If you are a US passport holder who was married in Japan before November 9th, 1989, and you have a Japanese marriage certificate, there are important things you should know regarding your marriage records.
Marriage Records Not on File at Japanese City or Ward Offices
For US citizens married in Japan before November 9th, 1989, the record of your Certificate of Witness to Marriage Abroad may not be on file at the Japanese City or Ward Offices. Instead, this document is stored at the US Department of State in Washington, DC.
If you need to obtain a copy of your Certificate of Witness to Marriage Abroad, you can do so by following the procedures outlined on the US Department of State’s website. Here’s the link for more information: Request a Copy of Your Marriage Certificate.
What If You Were Married After November 9th, 1989?
If you were married in Japan after this date, we can assist you in obtaining a reissue of your marriage certificate. Whether you were married in Okinawa or anywhere else in Japan, our team at Dave Higgins Office can help you secure a copy from the relevant City or Ward Office.
How We Can Help You Obtain a Reissue of Your Marriage Certificate
To assist you with the reissue of your marriage certificate, we will need the following information/documents:
- Full names of both parties
- Birthdates of both parties
- Nationalities of both parties
- City Office where the marriage took place
- Date of marriage
- Reason for requesting the reissue
- A copy of your passport or driver’s license
- Your mailing address
- Your phone number
Once we have all the necessary details, we will begin the process of obtaining the reissue of your marriage certificate.
Other Document Retrieval Services
In addition to marriage certificates, we can assist you with obtaining a variety of other important documents, such as:
- Birth certificates
- Family registries
- Divorce decrees
- Death certificates
- Name change documents
- Any other city office-issued documents
If you need any of these documents, we are here to help you obtain them efficiently.
Translation, Apostille, and Notarization Services
Once we’ve secured the required document(s), depending on your needs, it may be necessary to have them officially translated, apostilled, or notarized. Dave Higgins Office offers all of these services, and we can guide you through the process to ensure your documents are fully recognized in the US or other countries.
If you have any questions or would like more information on how we can assist with your document retrieval or related services, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you every step of the way.