wedding procedures and timing

Hello everyone, I'm planning to marry with my japanese girlfriend next year but still some things are not clear, I hope you can help me.

The japanese consolate in my country and my consolate in Japan both told us I can apply for the SPOUSE VISA directly in Japan at the immigration office after the marriage, but what is not clear is the timing of this procedure: somebody sais the Certificate of Elegibilty takes 2-3 months if you apply from abroad but there is no guarantee of the timing if you apply within the country.
What does happen in case the process is so slow that my 90 days TOURIST VISA expire before I get the SPOUSE VISA? Am I forced to back to my country and wait there?

Thank you for your answers!

You can come to Japan on Temporary Visitor Visa, get married in Japan (according to the Japanese laws), then apply for change of status from Temporary Visitor to SPouse of Japanese national . If you can get the application in with Immigration before the end of 90 days, you can stay inJapan until they reach a conclusion on your application. Be sure to check what documents you need if you intend to get married in Japan.

Thank you for your reply! You're very kind!
So after the marriage I should go to the immigration office to ask to turn my temproary VISA into a spouse VISA, and the way to do it is the CoE, is it correct?
Do they release a temporary document that allows me to live in Japan until the day they confirm (or not) my spouse VISA?
Am I allowed to work in the mean time?
This burocracy is driving us crazy....!
Thanks again!

After filling out and submitting the marriage paperwork at your local city hall, you can submit your application for a change of resident status at immigration. I recommend getting all the paperwork in advance (you can download it). This is different from a COE application, which is only done outside of the country.

Once the application is accepted, immigration will add a paper to your passport explaining that you have currently applied for a change in status. This WILL have a date on it, usually 2 months later. Applications rarely take that long; if it gets close to that deadline, I think you can go in again to talk with them.

As far as I'm aware (but I'm not positive), you cannot work as you are still under tourist status. But I would ask immigration directly for sure. You could definitely look for a job, but I wouldn't start until your status was officially changed.

Once you receive your new status, you would update city hall with the new information.

Thank you very much!
So, if I'm not wrong, I could go through COE or CSR. But to apply for the CSR shouldn't I already have a residence in Japan?
I mean, I'll be already living there obviuosly some time before the wedding but shouldn't the official "resident" status be active only after getting the VISA? Or you just meant you apply for the CSR to ask to change from a TOURIST resident status to a PERMANENT resident status?
The immgiration office website doesn't say much abou the Change of Status of Residence.

You either go (1) COE from outside Japan, or (2) change of resident status once you are in Japan.

And yes if you are in Japan on "Temporary Visitor" status, you change from that "status" to Spouse of Japanese national "status." Please note that the official name for "tourist" status is "Temporary Visitor" status.

I see that you are from Italy? Then as an Italian national, you should be able to come to Japan just with your passport and get 90 days as "Temporary Visitor." (Please check yourself.)

Just be sure to check in advance (or ask your girlfriend to ask her city hall) what documents you might need (such as birth certificate) for the two of you to get married in Japan.

Also, I don't know what your plans are, but you "could" get married in Italy according to Italian law, and report that marriage to the Japanese authorities after-the-fact. That is another way to proceed.

Things are getting more clear now, thanks to all of you guys!
Our biggest fear was for me to leave Japan after marriage waiting for the VISA, because obviously this would slow everything down and be more expensive.
Both our consulates never mentioned about the necessity to leave the country but then the immigration office replyed with the COE that is only from abroad. I just want to hope they misunderstood us thinking we are going to marry or live abroad, that's why they didn't mention about the CSR.
Now that I have these informations we can go on.
Thank you very much again, I'll post other questions here just in case!

I believe overseas embassies often push the COE route and don't mention that you can also change your status in Japan just in case someone comes to Japan then overstays their visa, either on purpose or accident. Applying for the COE and then actually entering with the visa is (in their minds) probably the safest way.

I've read somewhere else that the Immigration Office trand is pushing for the COE instead of the CSR unless yours is an exceptional case and you can't go back to your country to follow the procedure for the COE.
I really wonder what's the point to force people to do all this mess wasting time and money (expecially when it concerns a very far country). You are not just going from a town to the next town to bring some documents, we are talking about taking 4 flights of 12h each to the other side of the world for the burocracy sake.
Does anybody knows how a distance marriage can work? I mean, a marriage made while the two spouses are in their own countries?

Many have done it, the COE route. Yes it is troublesome and time consuming. But you can complain till kingdom come but that's how they do it here, so either you do it or you take your business elsewhere.

As said you either go COE or CSR. Most of the time immigration will insist the COE but those in the know will try to do CSR. It maybe their way of rooting out scam marriage. So when it's time for you, get all the documents ready, inform them you want to go CSR and be polite.

Also while your application in process, you are not allow to work.

Good luck

With work visa, for example, it makes sense to goCOEway from outside Japan, so that you will have work permitting status on the day your get Japan and can start working for the Japanese employer right away. Employers would not want to wait a few months while the new employee is in Japan but cannot work because he or she is waiting for the result from immigration.

You asked about long distance marriage, but in that see the non Japanese spouse will not be eligible for spouse status for Japan,because he or she apparently does not need to be in Japan.
Each country with its rules.

Japanese consulates (outside Japan) do not deal with Japan resident matters such as changing status of residence, so they will not advise you on that. They can only advise you on visas and how to apply for visas.

Japanese immigration (in Japan) offices are the opposite and can advise you about residency matters.

Sometimes the advice that one agency gives will contradict the other because they only see the situation from their office's point of view.

The path you take (COE or CSR) depends on where you are physically located and your timeline for moving to Japan. For example, if you are in Italy and have 1-3+ months or no set timeline then the COE route is probably better. If you are in Japan or have less than a month before you move then the CSR route may be better.