how do i obtain "free to marry" proof in toronto for a marriage in japan?

[marryinjapan]

i am a canadian citizen getting married to a japanese citizen in japan in march. to marry there, i need proof that i am "free to marry". the proof is a form called:

konin youken gubi shoumeisho (婚姻要件具備証明書)

normally one must have the form notarized at the canadian embassy in tokyo, but i would like to have it notarized in toronto. does anyone know if that is possible? if so, what steps do i need to follow?

thanks

 

[Karlshammar]

Hi MIJ,

I haven't fully understood, so set me straight if I'm giving you the wrong answer, but you can just check the Yellow Pages or search the web for notary public Toronto and you should find one right away.

If you are talking about how to get the document issued by the Canadian government, the instructions can be found here:

http://international.gc.ca/about-a_propos/authentication-authentification_documents.aspx?lang=eng#A4

As part of that process the page says that you do have to complete a statutory declaration under oath, so I assume that is what you need a notary public for.

 

[toby]

Before getting the certificate of eligibility to marry in Canada, check the Canadian embassy's website in Japan. I did the same thing, got a certificate sworn in front of the Canadian visa officer in Costa Rica, prior to going to China to get married. But that certificate was not acceptable to the Chinese authorities; only one obtained in the Canadian embassy in Beijing would do.

Even better, ask your Japanese fiance(e) to ask the Japanese authorities; they are the ones making the decision.

 

[Karlshammar]

I agree with toby. That's what the link I posted says, get it from the embassy in the country where you need it, which is the Canadian embassy in Tokyo. As for the notarization, that can be done anywhere.

 

[marryinjapan]

hi all,
thank you very much for your assistance so far!

here is an update on my situation:

to marry in japan, a canadian needs a document known as "konin youken gubi shoumeisho". the canadian government makes that document available here:

tinyurl.com/yz6n3zl

according to the canadian government's website, the "konin youken gubi shoumeisho" must be notarized at a canadian embassy in japan:

"This proof is accepted in the form an affidavit that you must swear person in front of the appropriate authority at the Canadian Embassy or Consulates and thus this cannot be done through mail." (source: tinyurl.com/3yxhxvn)

the canadian government's website does not, however, indicate whether it is possible to have the "konin youken gubi shoumeisho" notarized inside canada, either at a canadian government office, or at a legal notary public.

the more general link provided by karl (tinyurl.com/2azwtg7) seems to indicate that, at least in the general case, any notary public in canada will do:

"You must provide a statutory declaration of your present marital status and indicate the name and citizenship of your future spouse. Statutory declarations can be done before a Canadian notary or commissioner of oaths."

we have asked the japanese ward office whether they will accept any form of notarization performed in canada. we described what a canadian notary public is, and asked if notarization in canada at a notary public (in japanese: koushou yakuba) would be accepted. so far the answer is "maybe". the japanese ward office is investigating, and also asked us to ask the canadian government if it has a process in place to handle canadians living in canada who wish to have a marriage legally recognized in japan without traveling to japan.

we asked the canadian embassy in tokyo that question. their answer was:

===
The authority able to tell you what document will be accepted is the local Japanese city/ward office where you are going to register your marriage.

Usually they will require the affidavit to be signed at a Canadian consulate in Japan or at the Embasssy in Tokyo. They would probably not accept any other notarization. However in order to make sure, you can contact your city/ward office here in Japan.
===

at this point we are waiting to hear back from both the japanese government and the canadian government.

i will post an update if i receive further information. if anyone has any experience with this issue, i would greatly appreciate hearing about it.

thanks again.

 

[toby]

Interesting.

If there is no difficulty travelling to a Canadian consulate or embassy in Japan, why not end the uncertainty and get the Certificate sworn in Japan?

You don't want to do what I did: get to the marriage bureau and have them -- after a several-hours wait -- tell you the document is unacceptable.

 

[marryinjapan]

update...

here is the canadian embassy's official reply:
==
Unfortunately, the Canadian Embassy is not able to investigate this issue on your behalf. However, as we wrote in our previous e-mail, we recommend you to have this document notarized in Japan at the Embassy or at a consulate, since this is the normal procedure and usually only this kind of document would be acceptable to Japanese ward offices.

Since the ward office you contacted hasn't told you that this would be inacceptable for them if you have it notarized in Canada, please feel free to try having it notarized at a "Canadian notary or commissioner of oaths" in Canada. Again, the only authority to be able to tell you what will be acceptable will be the specific ward/city office.

A template of the document that we usually notarize for that purpose is available at the bottom of the following page:
tinyurl.com/yz6n3zl

Notary services are available at the Embassy Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:45 pm to 4:00 pm, upon appointment. If you would like to have it notarized at a consulate, please contact them in advance to make up an appointment.
==

@toby: i am attempting to complete the marriage before i arrive in japan because i am able to stay in japan for only a few days, so we are trying to squeeze everything into a very tight schedule. if we can get a visit to the embassy and city hall out of the way, it will make a big difference (2 full days) to our plans.

 

[toby]

Good luck to you both, then.

TOby