Japan hikes visa fees for foreign nationals
Dhaka: Japan has enacted a bill drastically raising visa-related fees for foreign nationals, with increases reaching up to 30 times current levels. The legislation aims to fund administrative costs tied to the country's expanding foreign population.
The bill cleared the Upper House with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party and opposition Komeito and the Democratic Party for the People. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan opposed it, citing concerns over burdens on asylum seekers and vulnerable residents.
Currently, the statutory ceiling for residency status changes and stay extensions and permanent residency applications stands at JPY 10,000. Under the revision, those limits rise to JPY 100,000 and JPY 300,000, respectively.
Actual fees, set by Cabinet orders within the new limits, are proposed to range from JPY 10,000 to JPY 70,000 for residency changes and extensions, up from JPY 5,500–6,000. Permanent residency fees would climb from JPY 10,000 to JPY 200,000. Implementation is targeted before March 31, 2027.
Immigration lawyer Ryoji Tanishima noted two key consequences: higher costs for companies employing large foreign workforces and likely delays or abandonment of permanent residency applications among individuals and families.
Revenue generated will support processing Japan's record foreign resident population — which reached 4.13 million at the end of 2025 — alongside expanded Japanese-language programs and stronger measures against overstayers, numbering around 68,500 in January.
The bill also introduces JESTA, an electronic travel authorization system modeled after the US ESTA, planned for rollout by March 2029. It will pre-screen visa-exempt travelers to prevent entry of individuals deemed undesirable by authorities, such as those previously deported.
The government justified the hikes by pointing to comparable fees abroad. Visa renewal costs approximately USD 420–470 in the United States and EUR 93–98 in Germany.
Inbound tourists will also face higher costs. The single-entry visa fee is proposed to rise from JPY 3,000 to JPY 15,000, consistent with Western standards. Short-term visas cost USD 185 in the US and GBP 127 in the UK. Additional revenue from tourists will fund measures against overtourism.
Chinese nationals, the largest foreign resident group in Japan, are expected to be among those most significantly affected amid already strained bilateral relations.
