Birth / DeathBirth
Childbirth
[When 1 parent, either the father or mother, is a foreign national]
Submit notice to: City office with jurisdiction over the area of residence.
Documents to be submitted: birth certificate, maternity record book, householder's insurance card in the case of being joined to National Health Insurance
Submission period: within 14 days of the birth
*Note: If the child is born outside of Japan, a Nationality Reservation Notice may be required (to be submitted within 3 months of the birth)
[When both parents are foreign nationals]
City office with jurisdiction over the area of residence
Documents to be submitted: birth certificate, maternity record book, householder's insurance card in the case of being joined to National Health Insurance
Submission period: within 14 days of the birth
*Note: If the child born to a foreign national married couple will reside in Japan, a status of residence must be applied for. Please consult with the immigration bureau about status of residence.
Q. What nationality will the child born to a Japanese and foreign national couple be?
A. If first depends on what nationality the parent's wish the child to be.
According to Japanese law, if the mother or father of a child is a Japanese citizen at the time of the child's birth and the child is born within Japan, the child is recognized as having Japanese nationality. If the child is born overseas, the child can reserve Japanese citizenship until the time they turn 22 years of age and make a decision then, if notification is filed within 3 months of the birth.
If the laws of the country of the foreign national parent automatically grant the same citizenship to the child as the parent, if procedures for reserving Japanese citizenship are not performed within 3 months, the child will lose their Japanese citizenship, because Japan does not recognize dual citizenship.
(See the "Divorce" item if the parents are divorced or not yet married at the time of birth.)
Reference: "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website Family Register and Citizenship"
The translation is based on the data available as of July, 2013. Please note that new systems, system changes etc. may have been introduced after this date. Responsibility for the linked websites lies with their creators. Kobe City accepts no responsibility for their content etc.