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One can become a U.S. Citizen through a variety of means—birth in the United States, birth abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, or through the naturalization process. For all of these, a specific series of legal requirements must be met. At the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan, we can provide certification of U.S. citizenship for eligible individuals born abroad to U.S. citizen parents. We also processes Certificates of Loss of Nationality for those U.S. citizens who would like to give up their U.S. citizenship or believe that they have expatriated themselves.
A child born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent or parents may be eligible for U.S. citizenship if the parent(s) meets the requirements for transmitting U.S. citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act. U.S. citizens eligible to transmit citizenship are required to file for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).
U.S. embassy and consulate personnel cannot perform marriages in foreign countries. Depending on the law of the foreign country, local civil or religious officials generally perform marriages. Marriages performed overseas are considered valid in the country where they take place if they are entered into in accordance with local law. Recognition of the validity of marriages performed abroad depends on the laws of the place in which the marriage is to be recognized.
Americans can get divorced in Japan. There is no need to report your divorce to the Embassy or one of our Consulates and no requirement or procedure to do so.
International Parental Child Abduction
Japan and the United States have been treaty partners under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Abduction Convention) since April 1, 2014.
This section provides an overview of the intercountry adoption process. The process varies greatly, as it is governed by the laws of the countries where the adoptive parents and the child reside (which in the case of the United States means both federal and state law), and also in which of these locations the legal adoption is finalized. Additionally, if the child’s home country is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention, the Hague processes of both countries must be followed. Prospective adoptive parents should consider all of these factors when evaluating what to expect.
A person wishing to relinquish or renounce his or her U.S. citizenship must be at least 18 years old and must voluntarily and with intent to relinquish/renounce U.S. citizenship appear in person before a U.S. consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an interview
The Supreme Court of the United States has stated that dual nationality is “a status long recognized in the law” and that “a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both.
The Embassy in Tokyo keeps no files of the different documents we issue, such as a Consular Report of Birth, or documents dealing with the death of an American in Japan. These records are instead filed in Washington. We also do not keep any files of Japanese civil documents, such as records of marriages and divorces in Japan. These records are held by the Japanese government.
Please call your nearest Consulate or Embassy:
Emergency Contact – All Locations Enroll in STEP International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance