翻訳 ブログ｜翻訳のサムライ
翻訳業界、翻訳の仕事に興味のある方、必見！？ 翻訳業界の実態をブログにしました。
Marriage in Japan between 2 Gaikokujins
If, like myself, you find your soul mate in Japan and s/he is also a foreigner in Japan, you may, as I did wonder how your marriage fits into the Japan system and what to do. In fact it is not all that complicated, well what I mean is that it is not much more complicated than an international marriage between a Japanese and a foreigner. All the same paperwork and procedures apply barring ones relating to a Japanese spouse. If both of you are from countries which have well established ties with Japan and who have embassies and consulates which are used to handling marriages in Japan of its citizens and the related paperwork (i.e. the U.S.A., the U.K., most EU countries, etc.) then the procedure is much swifter and organized and the staff at the ward office will also be used to dealing with the paperwork even in English.
However; if you marry a person from a country with weaker ties with Japan and if there are not so many of its citizens living in Japan, you may find that the marriage procedure becomes a little more complicated and embassy staff as well as ward office staff are unsure of what documents are actually required.
In my case I am from the U.K. and my husband is from a country called Albania. Documents for my marriage on the U.K. side were relatively simple to acquire and the procedure was well explained on the embassy website and the embassy staff were able to advise me on every step. Also when I went to the ward office all my paperwork went through without a hitch as everybody seemed to know what was going on. Unfortunately, my husband’s paperwork turned into a bit of a nightmare.
As it seems to be rarer for Albanians to marry in Japan no one really knew what the system was and therefore we spent a lot of time waiting while the ward office staff rang around trying to find out what was required. In the end we ended up having to do a lot more work than the average couple marrying in Japan. In addition to the normal paperwork (outlined in a previous blog entitled, “Getting Married in Japan”) we were also required to find an original copy of the Albanian Family Code (which we did not have to do for my side) and then translate the relevant clauses of the code into Japanese and submit the original copy along with the translation. This meant that we had to have a copy of the Albanian Family Code sent to us from Albanian with a copy of the page proving that it was in fact the actual Family Code and this made our marriage take a long time to get through. Also because Japanese staff at the ward office were not used to seeing documents from Albania such as Birth Certificates it took us a long time to explain and convince staff that they really were what we said they were. The first day at the ward office took us 5 hours after which we were sent away again to get the Family Code and when we returned a week later we spent another 3 hours at the ward office. Talk about killing the romance.
I wasn’t so much annoyed at the fact that we were required to submit more items but rather with the fact that it was all so pointless as we were allowed to translate the Family Code and other documents by ourselves so we could have written anything we wanted in order to speed along our marriage and no one would have noticed anyway. So if there is no vertication of the Family Code, etc. what exactly is the point of the ward office relying on the hearsay of two foreigners.
My final words of advice to any foreigners wishing to marry in Japan; if you are two foreigners from countries like the U.S.A. or the U.K., etc. your embassy or consulate should be able to tell you exactly what you need to do and in what order. If you find yourself in my situation it will be better for you to bring as many documents as you can with you to the ward office and let the ward office staff advise you. You may have to come more than once but I believe this is unavoidable.
However; if you marry a person from a country with weaker ties with Japan and if there are not so many of its citizens living in Japan, you may find that the marriage procedure becomes a little more complicated and embassy staff as well as ward office staff are unsure of what documents are actually required.
In my case I am from the U.K. and my husband is from a country called Albania. Documents for my marriage on the U.K. side were relatively simple to acquire and the procedure was well explained on the embassy website and the embassy staff were able to advise me on every step. Also when I went to the ward office all my paperwork went through without a hitch as everybody seemed to know what was going on. Unfortunately, my husband’s paperwork turned into a bit of a nightmare.
As it seems to be rarer for Albanians to marry in Japan no one really knew what the system was and therefore we spent a lot of time waiting while the ward office staff rang around trying to find out what was required. In the end we ended up having to do a lot more work than the average couple marrying in Japan. In addition to the normal paperwork (outlined in a previous blog entitled, “Getting Married in Japan”) we were also required to find an original copy of the Albanian Family Code (which we did not have to do for my side) and then translate the relevant clauses of the code into Japanese and submit the original copy along with the translation. This meant that we had to have a copy of the Albanian Family Code sent to us from Albanian with a copy of the page proving that it was in fact the actual Family Code and this made our marriage take a long time to get through. Also because Japanese staff at the ward office were not used to seeing documents from Albania such as Birth Certificates it took us a long time to explain and convince staff that they really were what we said they were. The first day at the ward office took us 5 hours after which we were sent away again to get the Family Code and when we returned a week later we spent another 3 hours at the ward office. Talk about killing the romance.
I wasn’t so much annoyed at the fact that we were required to submit more items but rather with the fact that it was all so pointless as we were allowed to translate the Family Code and other documents by ourselves so we could have written anything we wanted in order to speed along our marriage and no one would have noticed anyway. So if there is no vertication of the Family Code, etc. what exactly is the point of the ward office relying on the hearsay of two foreigners.
My final words of advice to any foreigners wishing to marry in Japan; if you are two foreigners from countries like the U.S.A. or the U.K., etc. your embassy or consulate should be able to tell you exactly what you need to do and in what order. If you find yourself in my situation it will be better for you to bring as many documents as you can with you to the ward office and let the ward office staff advise you. You may have to come more than once but I believe this is unavoidable.
スポンサーサイト
Getting Married in Japan
This is for all you romantics out there that plan to marry your Japanese sweetheart in Japan.
I will try to answer all questions you may have concerning where to go, what to do, what you need, etc. by drawing on my own experience.
First of all, getting married in Japan is quite different from what we imagine back home (America in my case). Where in the US you must get a marriage license from the city hall and THEN have the marriage actually performed by a justice of the peace, priest, etc., in Japan the actual marriage takes place the second you submit all of your paperwork to the city office and it is accepted. No ceremonies are necessary (although most people opt to have a ceremony and a reception of some kind).
Said another way, you don't need a marriage license prior to having your ceremony, etc., however your wedding will not be considered official until all the proper paperwork is filed and approved at the city office.
So, what paperwork do you actually need to get married in Japan?
From the Japanese side, the main document you need is the Notification of Marriage (Konin Todoke) available at any city office. In addition to this you will need a copy of your Japanese spouses Family Register (Koseki Tohon) if you are getting married anywhere other than the city where there permanent domicile is registered (the Family Register can only be issued by the city office where the permanent domicile is located, however you can have it sent to you by regular mail if you are not close to your spouses hometown). Most cities also require a Japanese translation of your birth certificate. (Please check with the city you will register your marriage in to verify if this is needed or not.) You will also need your Alien Registration card. Finally, and perhaps most importantly you will need an Affidavit of Competency to Marry notarized by the embassy of your country. This document needs to be submitted in both English and Japanese to your embassy (consulate). They will notarize the English version and you will submit both to the city office. (Note: If you have been married before you will need to submit a copy of your divorce certificate to the embassy before they will notarize your Affidavit. This also needs to be in English so if you were divorced in Japan, a translation of the document is required.)
Once you have your Notification of Marriage, spouses Family Register and Affidavit of Competency to Marry completed, take them to the city office and submit them at the Citizen Services window. They will review all of the documents and usually within 30 minutes or so, your marriage will be registered. No fanfare, no congratulations or anything of the sort, just a call back to the window to return the things they don't need to keep.
It may be a good idea to request a certificate of acceptance for the marriage notification, which can be issued immediately for a nominal fee. In the case of the US, there is no need to register your marriage with the embassy (consulate). You will, however, need the certificate of acceptance in order to apply for a spouse visa to go to the US. (Note: Requirements for registration with your country's embassy (consulate) may be different for other countries so please check with your embassy to be sure.)
Authors Note: This information is based on the author's personal experience and is for informative purposes only and in no way should be construed as legal advice or as official policy of any governmental agency. Please be responsible and research what is needed in your individual case.
I will try to answer all questions you may have concerning where to go, what to do, what you need, etc. by drawing on my own experience.
First of all, getting married in Japan is quite different from what we imagine back home (America in my case). Where in the US you must get a marriage license from the city hall and THEN have the marriage actually performed by a justice of the peace, priest, etc., in Japan the actual marriage takes place the second you submit all of your paperwork to the city office and it is accepted. No ceremonies are necessary (although most people opt to have a ceremony and a reception of some kind).
Said another way, you don't need a marriage license prior to having your ceremony, etc., however your wedding will not be considered official until all the proper paperwork is filed and approved at the city office.
So, what paperwork do you actually need to get married in Japan?
From the Japanese side, the main document you need is the Notification of Marriage (Konin Todoke) available at any city office. In addition to this you will need a copy of your Japanese spouses Family Register (Koseki Tohon) if you are getting married anywhere other than the city where there permanent domicile is registered (the Family Register can only be issued by the city office where the permanent domicile is located, however you can have it sent to you by regular mail if you are not close to your spouses hometown). Most cities also require a Japanese translation of your birth certificate. (Please check with the city you will register your marriage in to verify if this is needed or not.) You will also need your Alien Registration card. Finally, and perhaps most importantly you will need an Affidavit of Competency to Marry notarized by the embassy of your country. This document needs to be submitted in both English and Japanese to your embassy (consulate). They will notarize the English version and you will submit both to the city office. (Note: If you have been married before you will need to submit a copy of your divorce certificate to the embassy before they will notarize your Affidavit. This also needs to be in English so if you were divorced in Japan, a translation of the document is required.)
Once you have your Notification of Marriage, spouses Family Register and Affidavit of Competency to Marry completed, take them to the city office and submit them at the Citizen Services window. They will review all of the documents and usually within 30 minutes or so, your marriage will be registered. No fanfare, no congratulations or anything of the sort, just a call back to the window to return the things they don't need to keep.
It may be a good idea to request a certificate of acceptance for the marriage notification, which can be issued immediately for a nominal fee. In the case of the US, there is no need to register your marriage with the embassy (consulate). You will, however, need the certificate of acceptance in order to apply for a spouse visa to go to the US. (Note: Requirements for registration with your country's embassy (consulate) may be different for other countries so please check with your embassy to be sure.)
Authors Note: This information is based on the author's personal experience and is for informative purposes only and in no way should be construed as legal advice or as official policy of any governmental agency. Please be responsible and research what is needed in your individual case.
中国大使館（領事館）翻訳の認証 よくある質問パート2
中国に会社設立、あるいは支店設立を目指している企業の方たちからよくご質問いただくことですが、
中国領事館の認証はだれでもいくことができます。
（ただし委任状を要するパターンがあるので注意）
下記、ご参照ください。
一番多い登記簿の中国語（簡体字）への翻訳を終え、翻訳者（あるいは翻訳会社の者）が公証役場にて
翻訳の公証をします。その後、法務局長の押印確認、外務省の押印確認を取得します。
そして、中国はハーグ条約に加盟しておりませんので、在日中国大使館あるいは中国領事館にて
認証を受ける必要があります。
認証はシールが張られるだけですが、申請に行く人は運転免許かパスポートなど、自分のＩＤを証明するものを
忘れずに！
【中国大使館あるいは中国領事館の手続きにいくことができる者】
・翻訳をした本人（翻訳者）
・登記簿の認証であれば、会社の代表が委任状を発行すれば誰でもいける
（ただし、当たり前ですが、会社の社印を必ず押印していること）
中国大使館によれば、とくに委任状のフォーマットは用意していないが、
必ず会社の代表取締役印が押印されていることが必要とのこと。
（可能であれば、印鑑証明も登記簿を取得する際に取得しておけば安心かもしれません）
【認証にかかる日数について】
認証は一日ではできません。次の日が一番早い取得日です。
通常は申請してから3-4日後が受取日です。
翻訳のサムライは中国に進出する日本の企業を応援します！
翻訳という部門からではありますが、お力になれるよう日々研究と勉強を重ね
迅速に対応できるよう努めております。
ご不明な点はなんなりとご質問ください。
翻訳のサムライ
フリーダイアル 0120-98-3601
中国領事館の認証はだれでもいくことができます。
（ただし委任状を要するパターンがあるので注意）
下記、ご参照ください。
一番多い登記簿の中国語（簡体字）への翻訳を終え、翻訳者（あるいは翻訳会社の者）が公証役場にて
翻訳の公証をします。その後、法務局長の押印確認、外務省の押印確認を取得します。
そして、中国はハーグ条約に加盟しておりませんので、在日中国大使館あるいは中国領事館にて
認証を受ける必要があります。
認証はシールが張られるだけですが、申請に行く人は運転免許かパスポートなど、自分のＩＤを証明するものを
忘れずに！
【中国大使館あるいは中国領事館の手続きにいくことができる者】
・翻訳をした本人（翻訳者）
・登記簿の認証であれば、会社の代表が委任状を発行すれば誰でもいける
（ただし、当たり前ですが、会社の社印を必ず押印していること）
中国大使館によれば、とくに委任状のフォーマットは用意していないが、
必ず会社の代表取締役印が押印されていることが必要とのこと。
（可能であれば、印鑑証明も登記簿を取得する際に取得しておけば安心かもしれません）
【認証にかかる日数について】
認証は一日ではできません。次の日が一番早い取得日です。
通常は申請してから3-4日後が受取日です。
翻訳のサムライは中国に進出する日本の企業を応援します！
翻訳という部門からではありますが、お力になれるよう日々研究と勉強を重ね
迅速に対応できるよう努めております。
ご不明な点はなんなりとご質問ください。
翻訳のサムライ
フリーダイアル 0120-98-3601
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