2025-07-16

International marriages are increasing in Japan, and the number of foreigners obtaining a “spouse visa” is increasing along with it. For example, if a foreigner who speaks little Japanese and only English marries a Japanese, can he/she obtain a “spouse visa”?

What is a spouse visa?

A spouse visa is a status of residence that a foreigner residing in Japan can obtain after marrying a Japanese national. The official name of the spouse visa is “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” under “Status of Residence.

Under this status of residence, in addition to those who marry a Japanese national (spouse of Japanese national), those who are specially adopted by a Japanese national or born to a Japanese national may also obtain this status.

In this explanation, we will focus on the status of residence acquired by a foreign national residing in Japan who marries a Japanese national, so we will use the generic name “spouse visa”.

If you only speak English, please visit

When a foreigner residing in Japan marries a Japanese national, he/she is most likely already living with another status of residence. Therefore, it is assumed that the spouse of a Japanese national can speak Japanese to the extent that he/she has no difficulty in daily life.

However, when married to a Japanese who is fluent in English, the foreign spouse does not need to have much ability to speak Japanese. To put it in an extreme way, as long as the nationality remains foreign, the idea that one cannot speak Japanese should not be considered “strange” just because one is married to a Japanese national and living in Japan.

To what extent is Japanese language proficiency required?

As explained earlier, a foreign national seeking a spouse visa should not “theoretically” be disadvantaged in obtaining the visa just because he/she can only speak English. Since they will be able to communicate with their Japanese spouse in English in the future, there should be no hindrance to the couple’s life together.

However, when applying for a spouse visa and actually being examined, “language” is an important consideration.

The “Questionnaire” to be submitted at the time of application includes the following items.

　・What language(s) do the couple usually speak?

　・Do they speak each other’s native language?

　・Does the foreign spouse speak Japanese?

　・When and where did the foreign spouse learn Japanese?

　・If you cannot communicate with each other, what means do you use to communicate with each other?

In addition to the questionnaire, the foreign spouse is also required to submit documents that would prove his/her Japanese language ability.

The reason why such importance is placed on the Japanese language ability of the foreign spouse and communication between the couple is to see if “this marriage is genuine,” i.e., if it does not fall under the category of a sham marriage.

Since a Japanese and a foreigner will be living together in Japan in the future, we place importance on communication between the couple, and also to confirm that the foreign spouse will be able to live in Japan properly.

Conclusion

It is possible for a foreigner who speaks only English or can barely speak Japanese to marry a Japanese person. They just need to communicate with each other in English. However, it is difficult for them to obtain a “spouse visa”.