Things to Consider When Submitting a Marriage Registration After Hours at Branch Offices

2020.05.12 published

I Submitted My Marriage Registration Outside Office Hours!

I got married recently ♡

I registered my marriage on a holiday when the city or ward office was closed. (April 29th, Showa Day.)

Even on weekends and holidays, marriage registrations can be submitted, but since the city and ward offices are closed, it is treated as "after-hours acceptance."

(Even on weekdays, submissions outside business hours are considered after-hours acceptance.)

After actually submitting my marriage registration after hours, I encountered several things I didn't know about or mistakes I made, so I will report on those.

@nagisa_marry

Precautions for Submitting Marriage Registration After Hours ① Write the Marriage Registration Carefully to Avoid Mistakes

When submitting a marriage registration after hours, it will not be accepted immediately on the spot; instead, they will check it on the next business day, and if there are no issues, they will accept it retroactively to the submission date.

If there are major corrections needed in the content of the marriage registration, it may not be accepted, necessitating a re-submission, so be careful to write it correctly.

(During business hours, a staff member will check for mistakes right away, but after-hours acceptance involves temporarily handing it over to a security guard, so they won’t notice any errors.)

If you are worried, you can take it during business hours for pre-checking, so have it reviewed before submitting it after hours.

@nagisa_marry

Precautions for Submitting Marriage Registration After Hours ② Some Branch Offices May Not Accept Submissions

This is a story of my mistake...

Some branch offices or sub-offices (places that handle some processes for the city or ward office) do not accept marriage registrations after hours.

I planned to submit mine at a branch office near my home (since it can accept registrations during business hours, I thought it could accept them after hours as well), but when I went there, they informed me that they do not accept after-hours submissions.

There were security staff present, but they said that after-hours acceptance is not available at branch offices and directed me to the ward office.

I checked the branch office’s website, but there was no clear information regarding after-hours acceptance. (It neither stated acceptance nor rejection.)

While large city or ward offices generally offer after-hours acceptance, smaller branch offices might not, so it's advisable to confirm in advance if they will accept it.

I had no other plans that day and the branch office was not far from the ward office, so it was not a problem for me, but if you plan to submit around a wedding ceremony or have plans afterward, it could significantly alter your schedule, and worst-case scenario, you may not be able to submit on the intended date…

@nagisa_marry

Precautions for Submitting Marriage Registration After Hours ③ Acceptance is Confirmed by Phone After Submission

After submitting your marriage registration after hours, you should confirm whether it was successfully accepted by phone during business hours. It will be reflected on your resident registration only after this phone confirmation, so make sure to check, rather than leaving it unverified.

If you submit your marriage registration during business hours, it can be reflected on your resident registration the same day if done early, but with after-hours submissions, it will be reflected at the earliest on the next business day.

If you absolutely need your resident registration immediately, it might be better to submit it first thing on a day when they are open rather than after hours.

Also, the "Marriage Registration Acceptance Certificate," which serves as proof that your marriage registration was accepted, cannot be issued during after-hours submissions, so please be careful.

@nagisa_marry

Precautions for Submitting Marriage Registration After Hours ④ You Might Get Confused About the After-Hours Submission Window

The after-hours acceptance window might be at the back, not the main reception area. This can often be confusing, so if you plan to go just in time for your next appointment, you might end up losing unexpected time at odd places…!

Although it seems simple to just submit, make sure to go with plenty of time to spare.

@nagisa_marry

Precautions for Submitting Marriage Registration After Hours ⑤ No Photography Inside the City Office

Naturally, when submitting your marriage registration after hours, you can only submit it at the "after-hours window," so you won't be able to enter the city office.

Depending on the city office, there may be photo booths or they might take pictures outside the office, but this is difficult to manage during after-hours.

(By the way, at the Minato City Office, there was a small sign at the end of the after-hours window saying "We have selfie sticks available. Please let us know if you would like to use one!")

If you really want to take a commemorative photo, it is best to go during business hours and take it then.

Let's Submit the Marriage Registration Smoothly, Even After Hours

I introduced the "after-hours acceptance" for submitting marriage registrations when the city or ward office is closed.

☑ Make sure to avoid mistakes in the marriage registration

☑ Confirm in advance whether after-hours acceptance is available

☑ Acceptance is confirmed only after a phone call on the next business day

These three points are especially important, so keep them in mind when submitting your marriage registration after hours＊

➡️ Download the Marriage Registration from Marry here ♡

➡️ Download a DIY Marriage Registration here ♡