Last verified June 14, 2026 against official ISA/MOFA sources
Japan spouse visa:
Taiwan
Country-specific steps
Country guides cover the parts that depend on your nationality: the documents, legalisations, and consular steps. For some countries this work begins before the COE. For the overall process and the COE itself, start with the main guide.
Processing time at the consulate
The spouse visa is issued in principle within about 5 business days after the COE. Because Japan and Taiwan have no formal diplomatic relations, the visa is handled by the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association rather than an embassy.
Main mission
Taiwanese documents and the single-status certificate: the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Japan. The visa: the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in Taipei or Kaohsiung.
- Japan and Taiwan have no formal diplomatic relations, so there is no embassy. Two bodies do the work: TECRO issues and authenticates Taiwanese documents in Japan, and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association handles the visa in Taiwan and issues the Japanese partner's certificate of capacity to marry.
- To marry in Japan, a Taiwanese national brings a household registration transcript (戶籍謄本) and a certificate of capacity to marry from TECRO, with Japanese translations, to the city office.
- Marrying in Taiwan instead: the Japanese partner gets a certificate of capacity to marry from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, has it authenticated by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, registers the marriage at a household registration office (戶政事務所), then reports the marriage to a Japanese authority within three months so it reaches the koseki.
- Apostille does not apply between Japan and Taiwan. Documents are authenticated by TECRO (for Taiwanese documents used in Japan) or by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Taiwan). The spouse visa and the COE still need only a Japanese translation.
- You do not need to wait for the Taiwanese paperwork to finish before starting the COE. Once the marriage is on the Japanese spouse's koseki, that proves it.
Where to apply
Apply at the mission with jurisdiction over your residential address — official embassy site .
- Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Tokyo (Taiwanese documents, certificate of capacity to marry, authentication)
- TECRO branch offices in Yokohama, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Naha
- Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Taipei Office (the spouse visa)
- Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Kaohsiung Office (the spouse visa, southern Taiwan)
General documents
- Valid passport (original).
- Completed and signed Japan Visa Application Form (fill every field; write "N/A" where it does not apply).
- One recent passport photo to the mission's specification.
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE): original or printed copy.
Taiwan-specific documents
- Household registration transcript (戶籍謄本), full version with the remarks column not abbreviated, issued within the last three months.
- Certificate of capacity to marry (single-status certificate) from TECRO in Japan, used to marry in Japan. It costs about ¥2,300 in cash and takes around a week; you submit your household registration transcript and passport to obtain it.
- A declaration of your Chinese-character name (中文姓名聲明書) and your passport, with Japanese translations of the Taiwanese documents.
- To marry in Taiwan, the Japanese partner's certificate of capacity to marry from the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, authenticated by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and used to register at a household registration office. After the wedding, the updated household registration transcript and marriage certificate, with Japanese translations, to report the marriage to a Japanese authority within three months.
Document authentication
- Apostille does not apply between Japan and Taiwan. Taiwanese documents used in Japan are authenticated by TECRO; Japanese documents used in Taiwan, and the certificate of capacity to marry, are authenticated by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The spouse visa and the COE need only a Japanese translation of any Taiwanese document, not authentication.
Submitting your application
- Order your household registration transcript (within three months, not abbreviated) and the TECRO certificate of capacity to marry early.
- Register the marriage at the Japanese city office, or at a Taiwanese household registration office after authenticating the Japanese certificate. A marriage registered in Taiwan must be reported to a Japanese authority within three months so it reaches the koseki.
- Apply for the COE in Japan once the marriage is on the koseki.
- Apply for the visa at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in Taipei or Kaohsiung. It issues the visa in principle within about five business days.
Expert tips
- Remember which body does what. TECRO in Japan issues your Taiwanese documents and the certificate of capacity to marry; the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in Taiwan issues the visa and the Japanese partner's certificate.
- Do not try to get a Japanese apostille for documents going to Taiwan. Use TECRO or Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead.
- Order a full, recent household registration transcript. It must be within three months and must not be the abbreviated version.
- Keep character forms consistent. Traditional characters and variant forms in your name can differ from the kanji on the Japanese register, so confirm how your name is recorded.
- Since 2025, the Japanese spouse's koseki may record the nationality as Taiwan rather than China. Ask the municipal office if this matters to you.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the two bodies, or expecting an embassy that does not exist.
- Trying to use a Japanese apostille for documents bound for Taiwan.
- Submitting an abbreviated or out-of-date household registration transcript.
- Name-character mismatches between the Taiwanese documents and the Japanese register.
- Marrying in Taiwan and forgetting to report the marriage to a Japanese authority within three months.
Translations: Taiwanese documents need a Japanese translation; the spouse visa and the COE need a translation only. There is no apostille between Japan and Taiwan: Taiwanese documents used in Japan are authenticated by TECRO, and documents used in Taiwan by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the marriage step, not the visa.