• 婚姻が適法に成立していること

• 婚姻に至るまでの経緯

• 安定した生活ができること

• Marriage Validity

The marriage must be legally valid under the laws of both spouses' home countries. To confirm the validity of the marriage, a marriage certificate from each spouse's home country must be submitted. In Japan, a family registry (戸籍謄本) and a Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage (戸籍届出受理証明書) are required. If a foreigner marries in Japan, proof from Japan alone is insufficient. It is necessary to report the marriage to their home country and obtain a certificate from there.

• Circumstances Leading to Marriage

It is necessary to explain where and how the couple met, the language(s) they used to communicate, and the steps taken, such as maintaining contact and dating, leading to the marriage. Supporting materials such as questionnaires, commemorative photos, and communication records must be submitted.

• Stable Living Conditions

A stable lifestyle in Japan is a prerequisite. Proposals indicating the foreign spouse will start working after receiving a visa are likely to be denied. Documents such as recent tax income certificates, employment contracts, and withholding tax slips for those already residing in Japan must be submitted. The guarantor is typically the Japanese spouse. For family stay visas, a guarantor is not required.

Marriage under Japanese Law
Marriage in Japan involves submitting a marriage notification (婚姻届) to the municipal office. For Japanese couples, the family registry system facilitates smooth confirmation of their eligibility to marry. However, when a Japanese national marries a foreign national or when two foreign nationals marry under Japanese law, certain documents must be prepared.

▶ Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry
This document confirms and certifies that a foreign national is eligible to marry under the laws of their home country. There is no uniform document named "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry," and the specific document required varies by country. This is because each country has different laws and methods for issuing such certificates.

▶ Copy of Passport
This is required to verify the nationality of the foreign national and to confirm their identity as the individual named in the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry.

▶ Translated Documents
Any documents written in a foreign language, including the passport, must be translated into Japanese.

▶ In Case of a Divorce
If the divorce involved a Japanese national, a family registry (戸籍謄本) is required. If the divorce involved a foreign national, a certificate issued by their home country is necessary.

If the foreign national filing the marriage notification was previously divorced from a Japanese national, they may be considered single under Japanese law but still married under the laws of their home country. In such cases, the Japanese municipal office cannot accept a new marriage notification without resolving this discrepancy. The acceptability of the notification is determined in accordance with Japanese law, the laws of the foreign national’s home country, and international private law.

　▶課税・所得証明書（直近年度）により1年間の総収入額を確認します。これで足りない場合や，今年から勤務を開始したので直近の課税・所得証明書に反映されていない場合は，給料明細，源泉徴収票，給料が振り込まれた通帳のコピーなどを提出します。どれぐらいの収入がいるかについて入管は明確な指標を示していませんが，一人当たりの収入額がいくら必要かというのは法律家の間での目安額はあります。しかし，これはあくまでも目安であり，個々人のケースによって判断基準は異なります。

　▶住民税の納税証明書（直近年度）により納税義務を果たせるほど支弁能力があるかを確認します。また，申請書記載の住所と納税証明書の住所が同一であるかも確認します。

　▶在職証明書により，現在も収入を得る活動をしていることを確認します。

　▶銀行預金通帳の写しにより，生活費の流れや預貯金額を確認します。

　▶遺族年金等の給付を受けている場合は，年金額改定通知書と年金振込通知書を確認します。

　▶質問書により，出会った経緯，二人の家族状況，婚姻歴などを確認します。

　▶日本人と婚姻した場合は戸籍謄本，受理証明書を確認します。

　▶外国人同士の婚姻は届出記載事項証明書，受理証明書または外国の婚姻証明書を確認します。

　▶納税申告（年末調整など）を経ている場合は配偶者控除がなされているかを確認します。

　▶住民票で同一住所，同一世帯であるかを確認します。

　▶写真（デート，結婚式など）やインスタントメッセンジャーのキャプチャー画像により，真正な交際があったことを確認します。

　▶身元保証書で確認します。原則配偶者が保証人となります。保証人の収入が少ない場合などは親族が保証人となることも可能ですが厳格に審査されます。