Confirm you're free to get married in Japan
What British nationals need to do to get married in Japan, including what documents you need.
Check eligibility and the documents you need
This guidance is for opposite-sex couples getting married in Japan. Find out about same-sex marriage and civil partnership in Japan.
Check the laws in Japan to make sure you can get married. There’ll be certain local conditions you have to meet. Contact the local municipal office to make sure you understand all the eligibility requirements to get married in Japan, including what documents you need.
Your marriage will be recognised in the UK if:
- you follow the correct process according to the law in Japan
- it would be allowed under UK law
Keep a copy of your Japanese marriage certificate, also known as a Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage (Kon-in Todoke Juri Shomeisho) as evidence of your marriage. You may want to get it translated into English, especially if you want to use it outside of Japan. Find a qualified translator.
Marital status affirmation or affidavit
To get married in Japan, British nationals need a marital status affirmation or affidavit, which is a document that proves you’re free to marry.
The contents of an affirmation and affidavit are the same. The difference is that an affirmation is a non-religious oath where you swear on your name and an affidavit is a religious oath where you swear on a religious book.
You’ll also need to fill in a request for registration of marriage (Kon-in Todoke) at the local municipal office. Once you have your affirmation or affidavit and Kon-in Todoke you should submit all the necessary documents to the municipal office.
If your partner is a British national
They should make their own application for a marital status affirmation or affidavit.
If your partner is not a British national or Japanese national
Your partner should contact their nearest embassy to find out what documentation someone of their nationality needs to get married in Japan.
How to get a marital status affirmation or affidavit
- Apply online and pay £50 for your affirmation or affidavit.
- Book an appointment at the British Embassy in Tokyo.
- Attend your appointment where you can check all the information in the affirmation and make any corrections.
- Make your declaration and sign your affirmation or affidavit.
Book your embassy appointment for a date at least 7 days after the day you apply for an affirmation so that consular staff have time to check your documents before your appointment.
You’ll need to bring the originals of the documents you upload to your appointment. If you do not do this, we may not be able to issue your affirmation or affidavit and you’ll need to reschedule your appointment.
You’ll get your affirmation or affidavit at the end of your appointment. Check with the local municipal office how far in advance you should get your marital status affirmation or affidavit. Most municipal offices will only accept documents that were issued within a certain number of months but this will depend on where you’re getting married.
You must check your affirmation or affidavit during your appointment to make sure all the information is correct. Any mistakes cannot be corrected once the document has been issued. If you notice a mistake after the document has been issued, you’ll need to reapply and pay again. It’s your responsibility to make sure your documents are correct.
Apply for an affirmation or affidavit online
To apply online you’ll need:
- your UK passport
- your full birth certificate that includes your parents’ details
- proof of your permanent address
- proof any previous marriages or civil partnerships have ended
- a credit or debit card to pay for your affirmation or affidavit
You can also apply for this service if you are a British National Overseas (BNO) passport holder.
You’ll need to bring the originals of the documents you upload to your appointment.
If you cannot find your UK birth certificate, you can order a UK birth certificate.
If any documents are not in English or Japanese, you’ll need to upload a certified translation into English or Japanese and bring the original document and translation to your appointment. Find a qualified translator.
Make sure you have all details and documents with you before you start your application. The application will time out if you’re inactive for 20 minutes. You can either send scans of your documents or send photos of them taken on your mobile phone.
It’ll take about 35 minutes to apply and pay for your affirmation or affidavit online.
Your application will be cancelled if you do not attend an appointment within 4 months of submitting your application. If you paid online, we’ll refund your fee.
Apply for a marital status affirmation or affidavit.
Proof of address
If you live in Japan, use your residence card as proof of your address in Japan. Use one of the following as proof of a UK or other address outside Japan:
- DVLA-issued driving licence
- bank or mortgage statement, or other letter from your bank
- utility or Council Tax bill, not including a mobile phone bill
- tenancy agreement or Housing Association rent card – or the equivalent in your country
- HMRC tax demand or self-assessment statement
Your proof of address must be dated within the last 3 months unless it’s a residence card or driving licence.
If you’ve been married or in a civil partnership before
You’ll need one of the following:
- a decree absolute or final order – or the equivalent in the country where it was issued
- your annulment certificate
- your civil partnership dissolution
- your partner’s death certificate and marriage certificate
You’ll need to bring the originals of the documents you upload to your appointment.
If you do not have the original documents, you can order a UK decree absolute or final order for a divorce, dissolution or annulment. You can also order a UK death certificate.
If you changed your name when you got married, you’ll need to upload your marriage or civil partnership certificate.
If you’ve changed your name
If you’ve changed your name from what is shown on your birth certificate, you’ll need to bring to your appointment the originals of your:
- marriage or civil partnership certificate from your previous marriage – if you changed your name by marriage or civil partnership
- deed poll (or the equivalent in the country where it was issued) – if this was how you changed your name
If you do not have your UK marriage certificate, you can order a UK marriage or civil partnership certificate.
If you do not have your deed poll, you can apply for a replacement deed poll from the UK Deed Poll Service if it was enrolled. ‘Enrolling’ a deed poll means putting your new name on public record. If your deed poll was not enrolled, you should get advice from a legal professional on how to give evidence of your name change.