Marriage
Please note that we do not have the power to marry people at the Embassy or our Consulates.
Marriage in Japan
An Australian citizen intending to marry in Japan must obtain a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) (Mushogai shomeisho) from the Embassy or one of our Consulates. A CNI is a letter from the Embassy stating that there is no known impediment to the proposed marriage. To obtain a CNI an Australian citizen must make a statutory declaration (Sensei kyojitusho) to the Embassy or Consulate regarding a number of personal details and stating that both parties are legally able to marry.
Marriage in Australia
As in Japan, neither party needs to be a home citizen to marry in Australia and a growing number of Japanese travel to Australia to be married. However the requirements in Australia are different to Japan.
The most critical is the requirement for ONE MONTHS ADVANCE PUBLIC NOTICE of intention to marry to be given. Both parties must complete and sign a form called a "Notice of Intended Marriage" and forward this form to their marriage celebrant at least one month and one day ahead of the date of the intended marriage. This form can be obtained directly from your marriage celebrant. This is a requirement for all nationalities, including Australians, who wish to marry in Australia.
Marriage in Other Countries
For requirements concerning marriage in other countries please contact that country's Embassy in Japan. Alternatively, you could try the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country where you are planning to get married.