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Family status · 永住者の配偶者等

Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident visa for Japan

The status for the husband or wife of a foreign permanent resident, and for their children born in Japan: any work with no limits and a shorter route to your own permanent residence. Who qualifies, the documents and what to do when a child is born.

Forms and documents

Route to permanent residence

Checked against the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on 7 October 2026 · Permanent residency · Spouse of a Japanese national

WorkAny job, no limits

Period of stay5 y · 3 y · 1 y · 6 months

Own permanent residence3 + 1 years; 5 + 3 from April 2027

Child born in JapanApply within 30 days

Who qualifies

Who can get this status

Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (永住者の配偶者等) is for the closest family of a foreign national with permanent residence (永住者) or special permanent residence (特別永住者).

Spouse

The husband or wife of a permanent resident in a legal marriage. Unregistered partnerships do not qualify.

Child born in Japan

A child of a permanent resident who was born in Japan and has lived here ever since. The status is applied for within 30 days of the birth.

Child born abroad

This status does not fit. For an unmarried minor child supported by a parent with permanent residence, ISA grants another status — Long-Term Resident (定住者).

Not the same status: the spouse of a Japanese national needs Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等), and the family of a foreign worker or student needs the Dependent visa (家族滞在).

Evidence

What immigration checks

What you submit

  • Marriage certificates from both countries
  • The questionnaire about the couple (質問書)
  • Photos of the couple and proof of contact
  • Household income and resident tax
  • A letter of guarantee from the spouse with permanent residence

ISA asks for 2–3 photos of the two of you with faces clearly visible and, if possible, social-media messages and call history. The questionnaire covers how you met, the wedding and your life together; ISA publishes it in English too.

The key condition

The marriage must be genuine

Immigration checks that the marriage is real and not arranged for a visa. If a couple does not live together for more than 6 months in a row without a good reason, the status can be cancelled.

The law sets no special income condition, but ISA always asks for the income and tax certificates of the person who supports the family.

Forms and documents

How to get the status: forms and documents

ISA’s forms and checklists are the same for a spouse and a child. Documents from Japan must be issued within the last 3 months; foreign documents need a Japanese translation.

Three situations

  • You are abroad. Your spouse with permanent residence applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE); you then get the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate. More: Certificate of Eligibility.
  • You are already in Japan on a work, student or other status: apply for a change of status.
  • A child is born in Japan: within 30 days of the birth, apply for acquisition of status of residence (在留資格取得) — free.

Choose the procedure and whether you are the spouse or the child. Below are the forms from the ISA website, ISA’s checklist, the letter of guarantee, the questionnaire and the document list with the Japanese names.

Your relationship to the permanent resident:

spouse: Husband or wife of a permanent resident (永住者) or special permanent resident (特別永住者), in a legal marriage.

child: A child born in Japan to a permanent resident or special permanent resident who has lived in Japan ever since. ISA publishes one document list written for spouses: for a child we kept the general items, and the bureau may ask for others.

Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) — you are abroad, your spouse with permanent residence lives in Japan

Your spouse with permanent residence, living in Japan, applies as your representative — in person or online. Once the CoE is issued, you get the visa at a Japanese embassy and enter Japan.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

This route is for spouses only. A child gets Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident only if born in Japan and living here continuously. A child of a permanent resident born abroad needs another status — Long-Term Resident (定住者), for an unmarried minor child supported by the parent.

Documents

  1. Application for a Certificate of Eligibility 在留資格認定証明書交付申請書spouse
  2. Photo, 4 × 3 cm 写真spouseGlued onto the form; you can also print it directly in the photo box.
  3. Return envelope with your address and a registered-mail stamp 返信用封筒spouseFor paper applications. The CoE can also be received by email.
  4. Marriage certificates — from the country of your spouse with permanent residence and from your country 配偶者（永住者）及び申請人の国籍国（外国）の機関から発行された結婚証明書spouseIf the marriage is also registered at a Japanese city office — add the certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification (婚姻届出受理証明書). Foreign documents need a Japanese translation.
  5. Resident tax certificates for the last year (income and tax paid) — of the person who supports you in Japan 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書spouseFrom the city office of the address on 1 January, issued within the last 3 months; one certificate is enough if it shows both income and tax paid. If the certificates show no income (recent arrival, moved) — a copy of a bank passbook, a job offer letter from a Japanese company or similar documents.
  6. Letter of guarantee (身元保証書) 配偶者（永住者）の身元保証書spouseThe guarantor is your spouse with permanent residence living in Japan. The ISA form is in Japanese; an English version exists.form · PDFEnglish · PDF
  7. Residence certificate (住民票) of the spouse with permanent residence — whole household 配偶者（永住者）の世帯全員の記載のある住民票spouseWithout the My Number (マイナンバー); everything else in full.
  8. Questionnaire about you as a couple 質問書spouseQuestions about how you met, how you communicate, the wedding and your life together. ISA publishes it in Japanese, English and 8 other languages.Japanese · PDFEnglish · PDF
  9. Photos of the two of you (2–3 snapshots) and other proof of contact 夫婦間の交流が確認できる資料（スナップ写真 ２～３葉）spouseThe two of you together, faces clearly visible, not edited in apps. You can add social-media messages and call history.

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
The regional immigration services bureau for the place where you will live in Japan
Fee
Free
Standard processing period
1–3 months
Online
Yes — through the online residence application system (在留申請オンラインシステム)
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Change of status of residence — you already live in Japan on another status

You apply yourself at the immigration bureau before your current status expires — for example, you work or study in Japan and married a permanent resident.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for change of status of residence 在留資格変更許可申請書
  2. Photo, 4 × 3 cm 写真From 14 June 2026 a photo is needed for everyone aged 1 and over (before: 16 and over). You can print it directly into the photo box of the form.
  3. Marriage certificates — from the country of your spouse with permanent residence and from your country 配偶者（永住者）及び申請人の国籍国（外国）の機関から発行された結婚証明書spouseIf the marriage is also registered at a Japanese city office — add the certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification (婚姻届出受理証明書). Foreign documents need a Japanese translation.
  4. Resident tax certificates for the last year (income and tax paid) — of the person who supports you in Japan 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書From the city office of the address on 1 January, issued within the last 3 months; one certificate is enough if it shows both income and tax paid. If the certificates show no income — a copy of a bank passbook, a job offer letter from a Japanese company or similar documents.
  5. Letter of guarantee (身元保証書) 配偶者（永住者）の身元保証書ISA names the spouse with permanent residence living in Japan as the guarantor. For a child, in practice the guarantor is the parent with permanent residence; check with the bureau.form · PDFEnglish · PDF
  6. Residence certificate (住民票) of the family with permanent residence — whole household 配偶者（永住者）の世帯全員の記載のある住民票Without the My Number (マイナンバー); everything else in full.
  7. Questionnaire about you as a couple 質問書spouseQuestions about how you met, how you communicate, the wedding and your life together. ISA publishes it in several languages, including English.Japanese · PDFEnglish · PDF
  8. Photos of the two of you (2–3 snapshots) and other proof of contact 夫婦間の交流が確認できる資料（スナップ写真 ２～３葉）spouseThe two of you together, faces clearly visible, not edited in apps. You can add social-media messages and call history.
  9. Passport — show it パスポート（提示）Must be shown even if someone else submits the documents.
  10. Residence card — show it 在留カード（提示）

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
The regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
1–2 months
Online
Yes
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Extension of period of stay — Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident

You apply yourself, no earlier than 3 months before your period of stay ends and no later than its last day. The marriage or family link with the permanent resident must still exist.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for extension of period of stay 在留期間更新許可申請書
  2. Photo, 4 × 3 cm 写真From 14 June 2026 a photo is needed for everyone aged 1 and over. Not needed for an extension of up to 3 months.
  3. Document showing that the marriage continues 申請人に係る婚姻が継続していることを証明する文書spouseISA does not say which document is accepted — ask at the immigration bureau.
  4. Resident tax certificates for the last year (income and tax paid) — of the person who supports you in Japan 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書If you support yourself — your own certificates. From the city office of the address on 1 January, issued within the last 3 months. If the certificates show no income — a copy of a bank passbook or similar documents.
  5. Letter of guarantee (身元保証書) 配偶者（永住者）の身元保証書ISA names the spouse with permanent residence living in Japan as the guarantor. For a child, in practice the guarantor is the parent with permanent residence.form · PDFEnglish · PDF
  6. Residence certificate (住民票) of the family with permanent residence — whole household 配偶者（永住者）の世帯全員の記載のある住民票Without the My Number (マイナンバー); everything else in full.
  7. Passport — show it パスポート（提示）
  8. Residence card — show it 在留カード（提示）

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
The regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Paid only after approval. Applications received by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000 (online ¥5,500), even if the decision comes later. Received from 1 October 2026: the fee depends on the period granted — from ¥10,000 (up to 3 months) to ¥75,000 (5 years or more); online is cheaper except for periods up to 3 months. It can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission. Full fee table
Standard processing period
2 weeks – 1 month
Online
Yes
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Acquisition of status of residence — a child of a permanent resident is born in Japan

The parents apply for the child within 30 days of the birth. If the child leaves Japan within the first 60 days, no application is needed. Instead of this status, you can apply for permanent residence for the child straight away — also within 30 days.

Application formPDF · moj.go.jpApplication formExcel · moj.go.jpFilled-in examplePDF · moj.go.jpDocument checklistPDF · moj.go.jp

Files open from the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA). Forms are in Japanese and English; links checked 6 Oct 2026.

Documents

  1. Application for acquisition of status of residence 在留資格取得許可申請書
  2. Photo, 4 × 3 cm 写真Not needed for a child under 1 (rule for residence cards from 14 June 2026).
  3. Proof of birth 出生したことを証する書類For example, the certificate of acceptance of the birth notification (出生届受理証明書) from the city office. If the reason is different (for example, loss of Japanese nationality) — a document proving it.
  4. Marriage certificates — from the country of your spouse with permanent residence and from your country 配偶者（永住者）及び申請人の国籍国（外国）の機関から発行された結婚証明書spouseIf the marriage is also registered at a Japanese city office — add the certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification (婚姻届出受理証明書).
  5. Resident tax certificates for the last year (income and tax paid) — of the person who supports the applicant in Japan 住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書及び納税証明書From the city office of the address on 1 January, issued within the last 3 months. If the certificates show no income — a copy of a bank passbook or similar documents.
  6. Letter of guarantee (身元保証書) 配偶者（永住者）の身元保証書ISA names the spouse with permanent residence as the guarantor. For a child, in practice the guarantor is the parent with permanent residence.form · PDFEnglish · PDF
  7. Residence certificate (住民票) of the family with permanent residence — whole household 配偶者（永住者）の世帯全員の記載のある住民票Without the My Number (マイナンバー).
  8. Questionnaire about you as a couple 質問書spouseJapanese · PDFEnglish · PDF
  9. Photos of the two of you (2–3 snapshots) and other proof of contact 夫婦間の交流が確認できる資料（スナップ写真 ２～３葉）spouse
  10. Passport — show it パスポート（提示）

Immigration may ask for other documents too. Full list: the ISA checklist above and the status page.

Where to apply
The regional immigration services bureau for your address
Fee
Free
Deadline
Apply within 30 days of the birth
Online
Yes
Documents for my caseYour list for your category and family — with checkboxes and a PDF

Period of stay and next steps

A shorter route to your own permanent residence

Period of stay

How long it is granted for

  • 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months
  • Extended while the marriage or family link continues
  • Any work in any field, no permission needed
  • CoE, change of status, extension and acquisition can be filed online

Permanent residence

Two rule sets, by filing date

Applications filed until 31 March 2027 (ISA guideline revised 24 February 2026): a spouse can apply for permanent residence after 3 years of real married life and at least 1 year of continuous residence in Japan; a child after 1 year in Japan — instead of the usual 10 years.

Applications from 1 April 2027 (guideline revised on 1 October 2026): a spouse needs 5 years of real married life and 3 years of continuous residence in Japan; a child needs 3 years.

The legal conditions of good conduct and sufficient income do not apply to spouses and children of permanent residents, but taxes and social insurance are checked as for everyone. Under the revised guideline the above-average income requirement still does not apply to them, but it counts against the application if the family lives on public assistance or realistically may need it (applications from 1 April 2027, and those filed from 1 April 2026 that were still pending on 1 October 2026). Japanese at about CEFR B1 is taken into account for spouses too — as a factor in the decision, not a strict requirement; it is not considered for a child born in Japan whose parent raising them has B1. The permanent residence fee is ¥200,000 for applications filed from 1 October 2026 (¥10,000 if received by 30 September 2026), paid only on approval.

If your partner loses permanent residence. From 1 April 2027 permanent residence can be revoked or changed to another status (for example for deliberate non-payment of taxes). A spouse on this status then has to change to another status too. Children who hold their own permanent residence or Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident status are not affected, according to ISA’s Q&A.

Life on the status

What to know once you have the status

The status depends on your marriage or family link with the permanent resident. What to do and what to avoid.

Divorce or death of the spouse

Within 14 days, notify immigration (配偶者に関する届出) — online, in person or by post. Then, before your period of stay ends, move to another status — for example a work status or, if you qualify, Long-Term Resident. ISA publishes examples: the change to Long-Term Resident was allowed after several years of marriage and life in Japan, with your own income or when raising a child; it was refused after a short marriage, a long stay outside Japan or a criminal conviction.

Birth and travel of a child

For a child born in Japan, apply within 30 days for this status or straight away for permanent residence — both applications are free. The status is for a child who has lived in Japan since birth, so do not lose it when traveling: leave with special re-entry or a re-entry permit and come back on time.

Travel abroad

With a valid passport and residence card you can leave for up to 1 year without a permit (special re-entry, みなし再入国) — tick the box on the embarkation card. If your status ends sooner, return before it ends; it cannot be extended from abroad. Longer trips need a re-entry permit.

Work and study

You can work, run a business or study — no separate permission and no change of status. Changing jobs needs no notification to immigration: that rule applies to statuses tied to an employer or school.

FAQ

Spouse of permanent resident questions

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Who can get the Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident status?

The spouse of a permanent resident (永住者) or special permanent resident (特別永住者) in a legal marriage, and their child born in Japan who has lived here continuously since birth. Unregistered partnerships do not qualify.

Yes, with no limits: any job, any position, your own business — no separate permission needed.

No. This status is only for a child born in Japan. For an unmarried minor child born abroad and supported by a parent with permanent residence, ISA grants Long-Term Resident (定住者).

Within 30 days of the birth, apply at the immigration bureau for acquisition of status of residence (在留資格取得) — it is free. You can also apply for permanent residence for the child straight away, also within 30 days. If the child leaves Japan within the first 60 days, no application is needed.

For applications filed until 31 March 2027: a spouse after 3 years of real married life and at least 1 year of continuous residence in Japan; a child after 1 year in Japan. The revised ISA guideline (1 October 2026) sets, for applications from 1 April 2027, 5 years of married life and 3 years of continuous residence for a spouse and 3 years for a child, and takes Japanese at about CEFR B1 into account — as a factor, not a strict requirement. The above-average income requirement does not apply to spouses and children.

The Certificate of Eligibility and acquisition of status after birth are free. A change of status or an extension filed from 1 October 2026 costs from ¥10,000 to ¥75,000 depending on the period granted, a little less online (filed by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000, online ¥5,500). The fee is paid after approval and can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission.

The basis for the status ends. Within 14 days you report it to immigration (配偶者に関する届出), and before your period of stay ends you move to another status — for example a work status or, if you qualify, Long-Term Resident (定住者).

The Dependent visa (家族滞在) is for the family of a foreign national with a work or student status: work is limited to 28 hours a week with permission. With Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident there are no limits on work, and the route to permanent residence is shorter.

Yes: the CoE, change of status, extension and acquisition of status can be filed through the online residence application system (在留申請オンラインシステム).

Work in Japan

Jobs, pay, taxes and insurance on this visa

All topics: Work in Japan — the full guide

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