外国人暮らしのQ&A「 同じ国の外国人夫婦だが子どもが生まれたので子どもの在留資格を取りたい」

Q:

My husband and I are from the same country. He is a Long-Term Resident, and I am a Permanent Resident. Our baby was born just this month. We want to obtain Status of Residence for our baby so that we can live together in Japan. What do we need to do to get Status of Residence?

A:

When a child is born to foreign parents residing in Japan, they must submit a Notification of Birth (shusshō todoke / 出生届) to their local municipal office to register the birth. This is to be submitted within 14 days of the child's birth. To submit the Notification, you will need the Birth Certificate (shusshō shōmeisho / 出生証明書) provided by the doctor and midwife (this is actually attached to the Notification of Birth form).

Once you have submitted the Notification of Birth, you will need to be issued a Certificate of Acceptance of Birth Registration (shusshō todoke juri shōmeisho / 出生届受理証明書), or a Certificate of Birth Notification Details (shusshō todoke kisai jikō shōmeisho / 出生届記載事項証明書). However, a Certificate of Birth Notification Details may only be issued for a limited number of purposes; please check at the municipal office where you register the birth.

A child born to foreign parents will have the parents' nationality, so you will need to apply for a passport at your country's embassy or consulate in Japan. In order to obtain a passport for your baby, you will need documents certifying the birth, such as those mentioned above. Please confirm with your embassy or consulate which specific documents are required.

If your child is going to stay more than 60 days, or live in Japan, your child must acquire a Status of Residence (zairyū shikaku / 在留資格). You must apply to the office of the Immigration Services Bureau with jurisdiction over the area in which you live within 30 days of the birth. Determination of a child's Status of Residence is based on that of the parents. In this case, the Status of Residence of either Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident (eijūsha no haigūsha tō / 永住者の配偶者等), Long-Term Resident (teijūsha / 定住者) or Permanent Resident (eijūsha / 永住者) would probably apply.

For Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident, you will need to submit an Application for Permission to Acquire Status of Residence (zairyū shikaku shutoku kyoka shinsei / 在留資格取得許可申請). Also, if either parent is a Permanent Resident, you can apply for your child to stay in Japan as a Permanent Resident by submitting an Application for Permission for Permanent Residence (eijū kyoka shinsei / 永住許可申請).

Many documents are required when submitting an application for Status of Residence, so please be sure to confirm what you will need. The Status of Residence application must be submitted within 30 days of birth, which means that you may need to apply before your child's passport has been issued. For details on the application procedure, please consult the Immigration Services Bureau office where you will submit the application.

Once your child's Status of Residence is confirmed, and your child's Residence Card has been issued, please be sure to complete your child's residence registration (jūmin tōroku / 住民登録) at your local municipal office.

See the Living Information section for more Living Q & A articles.