Marrying in Japan as a U.S. Citizen
Japan · Asia
Marrying in Japan as a U.S. Citizen
What Japan requires from an American before it will register a marriage: the documents, whether each one needs a notary, an apostille or a translation, and how long the U.S. side takes.
- Authentication
- Apostille
- Translation
- Into Japanese
- Residency
- No residency requirement. The marriage is registered at a municipal office.
- Embassy wedding
- Not permitted
Your documents, and what each one needs
Shown for a couple where neither has been married before. If either of you is divorced or widowed, the wizard on the main page adds the extra records.
| Document | Where it comes from | Notary | Authentication | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your passport | You already have it | No | None | No. |
| Birth certificate | A certified copy from the vital records office of the state you were born in | No, it is already a public record | Apostille | Yes, into Japanese, normally by a translator the local authority recognises. |
| Affidavit of eligibility to marry | Sworn by you, because no U.S. authority issues a Certificate of No Impediment | Yes, this is the one document that must be sworn | Depends which route you take | Yes, into Japanese, normally by a translator the local authority recognises. |
Your passport. Identity only. A passport is never apostilled and any service offering to is selling you something you do not need.
Birth certificate. An apostille from the state that issued it, or from the U.S. Department of State for a federal document. A hospital souvenir certificate or a photocopy will be refused.
Affidavit of eligibility to marry. Two routes. Sworn before a U.S. consular officer at the embassy in Japan for $50 per seal, which many local registrars accept directly, sometimes after attestation by the local foreign ministry. Or notarised at home and then apostilled by the state whose notary signed it.
What Japan itself requires
Residency or notice: No residency requirement. The marriage is registered at a municipal office.
- The Affidavit of Competency to Marry is sworn at the U.S. Embassy or a consulate and then submitted with the Japanese registration form.
- Everything must be translated into Japanese.
Requirements differ by municipality, not only by country. Ask the office that will actually perform the marriage for its own list before you order or authenticate anything.
After the wedding
The marriage is valid in the United States because it was valid in Japan. Nothing needs registering at home. What you do need is the Japan marriage certificate, with an apostille from Japan's own competent authority, and a certified translation if it is not in English. Get that before you leave the country; doing it afterwards from another continent is far harder.
Questions people actually ask
Do my documents need an apostille for Japan?
Yes. Japan is in the Apostille Convention, so a single apostille from the issuing state, or from the U.S. Department of State for a federal document, is what it needs.
Do they need translating?
Yes, into Japanese, and normally by a translator the local authority recognises rather than one you choose. Translate after authentication, not before.
Where do I swear the affidavit that I am free to marry?
Either at the U.S. embassy or consulate in Japan, at $50 per seal and by appointment, or before a notary at home and then authenticated. The United States issues no Certificate of No Impediment, so this sworn statement is the substitute every time.
What catches people out in Japan?
The Affidavit of Competency to Marry is sworn at the U.S. Embassy or a consulate and then submitted with the Japanese registration form.
Will the marriage be valid back in the United States?
Yes, if it was validly performed under Japan law. No U.S. official needs to be present and nothing is registered at home. Keep the marriage certificate, authenticated before you leave.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
