Job Discussion Forums

[Nu]

Hi, just need some information if anyone can help.

Friends are planning on getting married in Japan in a few months but they need to know the names of the forms to be submitted to the Japanese City Hall. (They don't speak Japanese, so they can't just go down to City Hall and ask.) They prefer to marry in Japan because this is where they met.

Does anyone know what forms are needed and anything else they need to do in order to get legally married in Japan? Please help!

He's Canadian and she's American.

He's contacted the Canadian Consulate already and is still waiting for a reply.

Thanks for all your help!

[Gordon]

Depending on your city hall, often there is someone there who can speak English. Otherwise, they may want to bring a translator. They will need help filling out the forms regardless.

[johanne]

I'm Canadian and was married in Japan in 1997. Unless things have changed all I needed from the Canadian government was a form declaring I was single (or divorced) and therefore free to marry. They had the form there and all I had to do was sign it. It's hard to get any kind of answer from the embassy in Tokyo, I've found. You are better off just going in person and standing at the counter until someone answers you.

We also had to fill out a Japanese form, basically just stating out names and address. This form, like all Japanese forms it seems, required a guarantor or witness - in this case 2 were needed. These people don't have to go to city hall with you. They just have to stamp their hanko on the form.

That's it. We didn't need any more paper work. However, I married a Japanese man, so I don't know if there are more requirement for 2 non-Japanese getting married.

[bearcat]

US form stating single is also required.

Some places, the marriage is registered not at the city hall but at a ward office of the city. Make sure you know which.

Also you will probably need to have your marriage status updated on the back of your foreign registration card. Nice thing is that that's usually handled at a city hall/ward office as well.

[southofreality]

[Great Teacher Umikun]

Pardon me reviving the corpse of an old thread, but are blood tests required to get married in Japan? I have a fear of needles.

[Apsara]

No, no blood tests are required. Getting married here is a completely painless procedure, don't worry

[Glenski]

Tell them to contact their respective consulates/embassies.

For Americans, here's a link to help.
http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7114a.html
For Canadians:
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/japan-japon/consular_services_consulaires/marriage-mariage.aspx?lang=eng#japan

[Apsara]

Glenski, the original post was made almost 4 years ago. One assumes they've sorted it out by now