Marriage and Divorce
We do not marry Australian citizens overseas or accept divorce applications. We are not qualified to advise you on marriage or divorce matters. Contact the relevant authorities in Australia or Japan for advice.
Marriage in Japan
To get married in Japan, please contact your city office for information and advice on local requirements and necessary documentation. Before a foreign national may marry, Japanese authorities require a certificate issued by the Australian Government stating that those authorities do not know of any impediment to the marriage. This certificate is known as a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI). Certificates of No Impediment are not a requirement of Australian law.
Applying for a Certificate of No Impediment in Japan
Australian citizens and permanent residents can apply by completing the application form and submitting it along with your passport. If either party is divorced or widowed, please also provide the relevant divorce order (rikon shomeisho) or death certificate (shibou shindan sho). Fees apply. We aim to issue certificates within 5 working days.
Certificates are issued in English and Japanese. Complete in full the application form in both English and Japanese showing the preferred Japanese spelling of the applicant and partner's name and details. Only sign the English language declaration. Do not sign the Japanese language declaration.
Download Application Form Word | PDF
Applying in Person
Please contact your nearest Australian mission to lodge your application. Applicants can complete the form and present it at an Australian mission for witnessing.
Applying by Mail
Mailed applications are acceptable only if witnessed by a qualified witness in Japan who holds the local equivalent office or professional qualification as listed on the application form:
- legal practitioner;
- clerk of a court;
- medical practitioner;
- magistrate;
- bailiff;
- minister of religion;
- civil marriage celebrant;
- police officer;
- Notary Public (Koshonin);
- see application for full list
Complete a Notarial Request application (Word | PDF) and post all documentation and fees to your nearest Australian mission along with a return stamped self-addressed envelope. All fees are payable in cash (Japanese yen) or by a postal money order (yuubin kawase), which is available at the post office. We aim to return documents within 5 working days. Incomplete applications or documents mailed without the correct payment will be returned unprocessed.
For further general information please see our Marriage Overseas brochure.
Marriage in Australia
Please consult with your Marriage Celebrant or your State's Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages or visit the website of Australia's Attorney General for information on marriage in Australia.
Notices of Intended Marriage can be witnessed at your nearest Australian mission. Fees apply.
Divorce in Australia
To apply for a divorce in Australia, please contact the Family Court of Australia. For more information on getting divorced in Australia, visit australia.gov.au - Getting Divorced page. If you require your signature witnessed or certified copies of original documents as part of the divorce application, please contact your nearest Australian mission. For more information, see Notarial services.
Divorce in Japan
For information on divorce proceedings in Japan please contact either your local city office, or the Family Court of Japan. If you require further advice, you could consider seeking private, independent legal advice. We maintain a list of lawyers around Japan some of whom practice in Japanese divorce proceedings.
To find out if your Japanese divorce is recognised in Australia please contact the Family Court of Australia directly.