Japan Raises Visa Fees for Foreign Nationals First Time in 48 Years

Japan’s government has decided to significantly increase visa fees for foreign nationals by revising the related Cabinet order, marking the first such change in nearly five decades.

The revised fees, approved at a Cabinet meeting on Friday, will come into effect for applications submitted from July 1. The cost of a single-entry visa will rise from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000, while multiple-entry visa fees will increase from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the revision was necessary because the previous fees had remained unchanged since 1978 and no longer reflected inflation and currency fluctuations.

“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then,” Motegi said.

He added that the government did not expect the increase to immediately affect inbound tourism.

Higher fees to support immigration management

The visa fee hike follows legislation passed by Japan’s parliament allowing major increases in immigration-related charges. The additional revenue will be used to manage the country’s growing foreign resident population and strengthen immigration services.

Under the new framework, the maximum legal limits for fees related to changing residency status or extending stays will rise from ¥10,000 to ¥100,000. The ceiling for permanent residency applications will increase from ¥10,000 to ¥300,000.

Actual charges will be decided through Cabinet orders within these limits.

The government is also planning to raise fees for residency status changes and stay extensions from the current ¥5,500–¥6,000 range to between ¥10,000 and ¥70,000. Permanent residency application fees could rise from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, with implementation expected before March 31, 2027.

Revenue aimed at supporting foreign resident services

Japan plans to use the additional funds to handle administrative costs linked to the country’s expanding foreign population, which reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025.

The money will also support Japanese-language education programs and measures to address illegal overstaying.

Officials said the fee increases are part of efforts to bring Japan’s visa and residency charges closer to those in Western countries. Visa renewal fees are significantly higher in countries such as the United States and Germany.

The government says the changes are intended to create a stronger and more sustainable immigration management system.