Marriage Procedure with Nepalese

In the case of marriage between a Japanese and a Nepalese, it is recommended to start the marriage procedure from the procedure in Nepal.

The reason for this is that the Nepalese Embassy in Japan does not carry out marriage procedures, so even if the marriage registration is submitted in Japan first, the Nepalese Embassy in Japan will not be able to complete the marriage procedures on the Nepalese side, and it will be necessary to go to the Nepalese home country to carry out the time-consuming procedures again. This is because the Nepalese embassy in Japan cannot complete the marriage procedures on the Nepalese side.

However, by carrying out the procedures on the Nepalese side first, it will be easier for the Japanese side to just report the marriage.

However, we understand that there are different circumstances, so we will explain below the two types of marriage formalities, one from Nepal and the other from Japan.

Please note that the documents required will vary from one government office to another, so please check with your local government office beforehand!
Please note that the required documents may differ from one C.D.O to another, so please check with your C.D.O before applying.

If you are applying for marriage in Nepal first

1. Obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for Marriage (Certificate of Singleness)

You can get it from the Embassy of Japan in Nepal the day after your application. Mainly, you need to submit the following documents

A copy of the family register of the Japanese national (additional documents may be required if there is a history of divorce)
Passport of the Japanese national

(In case of divorce, additional documents are required.) A copy of the Nepalese passport or National Identity Card (Nagarita) may be required.

2. Apply for marriage at the C.D.O (Central Disrict Office)

The two parties to the marriage must apply to the C.D.O. with jurisdiction over their place of residence at least 15 days before the desired date of marriage (it takes at least 15 days from the date of application to the date of consummation). The main documents that need to be submitted are

Marriage Certificate
Marriage Certificate of the Nepalese person
Nagarita for Nepalese nationals
Certificate of Legal capacity to marry of Japanese national (available at the Japanese Embassy)
Copy of Passport of Japanese national

3. Examination by C.D.O

The Registrar of Marriages will decide whether or not to accept the marriage within 7 days of receipt of the application. If the marriage is not accepted, the parties can appeal to the Court of Appeal within 20 days of the date of the rejection. It may take more than one month for the C.D.O. to process the application if the applicant is from a rural area, such as the capital city of Kathmandu.

If there is an age difference of more than 20 years between the parties, the C.D.O. may not recognize the marriage. In such a case, the case will be transferred to this court procedure.

4. The C.D.O. issues an affidavit and a marriage certificate

The two parties to the marriage and at least three witnesses (a copy of the Nagarita is required) go to the C.D.O. and sign the prescribed affidavit. A marriage certificate will then be issued.

Two marriage certificates (one for the C.D.O and one for the applicant) will be issued, one in Nepali and one in English.

5. Submission of Marriage Certificate to Japan

Within three months of obtaining the marriage certificate, the applicant must register the marriage at the local Japanese Embassy in Nepal or at the local municipal office in Japan. Mainly the following documents are required to be submitted

Marriage Certificate
Original Marriage Certificate issued by C.D.O (Japanese translation is required on a separate sheet)
Copy of family register of the Japanese national (not required if the marriage is to be registered at his/her domicile)
Certificate of nationality of Nepalese person (Nagarita or passport. (Japanese translation is required on a separate sheet)

In case marriage formalities are carried out from Japan first

1. Submit the marriage notification to the municipal office in Japan

Mainly, the following documents need to be submitted

Certificate of legal capacity to marry of the Nepalese national
Original certificate of nationality of the Nepalese national (Japanese translation is required on a separate sheet)
Passport or ID card issued by the Government of Nepal.
A copy of the family register of the Japanese national (not required if the marriage is to be registered at the domicile of the Japanese national)

However, in rare cases, the municipal office may ask you to appear for an interview at a later date. The purpose of the interview is to ascertain whether the marriage is a true marriage, including the circumstances leading up to the marriage, and whether or not the requirements for marriage have been met.