Same-sex marriage is a right protected by law in the United States now. ( A detailed article can be read here) In Japan, there is a local regulation to issue a certificate to prove a same-sex marriage, like Shibuya-ku in Tokyo, but these marriages are not yet approved by laws in Japan. If you get married and want to bring your partner over to Japan, what type of visa can be granted?
If the marriage is properly registered in your country, the applicable visa for your partner is “ Designated Activity “. (But your partner needs to come to Japan with a tourist visa first, then change it to this Designated Activity” visa. )This was officially announced by the Ministry of Justice in October, 2013. But this is applicable only for non-Japanese couples. The same-sex marriage between Japanese and non-Japanese hasn’t been recognized by law in Japan, your non-Japanese partner can’t get either a spouse visa or designated activity visa.
If you are thinking of bringing your partner to Japan and have any questions, please get in touch using our consultation form .
Visa Navi Japan
Address : Ootemachi ko-ta-su 802 Ootemachi 5-14-10,
Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan 730-0051
Open Hours : 9:00 – 19:00 Closed : Monday
TEL & FAX : 082-258-4554