Translations for family and spouse residence applications (marriage and birth certificates)
When applying for a family-related residence status such as Dependent or Spouse of a Japanese national, you may need to submit a marriage or birth certificate issued abroad to prove the relationship. If a document is in a foreign language, you attach a Japanese translation.
The translation requirement
The Immigration Control Act's Enforcement Regulations require a translation to be attached to any submitted material written in a foreign language.
法又はこの省令の規定により法務大臣、出入国在留管理庁長官、地方出入国在留管理局長又は入国審査官に提出するものとされる資料が外国語により作成されているときは、その資料に訳文を添付しなければならない。Before an amendment on 1 October 2026, this was Article 62, with the same wording. The Immigration Services Agency's page for each residence status says the same:
提出書類が外国語で作成されている場合には、訳文（日本語）を添付してください。The main foreign documents, by status
Of the documents in the Agency's checklists for proving the family relationship, these are the ones issued by foreign authorities:
| Status | Application | Main documents issued abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Dependent (家族滞在) | COE, change, extension | A document proving the relationship to the supporting family member: a copy of the marriage or birth certificate, for example (a Japanese family register or marriage registration certificate also works) |
| Spouse of a Japanese national (日本人の配偶者等) | COE, change | A marriage certificate issued by an authority of the applicant's country of nationality |
| Child of a Japanese national (日本人の配偶者等) | COE, change | If born abroad, a birth certificate or acknowledgement (認知) certificate issued by an authority of the country of birth |
| Spouse of a permanent resident (永住者の配偶者等) | COE, change | A marriage certificate issued by an authority of the permanent-resident spouse's and the applicant's country of nationality |
COE is the application for a Certificate of Eligibility, change is a change of residence status, and extension is an extension of the period of stay. The checklist for extending a Japanese national's spouse's status doesn't include the marriage certificate. Extending a permanent resident's spouse's status needs a document showing that the marriage continues.
Documents about the supporting family member's income (an employment certificate or bank balance certificate, for example) also need a translation if they are in a foreign language. The Agency may ask for documents not on the checklist during its review.
Validity and originals
Each page's notes say certificates issued in Japan must be no more than three months old (「日本で発行される証明書は全て、発行日から３か月以内のものを提出してください」). The pages set no validity period for certificates issued abroad.
Submitted documents are generally not returned. The Agency says:
原則として、提出された資料は返却できませんので、再度入手することが困難な資料の原本等の返却を希望する場合は、申請時に申し出てください。Translators, and documents in English
The law and the Agency's published guidance require a translation to be attached, but set no translator qualification and nothing the translation must state (such as the translator's name).
The page for the Business Manager (経営・管理) status says English employment certificates and degree certificates generally need no translation. The Dependent and spouse status pages have no such note, so English marriage and birth certificates need a Japanese translation.
Questions
Can I translate the documents myself?
The law and the Immigration Services Agency's published guidance say nothing about who may translate.
Do documents in English need a translation?
Yes, for the Dependent and spouse statuses. The note that generally waives translations covers only certain Business Manager documents.
Do I submit the original marriage certificate or a copy?
The Dependent checklist says a copy (結婚証明書（写し）); the spouse checklists say a marriage certificate. If you submit an original and want it back, say so when you apply.
This page is general information. The documents required and the format of translations differ by country and office, and can change. Check the current guidance of the office you are submitting to before you file.
Sources
- Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act Enforcement Regulations (e-Gov)
- Immigration Services Agency: Dependent status (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency: Spouse of a Japanese national (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency: Child of a Japanese national (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency: Spouse or child of a permanent resident (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency: Business Manager status (Japanese)
Other guides
- Which Japanese procedures need a translation of English documents, and what the translator must provide
- Translations for claiming dependants who live abroad (year-end adjustment and tax returns)
- Marrying a foreign national in Japan: documents and Japanese translations
- Registering a birth abroad: the 3-month deadline, keeping Japanese nationality, and translating the birth certificate
- Registering a foreign family's residence: proof of relationship to the head of household, and translations
- Student visa applications: bank balance certificates and other proof of funds, and translations
- Permanent residence applications: foreign documents and Japanese translations (marriage and degree certificates, statement of reasons)