The decision was confirmed following a Cabinet meeting on Friday and reported by local media, including Japan Times. It represents the first adjustment to visa fees since 1978, as the government moves to align immigration-related charges with present-day economic realities.
Under the revised structure, the cost of a single-entry visa will rise sharply from ¥3,000 ($18.60) to ¥15,000 ($92.99). Multiple-entry visas will also see a steep increase, moving from ¥6,000 ($37.20) to ¥30,000 ($187.97). The new fees will apply to all applications submitted from July 1 onward.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi explained the rationale behind the decision, pointing to decades of unchanged pricing despite major economic shifts.
“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then,” he said.
He added:
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”
Broader Immigration Cost Reforms Underway
The visa fee increase forms part of a wider overhaul of Japan’s immigration and residency pricing system, which lawmakers say is necessary to manage rising administrative costs linked to a growing foreign population.
Last month, Japan’s Upper House passed legislation increasing the statutory ceilings for visa and residency-related fees, with some charges rising by as much as 30 times previous limits. The bill had earlier cleared the Lower House in April.
Previously, the upper limit for changing residency status or extending a stay stood at ¥10,000 ($63), while permanent residency applications were capped at the same level. Under the new law, those ceilings have been raised significantly to ¥100,000 and ¥300,000 respectively.
Actual charges will be determined through Cabinet orders within these revised limits.
Residency and Permanent Stay Costs Also Set to Rise
The government has proposed further adjustments that would see residency status changes and visa extensions increase from the current ¥5,500–¥6,000 range to between ¥10,000 and ¥70,000.
Permanent residency application fees, meanwhile, are expected to jump from ¥10,000 to as high as ¥200,000 under the new framework.
Officials say the full implementation of the changes is expected before the end of the next fiscal year, ending March 31, 2027.
Government Cites Rising Migration and Administrative Pressure
Authorities have defended the reforms as necessary to support Japan’s expanding foreign resident population, which reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025.
The additional revenue, they say, will be used to strengthen administrative systems, expand Japanese-language education programmes, and improve enforcement against visa overstays.
The government has also argued that the revisions will bring Japan’s visa-related charges closer in line with those of Western countries.
For example, visa renewal fees in the United States typically range between $420 and $470, while Germany charges between €93 ($107) and €98 for similar services.
As Japan reshapes its immigration framework, the sharp increase in fees signals a broader shift toward higher-cost, more tightly managed entry and residency systems for foreign nationals.