Family & Spouse Visas in Japan
Sponsoring a partner, children, or parents
Japan distinguishes sharply between the spouse of a Japanese national, who holds a broad status with no restriction on the type of work permitted, and the dependant of a foreign resident, who holds a status that does not itself permit work. That distinction, rather than any income threshold, is what decides how a family actually lives here.
| Spouse of a national | Spouse or Child of Japanese National status source |
| Family of a foreign worker | Dependant status, work not permitted without separate permission |
| Dependant work permission | Commonly capped around 28 hours a week where granted |
| Gatekeeper | Certificate of Eligibility, applied for in Japan by the sponsor source |
Spouse or Child of a Japanese National
This status is not tied to an activity. The holder may work in any field, change employer freely, and is not confined to the occupation categories that govern work statuses. It is granted on the basis of the family relationship itself.
Immigration bureaux examine whether the marriage is substantive rather than nominal, and the application file commonly includes photographs, correspondence, an account of how the couple met, and evidence of cohabitation and of the Japanese spouse's income.
The status also shortens the road to permanent residence considerably compared with the ordinary ten-year expectation, and it is one of the few routes that does not depend on employment continuing.
Dependant status and its limits
- Dependant status covers the spouse and children of someone holding most work or student statuses. It authorises residence, not employment.
- Permission to engage in activity outside the status must be applied for separately, and where granted is commonly limited to around 28 hours a week.
- A dependant whose own qualifications meet a work category can apply to change status rather than remain on the restricted permission, which removes the hours cap entirely.
- The sponsor must show sufficient income to support the family, assessed against the household rather than a single published national threshold.
- Parents are generally not admissible as dependants; the narrow exceptions include certain provisions attached to Highly Skilled Professional status and short-term visitor arrangements.
Children and schooling
Children on Dependant status may attend public schools, where tuition at compulsory levels is not charged, though Japanese-language instruction support varies considerably between municipalities.
International schools are available in the larger cities at fees comparable to those elsewhere in Asia, and are the main reason some households find Tokyo far more expensive than the headline figures suggest.
Long-Term Resident and other family categories
A separate Long-Term Resident status exists for a defined set of situations, including certain descendants of Japanese nationals and some post-divorce or bereavement circumstances where a family tie to Japan remains. Like the spouse status, it does not restrict the type of work permitted.
Japan does not recognise same-sex marriage nationally, and although a number of municipalities issue partnership certificates, these do not by themselves create a status of residence. Some cases have been handled through Designated Activities on an individual basis.
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Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.