Spouse Visa and Residence Card Part 1: The COE

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So, you’ve made the decision to move to Japan with your spouse - congratulations! Now, here comes the bureaucracy.

My wife is a Japanese national so naturally we applied for my Spouse Visa. This is one of several categories of visas that the country of Japan can issue. The full name of this visa is the Spouse or Child of Japanese National.

In all honesty, the process was pretty painless and doing your homework ahead of time can save you and your spouse a lot of heartache.

I plan on breaking up the spouse visa into a couple of parts to make it easier to follow. Let’s continue with the first step: the Certificate of Eligibility.

Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

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What is it?

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Per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Embassy of Japan in the United States of America a COE certifies that the foreign national conforms to the conditions for landing in Japan and reduces the time required to obtain a visa and complete immigration procedures.

Essentially, the COE proves you have met the conditions to enter and stay in Japan long term.

Gathering Your Documents

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When applying for your COE, you’ll need to have some things prepared before hand. Filling out the application and questionnaire is pretty straight forward, so just answer the questions one at a time.

- COE Application

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• aka 在留資格認定証明書, Zairyu Shikaku Nintei Shomeisho
• Although the link and website provide the COE application in English, my wife had to fill out a version in Japanese.
• The Japanese version was the one accepted
• The English version can serve as a reference document for filling out the Japanese version
• We were able to get a Japanese version of the COE application at the Immigration Bureau in Torihamacho, Yokohama

- COE Questionnaire

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- Koseki tohon

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• aka Family Registry

- Passport and residence certificate of the Japanese spouse

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- Copy of your passport

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- Photo for COE

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• Must be a passport style photo (4cm long, 3cm wide)
• In a pinch, the Immigration Bureau in Torihamacho, Yokohama has a photo machine in the building to take your photos

Supporting documents for proof of relationship

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This can include a multitude of things, but what I submitted was:

• Photos: family photos, photos of us on dates, travelling, etc.
• Line/Text Messages/Emails showing love/affection and/or planning events

-Financial Proof

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We submitted the following in our package:

• Most recent W-2
• Most recent pay stub
• Bank statements
• My VA disability letter (Note: A translated copy in Japanese had to also be submitted with this)

Process

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We filled out all the documents. I made sure to have digital copies and physical copies of the documents. It never hurts to be prepared!

We took the train and bus to the Immigration Bureau in Torihamacho, Yokohama as this was the closest Immigration Bureau to us. The link has pretty detailed instructions on how to get to the location. It was convenient that the building had a photo booth for the required photos and a convenient store. 便利ですね！

Like an old school barber, you’ll have to get a number and wait to be called up to the window. It definitely gives DMV vibes.

Once you get called up, you hand over the required documents to the staff and they will process your request for a COE.

After you have successfully submitted your application, go down to the convenient store and grab a treat - you deserve it!

Processing Time: The Waiting Game

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We submitted the COE application at the Immigration in August of 2025. We had to clarify and resubmit one of the documents in September. In November 2025, I received my physical COE. All in all, just shy of 3 months.

Lessons Learned

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The process itself was not too burdensome, however we did manage to take away a few lessons learned:

• Like I mentioned above about the COE application, it had to be filled out in Japanese. The COE Application we received at the Immigration bureau was in Japanese. I am not sure why the website had it in English.
• Have all your documents prepared before hand. Sure, you could fill out the application with a pen at the Immigration bureau, but that can cause unneeded stress.
• Have your COE photo with you. You can get the photos in the building at the photo booth, but what if the machine is broken? Best to be prepared.
• If you are bringing your children along, bring some form of entertainment (books, manga, coloring books, etc…). Japanese bureaucracy is efficient, but it’s not fun. The kids that were there were bored out of their minds. Bring something fun for them to keep them occupied.