2025-05-03

When applying for a spouse visa, a “questionnaire” must be attached. What information must be included in the questionnaire? And what precautions should be taken when filling out the questionnaire? We will explain in detail.

What is a spouse visa?

A “spouse visa” is a status of residence that a foreigner residing in Japan can obtain if he/she marries a Japanese national. However, the official term is “Status of Residence: Spouse or Child of Japanese National. In addition to marrying a Japanese national, this status of residence also includes those who are specially adopted by a Japanese national and those who are born to a Japanese national.

For the sake of convenience, we will refer to this as a “spouse visa” since this section will explain the status of residence that a foreigner residing in Japan obtains when he/she marries a Japanese national.

What is a Questionnaire?

To obtain a spouse visa, you must submit an application form and other necessary documents to the Immigration Bureau and pass the examination.

One of the required documents to be submitted is a questionnaire. In this questionnaire, the applicant is required to state how he/she came to marry a Japanese national, whether or not he/she had an introducer, the relationship between the applicant and the introducer, the applicant’s Japanese language ability, and so on. It is no exaggeration to say that the content of the questionnaire largely determines whether or not a spouse visa can be obtained.

What are the contents and points to note on the questionnaire?

There are a total of eight questionnaires. The contents of the questionnaire are explained in the following order.

The first sheet is information about the applicant. This information includes the applicant’s nationality, name, date of birth, and the name and location of his/her place of employment. After checking passports, certificates, etc., the information should be written as indicated on the passport or certificate.

The second page is the circumstances of the marriage. If you have forgotten the exact date, you may write “around May 2015”. However, if you forget the exact date, you may put “around May 2015.” However, please review your notebook, notes, etc. and try to provide a specific date and time if possible. Also, as much as possible, follow a chronological order, stating in an easy-to-understand manner the meeting, dating, greeting to both families, engagement (betrothal), wedding ceremony, reception, etc.

The third page is whether or not there is an introduction. If there is an introducer, state the date of the introduction and the relationship between the introducer and the applicant.

The fourth page is language information. The applicant’s Japanese ability and comprehension, whether his/her spouse can understand the applicant’s language, how long the applicant has studied Japanese, and how to deal with language barriers between the couple.

The fifth page is whether or not there will be a wedding ceremony (reception). In addition to the attendees of the wedding, the applicant’s and spouse’s marriage history should also be noted.

The sixth sheet is the applicant’s travel history. The number of times and dates of travel to the applicant’s home country, both before and after marriage, should be indicated. Also, indicate whether any deportation or departure orders have been issued.

The seventh page is information on relatives. Separated into husband and wife, it lists the names, ages, addresses, and telephone numbers of the relatives.

And the eighth and final sheet is about the children. If the couple has any children or stepchildren, they should also be listed. Finally, the Japanese spouse signs the form.

Conclusion

The questionnaire must include a great variety of information, from the circumstances of the marriage to the existence of references and the language ability of the applicant/spouse. However, since the applicant will be approved or denied depending on the contents of the questionnaire, it must be written in a clear and detailed manner.