My spouse and I live in the US, but I am a valid dual citizen (born with both). I realize this is a question for the Japanese embassy where I live but on the off chance anyone has experience with this, I’d love to hear about it.
I got married in the US five years ago and my spouse is an American citizen. We never registered our marriage in Japan but I think I would like to in case we move to Japan someday. I have a recent copy of my koseki so that’s not an issue, but could we run into any problems registering it this late? Alternatively… should we just get married again next time we’re in Japan? Is that a thing?
Again, I’ll definitely be checking with the embassy since that’s where I’d submit the paperwork anyway, but if anyone has experiences marrying abroad I’d love to know!
2 comments
J nationals are required to submit marriage and childbirth within three months to get the koseki updated. Failing to do so in the case of birth forfeits the nationality (the child would have to naturalize), not sure about the status of a marriage not informed to the Japanese embassy but probably it makes getting a J spouse visa impossible.
On the other side, remarrying requires your partner to submit a certificate of no impediment to marriage – which he won’t get since he’s married to you.
(I hope the embassy has a solution which is not “divorce and remarry”.) Please keep us updated!
You can’t get married twice. When you go to get married (for the 2nd time) in Japan your non-Japanese husband “to be” will need provide proof he is not already married, usually via a trip to the US embassy? (Not sure how it works for Americans?)
I think the only problems you may encounter is if your parents gone gave you two legal names (one for US say, Jane Smith. and one for Japan say, Nakamura Jane) if so then US side it’s going to look like US citizen Jane Smith married US citizen John Doe (Jane either kept her legal surname as Smith, or took Doe, or has Smith-Doe).
Meanwhile in Japan Nakamura Jane is still unmarried Nakamura Jane. But hang on, now Nakamura Jane wants to move to Japan and bring her US husband John Doe with her…. But what’s that? John Doe is already married to Jane Smith/Doe/Smith-Doe…
Hence another reason why giving your kids two legal names could cause problematic for them in adult life (along side the driving license switch, degrees obtained, and traveling through a 3rd country I.e non country of citizenship with multiple identities).