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When changing from 定住者 to 日本人の配偶者等, how should I prepare the marriage certificate from my home country, and how should I explain living apart and supporting my husband?

Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO)　／　Published 29 October 2026　／　Supervised by 佐藤拓行政書士

This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）

Who this article is forAn enquiry from the applicant themselves about changing from 定住者 to 日本人の配偶者等.

Answer

The Russian marriage certificate is prepared through the following flow: obtain the 戸籍謄本 (certified copy of the family register) → apostille (アポスティーユ) at the 外務省 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) → translation into Russian → certification of the translation at the Russian Consulate, and the procedure at the Consulate must be handled by the applicant in person. If the 戸籍謄本 will not be ready in time, a 婚姻届受理証明書 (certificate of acceptance of marriage notification) bearing the apostille is also possible, but please check with the Russian Consulate beforehand to be safe. If you are supporting your husband, submit his 課税証明書 (certificate of tax payment status), 納税証明書 (tax payment certificate) and 在職証明書 (certificate of employment), and since spouses are in principle expected to live together, if you are living apart, please explain it carefully in a 理由書 (written explanation).

What is this enquiry about?

An enquiry from the applicant themselves about changing from 定住者 to 日本人の配偶者等.

Subject: change of status of residence
Application type: 在留資格変更許可申請 (Application for Change of Status of Residence) (from 在留資格「定住者」 (Long-Term Resident) to 「日本人の配偶者等」 (Spouse or Child of Japanese National))
Situation: The applicant is a woman of Russian nationality residing as 定住者. She married her Japanese husband a few days ago and wishes to change to 日本人の配偶者等. The applicant started working as a regular employee last month, and the husband works part-time, so the applicant will be supporting her husband. As they have only just married, it is expected to take a few more weeks to obtain the 戸籍謄本. The period of stay expires at the end of September (9月末) this year. They have not started living together yet, and their 住民票 (resident records) are separate. They plan to move around winter, but have not yet signed a lease.
Questions: ① Is it correct that the Russian marriage certificate is to be submitted after obtaining the Japanese 戸籍謄本, obtaining the apostille at the 外務省, translating it into Russian, and having the translation certified at the Russian Consulate? Is certification of the translation at the Consulate handled by the applicant in person only? ② If we wait for the 戸籍謄本, we may miss the period-of-stay deadline. Can we have the translation certified using a 婚姻届受理証明書? ③ The husband will be supported by the applicant; should we also submit the husband's 課税証明書, 納税証明書, 源泉徴収票 and so on? ④ We have not started living together and our 住民票 are separate; should we submit a 理由書?

How should I prepare the Russian marriage certificate?

The flow of obtaining the 戸籍謄本, the apostille at the 外務省, translation into Russian, and certification of the translation at the Russian Consulate is fine.

The flow is fine: obtain the Japanese 戸籍謄本, obtain the apostille at the 外務省, translate it into Russian, and have the translation certified at the Russian Consulate, then submit it. The procedure at the Russian Consulate must be handled by the applicant in person.

If the 戸籍謄本 will not be ready in time, can I prepare a 婚姻届受理証明書 instead?

A 婚姻届受理証明書 bearing the apostille is also possible, but please check with the Russian Consulate beforehand to be safe.

If I am supporting my husband, are his documents also needed?

Please submit the husband's 課税証明書, 納税証明書 and 在職証明書.

If we are not yet living together, is a 理由書 necessary?

Since spouses are in principle expected to live together, please explain it carefully in a 理由書.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone else go to the Consulate on my behalf for the certification of the translation of the Russian marriage certificate?

The procedure at the Russian Consulate must be handled by the applicant in person.

If the 戸籍謄本 will not be ready in time, can I use a 婚姻届受理証明書?

A 婚姻届受理証明書 bearing the apostille is also possible, but please check with the Russian Consulate beforehand to be safe.

If the applicant supports her Japanese husband, which of his documents should be submitted?

Please submit the husband's 課税証明書, 納税証明書 and 在職証明書.

What should we do if the spouses are still living separately?

Since spouses are in principle expected to live together, please explain it carefully in a 理由書.

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This article provides general information. Immigration rules change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please check the Immigration Services Agency website or consult a qualified specialist.
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Because it is a translation, the meaning may differ from the original in places. Where something affects a decision you are making, please check the Japanese version or ask us. The supervision by a 行政書士 is of the Japanese version.