Japan Immediately Increases Visa Fees Fivefold — The Japan Times
The Japanese government has decided to significantly increase visa fees for foreign nationals.
The decision was approved during a meeting of the country’s Cabinet.
This move marks the first change to current visa fees in 48 years—since 1978.
Under the new rules, the fee for a single-entry visa will rise from the current 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen (from $18.6 to $93).
At the same time, the cost of a multiple-entry visa will increase from 6,000 to 30,000 yen (from $37 to $186). The new fees will apply to all applications submitted on or after July 1, 2026.
The main reason cited for this move is the need to adjust the fees to reflect current economic realities. The government aims to balance its expenditures amid ongoing global financial changes.
“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have revised it to account for inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then. We made this decision after carefully considering various factors and do not expect it to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
In addition, the Japanese government is proposing to revise the fees for other immigration services within the country.
Fees for changing residency status and extending the period of stay are planned to increase from the current 5,500–6,000 yen to 10,000–70,000 yen (from $34–37 to $62–434).
The largest increase will affect applications for permanent residency—the fee for submitting documents will rise from 10,000 to 200,000 yen (from $62 to $1,240).
This was reported by The Japan Times.
Japan to Join NATO Initiative to Aid Ukraine
Japan and South Korea are resuming joint naval exercises
