Japan Spouse Visa

Last verified June 12, 2026 against official ISA/MOFA sources

The COE application form, line by line

The Certificate of Eligibility application for a spouse visa is one form — Appended Form 6-3 — three sheets, 28 items, plus the questionnaire and letter of guarantee. Nearly everything that confuses applicants lives in four fields: item 25 (method of support), item 26 (supporter), item 27 (guarantor), and item 28 (who signs). This page walks every item on the current official form, which we downloaded and verified in June 2026.

Before you start

Print on A4, single-sided — the ISA instructions are explicit on both points, and letter-size paper from North American printers is the most common formatting mistake. The Excel version can be typed; the signature and form date must be handwritten.

The photo is 4cm × 3cm, taken within 6 months of submission, name written on the back — or printed directly into the form's photo box [source] . Japan-issued certificates (koseki, 住民票, tax certificates) must be issued within 3 months of submission. Any document in a language other than Japanese needs a Japanese translation attached — there is no certified-translator requirement; a translation by your spouse with their name and date on it is accepted. The documents checklist covers every required item with its fine print.

The form you fill is the same whether the application is submitted on paper or online, and whether the applicant is abroad (the normal case) or already in Japan. If you're in Japan on a mid/long-term visa, you may not need a COE at all — see changing status inside Japan.

Part 1 — about the applicant (items 1–21)

Part 1 is common to every COE category. Most of it is mechanical; these are the fields where real applications go wrong.

  1. Item 1–6 — Nationality, date of birth, name, sex, place of birth, marital status

    Write your name exactly as it appears in your passport, in CAPITAL letters, family name first. If your passport still shows your maiden name, use the maiden name here — the form must match the passport you will travel on, and a married name that exists only on your marriage certificate causes mismatch questions. Marital status: Married (既婚).

  2. Item 7 — Occupation

    Your current occupation in your home country. If you have no job, write "None" — applicants worry this hurts the application, but the financial assessment is made on the supporter's side (items 25–26), not on this field. A general descriptor like "Company employee" is fine; an exact job title is not required.

  3. Item 8 — Home town/city

    Your home town, not your current address — this pairs with item 5 (place of birth) for identity verification.

  4. Item 9 — Address in Japan

    Where you will live after arrival. The standard answer is your spouse's current address. If the two of you haven't secured a home yet, use the address where you will first stay — your spouse's registered residence (the one on the 住民票 you are submitting) is what immigration expects to see here. The result is also mailed in care of this case, so it must be a real, reachable address.

  5. Item 10 — Passport number and expiration

    If your passport is being renewed, apply with the one you currently hold — but the passport you eventually travel on must match the visa, so finish any renewal before the embassy visa step.

  6. Item 11 — Purpose of entry

    Check Ｔ 「日本人の配偶者等」 / "Spouse or Child of Japanese National". This single checkbox decides which Part 2/3 sheets you need (the T sheets).

  7. Item 12–13 — Date of entry / port of entry

    These ask for your intended date and port. You cannot know them precisely while the COE is months away — write a realistic plan (e.g. a date ~5 months out, the airport you would normally use). They are declarations of intent, not bookings; do not buy flights for these dates.

  8. Item 14 — Intended length of stay

    This is your request, not what you'll automatically get. Most first-time spouses receive 1 year regardless of what they write; the periods of stay for this status are 6 months, 1, 3, or 5 years. Writing "5 years" or even "permanently" doesn't hurt, but a realistic "3 years" or "5 years" is the common choice.

  9. Item 15–16 — Accompanying persons / intended place to apply for visa

    Item 15 is for family entering with you (children need their own COE applications — one application per person). Item 16: the Japanese embassy or consulate where you will apply for the visa after the COE is issued, normally the one covering your place of residence.

  10. Item 17–18 — Past entries into Japan / past COE applications

    List previous visits with dates; if there are too many to fit, list the most recent and note the total. Item 18 includes the number of times a COE was *not* issued — answer honestly; immigration has this record. A COE that a school or employer filed for you in the past counts as a previous application.

  11. Item 19–20 — Criminal record / deportation history

    Item 19 explicitly includes dispositions for traffic violations, in Japan or overseas. Item 20 covers removal by deportation or departure order. Declare everything — a discovered omission is treated as misrepresentation, which is far more damaging than the record itself.

  12. Item 21 — Family in Japan and co-residents

    Your Japanese spouse goes here (yes, even though they appear again later as supporter and guarantor), plus any other relatives in Japan and anyone you will live with. In-laws count.

Part 2 T — your status and your money (items 22–25)

  1. Item 22 — Personal relationship or status

    Check 日本人の配偶者 (Japanese national's spouse).

  2. Item 23 — Place and date of marriage notification

    Two slots: (1) where and when the marriage was registered with Japanese authorities (the city hall where the 婚姻届 was accepted — this is what puts the marriage on your spouse's koseki), and (2) with the foreign authorities. If your country's registration is still in progress (common for Philippine PSA records), enter what exists and explain the pending step in a cover note.

  3. Item 24 — Applicant's place of employment in Japan

    A job *you* already have lined up in Japan — name, address, annual income. Most applicants have none at this stage: leave it blank or write "None". Do not list a job you merely hope to find; this field is not part of the financial assessment for a spouse COE.

  4. Item 25 — Method of support (滞在費支弁方法) — read carefully

    The first of the three money items, and the most misunderstood field on the form. See the supporter-vs-guarantor section below before filling anything here.

Items 25–27: supporter vs guarantor, finally explained

This block has been the single most-asked question about the spouse visa for a decade. The confusion exists because the form records two different roles that are usually — but not always — the same person.

The supporter (経費支弁者 / 扶養者)

The person who actually pays your living costs in Japan. Item 25 asks how you'll be supported: check Self if you live on your own savings or income, or Supporter in Japan if your spouse supports you — then give a realistic average monthly amount (rent + living share). Item 26 identifies the supporter: name, relationship (husband/wife), employer, annual income. It is the supporter's tax certificates (住民税課税・納税証明書, most recent year) that the document checklist demands — the financial review of your application is a review of this person. Multiple boxes in item 25 can apply (self + supporter); supporters living abroad have their own checkbox and declare remittances under 25(2). How much is enough? The honest answer on the income requirement.

The guarantor (身元保証人)

The person who signs the separate letter of guarantee (身元保証書) and appears in item 27 (just name, occupation, address). The guarantee covers living expenses, repatriation travel costs, and compliance with Japanese law — a moral commitment with no legal enforcement (ISA Q&A). It is not a co-signed loan: the ISA's own Q&A says there is no legal enforcement — a guarantor who doesn't perform loses standing to guarantee future applications, nothing more. For the standard case the checklist is explicit: the guarantor is your Japanese spouse residing in Japan. Friends are not an option for this role — and an in-law's normal place, when the spouse's income is thin, is as an additional supporter in items 25–26. The exception is when your Japanese spouse lives abroad with you — see the box below.

So for a typical application: your Japanese spouse appears in item 21 (family in Japan), item 26 (supporter), item 27 (guarantor), and item 28 (representative) — four times, four roles, one person. That repetition is by design, not a mistake in your form.

What if your Japanese spouse lives abroad with you?

The checklist's "Japanese spouse residing in Japan" instruction assumes the standard case. When both of you live outside Japan — typically applying ahead of moving together — the ISA publishes no rule for who the guarantor should be. We checked the checklist, the procedure pages, and the ISA Q&A: there is no footnote for this situation. Here is what is established, and what is practice.

Established by law — who can file: the COE application is filed in Japan by a relative of the applicant residing in Japan (immigration regulations, Appended Table 4), and "relative" follows the Civil Code definition, which includes relatives by marriage. Your Japanese parents-in-law qualify — a parent-in-law in Japan can submit the paper application as your 代理人 in item 28. One caution: the online filing rule is narrower (the applicant's own parent, spouse, or child in Japan, others only with regional-director approval) — so plan on a paper application at the immigration office.

Practice — who signs the guarantee: immigration offices routinely accept a Japan-resident relative, most often a parent-in-law, signing the 身元保証書 in the spouse's place (some practitioners have the abroad spouse sign one as well). That guarantor's own documents — 住民票, income or tax certificate — go in the file, and a non-spouse guarantor generally means closer scrutiny of the support plan. This is settled practice rather than a published ISA rule; Japan's own consulates point the same way, asking for the guarantee letter from "your spouse's parent or employer in Japan" in their no-COE document lists.

If you have no one in Japan: MOFA's official guidance for exactly this case is to consult your embassy or consulate in advance — a spouse visa can be applied for without a COE. Expect a heavier document list and, in MOFA's own words, processing that takes "a long time (several months)," because the embassy refers the file to immigration in Japan anyway. With a COE the visa step takes about 5 working days; that difference is why couples with a willing relative in Japan almost always use the COE route.

Item 28 — who files, who signs

Item 28 names the person actually making the application: the applicant themself (only possible if you're in Japan), a legal representative, or — the standard case — the relative in Japan acting as 代理人. The immigration regulations define who qualifies: a relative of the applicant residing in Japan. Your Japanese spouse is the normal choice; a Japanese parent-in-law also qualifies. A friend does not — non-relatives can only submit through the certified channels (immigration lawyers and 行政書士 with 申請取次 certification).

The person in item 28 signs the form and handwrites the date. The official example sheet says this in so many words. Applicants abroad regularly lose weeks couriering forms back and forth for a signature immigration never asked for.

The questionnaire (質問書) — your spouse's homework

Alongside the application form, the checklist requires the 8-page 質問書 (format of June 6, 2017 — still current), published in 11 languages, completed and signed by the spouse [source] . Two things applicants consistently get wrong:

  • The spouse fills it out, not the applicant. The English version states the spouse "must complete this questionnaire independently and without the assistance of any other person," and the signature line is for the spouse.
  • Use whichever of the 11 published languages your spouse writes comfortably. The narrative section (how you met, your history to the marriage, with dates) is the heart of the relationship review — concrete and chronological beats long and flowery.

The eight pages cover: both parties' details and housing; how the relationship began and progressed (with any introducer or agency identified); what language the two of you speak together and how well; marriage witnesses; the wedding and who attended; prior marriages; the applicant's past visits to Japan; the spouse's visits to the applicant's country; deportation history; and a family table for both sides — relatives' names, ages, addresses, phone numbers, and which of them know about the marriage. Gather the family details before sitting down; an estranged or deceased relative is noted as such rather than left blank.

Submitting it

Where: the regional immigration office (or branch) covering the intended place of residence — in practice, where your sponsoring spouse lives. Bring proof of the relationship for the person submitting (koseki tohon covers it). Mail-in is not accepted — the ISA explicitly says do not mail application forms; submit in person or online.

Online: a spouse, child, or parent residing in Japan can file the COE online with a My Number card (both electronic certificates); new RASENS system since January 5, 2026 [source] . If you file online, choose email delivery and the result arrives as an e-COE: since March 17, 2023 the COE can be issued as an email (e-COE) and forwarded to the applicant abroad — no mailing of paper needed. The applicant shows the forwarded email on their phone at the embassy and at landing.

Cost: free — no fee at any stage of the COE application. Include a self-addressed return envelope with 簡易書留 postage for paper delivery of the result.

Then: the official ISA average for spouse COEs is about 97 days (~3–4 months) [source] — see the full timeline for what happens at each phase, and what an additional-documents request does (and doesn't) mean. Once the COE is issued, the visa and entry stage has its own deadline that catches people out — the COE expires three months after issue, measured by your landing in Japan.

Form questions, answered

Can the COE application form be filled out in English?

The form itself is bilingual Japanese/English, and the ISA states no rule requiring answers in Japanese. Names should follow your passport (Roman capitals). What the ISA does require is a Japanese translation attached to any supporting document written in a foreign language. The questionnaire (質問書) is published in 11 languages — use the version in a language the spouse writing it is comfortable in.

Handwritten or typed? Can I fill the PDF digitally?

Both are accepted — the ISA publishes the form as both PDF and Excel precisely so it can be typed. Two things must be handwritten: the signature and the date of filling in the form, by the person named in item 28. Print on A4, single-sided only (the ISA instructions say so explicitly).

Should empty fields be left blank or marked "None"?

The official instructions are silent on this. The safe convention: write "None" (or 無) for questions that apply to you but have a nil answer (occupation, criminal record, previous COE applications), and leave truly inapplicable fields blank. The goal is that a reviewer can never wonder whether you skipped a question.

Who signs the application form?

The person named in item 28 — and the official example sheet (記載例) says exactly this. If you are applying from abroad with your Japanese spouse filing in Japan, your spouse is the 代理人 in item 28 and signs. The applicant abroad does not need to sign anything on this form.

Can the application be mailed to immigration?

No. The ISA says explicitly: mail submission is not accepted — do not post application forms to the agency or regional offices. Submit in person at the regional immigration office covering the sponsor's area, or file online (see below).

Can we file the COE application online?

Yes — and this surprises people. Since January 5, 2026 (the new RASENS system), a spouse, child, or parent residing in Japan can file the COE application online, provided they hold a My Number card with both electronic certificates. The foreign applicant abroad cannot use the system themself. Online filing also lets you receive the result as an e-COE by email.

How much does the COE application cost?

Nothing — the COE application is free at every stage. (The later visa application at the embassy currently costs about ¥3,000 equivalent for a single-entry visa.) Anyone charging you for the COE itself is charging for their service, not the application.

Are original documents returned?

In principle, no — submitted materials are not returned. If a document is hard to obtain again (an original foreign marriage certificate, for example), ask for its return at the time of application; the ISA instructions provide for exactly this request.

Can my spouse translate our documents, or do we need a certified translator?

The requirement is that foreign-language documents have a Japanese translation attached — the ISA states no credential requirement for the translator anywhere in the instructions. Spouse-made translations are routinely accepted; put the translator's name and date on each translation.

Can the photo be printed at home?

Yes — the ISA page explicitly permits printing the photo directly into the form's photo box. The spec: 4cm × 3cm, taken within the last 6 months, plain background, no retouching (app-edited photos are rejected). If you attach a physical photo, write your name on the back.

We made a mistake after submitting — what happens?

If the contents change or were wrong, the applicant or representative corrects the form and signs the correction. For substantive changes mid-examination (a move, a job change on the supporter's side), inform the immigration office handling the case rather than waiting for them to find out.

Can the guarantor live outside Japan?

The checklist assumes a Japan-resident guarantor, and the guarantee's content (covering your living costs and repatriation from inside Japan) only makes sense for someone established there. When the Japanese spouse lives abroad, immigration offices accept a Japan-resident relative — most often a parent-in-law — signing the letter of guarantee instead; their 住民票 and income documents join the file. The ISA publishes no written rule for this case; it is settled practice, and it draws closer scrutiny of the support plan.

We both live outside Japan — who files the application and who signs the guarantee?

A relative of yours residing in Japan files it — and by the Civil Code definition the regulations use, your Japanese spouse's parents qualify. The same parent-in-law typically signs the letter of guarantee. Plan on the paper application at the regional immigration office: the online system's relative rule is narrower and doesn't automatically cover in-laws. If no relative in Japan can help, MOFA's guidance is to consult your embassy in advance about applying for the visa without a COE — possible, but expect several months of processing.

What happens after we submit?

Standard processing is officially 1–3 months, but the published ISA average for spouse COEs is currently about 97 days (~3–4 months) — plan on the average, not the floor. Immigration may request additional documents by post (this is routine, not a bad sign — but the clock effectively extends while you respond). The result arrives by mail via your return envelope, or by email if you chose the e-COE.

Official sources used on this page

Item numbers and quoted field labels were verified against the official form PDF and the ISA's filled-in example, downloaded June 12, 2026. If the ISA revises the form, item numbers can shift — always cross-check against the current download links above.

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