」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html ↩

  8. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留手続案内」 (Procedures for Entry/Residence). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001453431.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. 法務省入国管理局. 「『日本人の配偶者等』の在留資格から『定住者』への変更許可事例」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930002855.pdf ↩ ↩2

  10. 大田区. 「Marriage/Divorce (Guide to Life in Ota City)」. https://www.city.ota.tokyo.jp/kokusaitoshi/book/life/guide-to-life_english.files/en2024-10.pdf ↩

  11. YOKOYAMA LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE. "Permanent Residency in Japan for Spouses, Children and Long-Term Residents." https://lawoffice-yokoyama.com/english/permanentresidence/spouse_children ↩ ↩2