Japan Immigration News

Japan to Charge Foreigners More for Residence Permits, Looking to Align with Western Countries

Release Date: 2025-11-20
Media: Japan News
Summary: Japan plans to significantly raise fees for residence-related procedures and visas as early as fiscal 2026, with levels approaching those in Europe and the United States. A bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act will be submitted to next year’s ordinary Diet session, since current law caps most fees at ¥10,000. The proposed increases are substantial: changing or renewing a residence status of one year or more may rise to ¥30,000–¥40,000, and permanent residency fees could exceed ¥100,000. This would be the first legal fee hike since 1981.

The government intends to use the additional revenue to improve services for Japan’s record-high 3.96 million foreign residents, including faster immigration processing, expanded Japanese-language education, and stronger measures against roughly 70,000 overstayers. Fees for visas, unchanged since 1978, are also set to rise, with current ¥3,000–¥6,000 visa charges potentially aligning with U.S. and U.K. levels of roughly ¥25,000–¥28,000. These funds would help address overtourism.

Japan’s move follows comparisons showing that its fees remain far lower than those in Western countries, where work-permit or residence-permit renewals often cost the equivalent of ¥16,000–¥170,000.
Tags: Residence Application

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