Japan ↔ Thailand Apostille Corridor 2026 — Spouse Visa, HSP & Engineer Routes

No — since 25 January 2025, the Embassy of Japan Bangkok no longer accepts requests for legalization of Thai documents intended for use in Japan. The Apostille issued by MFA Chaeng Wattana on the Thai original (or on the sworn translation) is the only required authentication.

JPY 0 — Japan's MOFA does not charge any fee for Apostille service on documents issued by Japanese government agencies or notarised by Japanese notaries. This is exceptional globally (most countries charge USD 5-25). NYC coordinates through Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya partner agents for Thai families needing Japanese docs (Koseki, diplomas, court orders) Apostilled while in Thailand — partner agent fee JPY 8,000-15,000 per document + DHL to Bangkok.

Yes — the Spouse of Japanese National visa carries NO occupational restriction. The Thai spouse may work full-time, part-time, freelance, or start a business in any sector including those normally restricted to specific work visas (manufacturing labour, retail service, restaurant work). This is the visa's defining advantage vs Engineer or Specified Skilled Worker visas which restrict the holder to a specific employer and job category.

Partially. Japan has no nationwide same-sex marriage legislation, but as of 2026, over 400 municipalities (covering 80%+ of Japan's population) issue Partnership Certificates including Tokyo Metropolitan Government (since November 2022), Osaka, Yokohama, Sapporo, Fukuoka. Thai same-sex Marriage Certificates issued under the Equal Marriage Act 2026 are accepted by these municipalities for Partnership Certificate registration, but DO NOT confer Spouse visa eligibility under current Immigration Services Agency policy.

JLPT is NOT mandatory for most Japanese work visas (Engineer, Spouse, HSP) but provides scoring bonuses. JLPT N1 adds 15 HSP points; N2 adds 10 points. For Specified Skilled Worker (SSW, Tokutei Ginou) visa in 14 sectors (caregiving, agriculture, food service, construction), JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic A2 IS mandatory plus a sector-specific skills test.

4-6 months end-to-end. Phase 1 (Thailand, 2-3 weeks): NYC prepares Apostilled Thai docs + sworn EN/JP translations. Phase 2 (Japan, 1-3 months): Japanese spouse submits COE application at Immigration Services Agency regional office. Phase 3 (Bangkok, 1 week): Thai spouse applies for visa stamp at Embassy of Japan Bangkok — 5 business days, JPY 3,000-6,000.

Direct submission — Japan's Immigration Services Agency does NOT require third-party credential evaluation (no WES/IQAS/Anabin equivalent). The Apostilled Thai diploma + sworn EN/JP translation + transcript is accepted directly. The case officer evaluates relevance of the degree subject to the proposed job role. Chulalongkorn, Mahidol, Thammasat, Chiang Mai, KMUTT, KMITL, AIT are recognised top-tier; smaller private universities may require additional supporting documents (course syllabi, internship records).

LINE Official @nycli (5-minute reply Mon-Sat 09:00-18:00 ICT) or +66 83-249-4999. Bundled pricing: Spouse of Japanese National pack THB 22,000 (all Thai docs + Apostille + sworn EN/JP translation + Embassy visa coordination); Engineer/HSP visa pack THB 18,000 (degree + transcript + criminal record + Apostille + translations); Kekkon Todoke pack THB 16,000 (Birth Certificate + Single Status + Household Registration + Apostille + JP translation).