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CanKorea
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Currently in Canada
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:28 pm Post subject: Question about marriage |
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Hi again. Does anyone out there know if foreigners can get married legally in Japan? I've been hearing that it wouldn't be recognized if we did. I'm Canadian and my fiance is American. So marrying a Japanese national is not the issue here. Would an embassy/consulate do this sort of thing?
Strange question I know, but help is appreciated. I like to over research my options. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:34 pm Post subject: Re: Question about marriage |
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CanKorea wrote: |
Hi again. Does anyone out there know if foreigners can get married legally in Japan? I've been hearing that it wouldn't be recognized if we did. I'm Canadian and my fiance is American. So marrying a Japanese national is not the issue here. Would an embassy/consulate do this sort of thing?
Strange question I know, but help is appreciated. I like to over research my options. |
A marriage is legally recognised if the papers are handed in at the city office and formally registered with the proper authorities in the case of one person being a Japanese national. As foreigners dont have family registers here there is no way for the city office to register your union.
A wedding ceremony by and of itself in Japan does not make you legally married and its my guess you would have to register the actual marriage at the city office in your home country and register with the consulate that you have got married. Best check with the embassy, maybe they can witness a wedding but Im not sure about the paperwork to make you legally hitched. |
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AndyH
Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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If you submit the required paperwork at the city office where you live, you are legally married in Japan. The ceremony might be nice (and expensive!), but in the eyes of the law, is not in itself legal.
Whether or not your home country recognizes your Japanese marriage as valid depends on your country.
In the US, a Japanese marriage is legally recognized.
You should be mindful of the fact that each city requires different documents, and different standards of bureaucratic pettiness ("thoroughness") regarding the translations and details.
I recommend you have the following:
Birth Certificate (preferably the original)
Affidavit from your own embassy stating that you are legally able to get married
Your passport, with a copy of the first page.
You should have these documents translated into Japanese (your fiance can probably do it, with your help).
There are other forms which the city will require you to fill out.
Don't get to frustrated if the city bureaucrats seem obsessed with the red tape. A little patience and time, and you'll be out of there a married couple! |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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AndyH wrote: |
IYou should have these documents translated into Japanese (your fiance can probably do it, with your help).
There are other forms which the city will require you to fill out.
Don't get to frustrated if the city bureaucrats seem obsessed with the red tape. A little patience and time, and you'll be out of there a married couple! |
Andy, not sure if you noticed but both of them are NOT Japanese. Fiance may not be able translate it if she cant read Japanese. |
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pnksweater
Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:59 am Post subject: |
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Because you'll want your marriage to be recognized in your home countries check with them. Each contry has different requirements. I know that for Canadians the process is pretty simple to be formally recognized as married, for Americans it can be complicated. So don't worry about Japan, worry about home. I didn't even have to prove to my ward office that my husband and I were marred. I just said he's my husband and they made the proper changes and we don't even share the same last name. |
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CanKorea
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Currently in Canada
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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Ok, thanks for the help guys! Maybe it's best just to wait until we're home. |
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moot point
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 12:46 am Post subject: |
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I think it would be easier to get married in one of your home countries. Is there anyone reason to do it here in Japan? Like visa purposes? |
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AndyH
Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:06 am Post subject: |
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Oops! Sorry for the mistake!! Perhaps I should have paid better attention to the original post before writing my reply!!  |
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malcoml
Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 215 Location: Australia
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:39 am Post subject: |
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A friend of mine got married to a girl from central america only to find out that when he went for a divorce it had never been officially reconised as married.
Apparently as the paperwork was in spanish it was not reconised. This may be the case in Japan. I work in finance and know that if I was to issue someone an offer document or have them fill out an application in a foreign language it would not be reconised. |
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CanKorea
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Currently in Canada
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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In response to mp, since I'm Canadian and he's American, I thought it would make immigration applications (to whichever country we decide to live in) go more smoothly.
But, we'll probably get married once we're back. Not enough time to get all those certificates anyway. |
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