Japan will quintuple visa fees for foreigners starting July 1 marking the first price hike since 1978 as announced by the government on June 20 2026 with single-entry visas rising from 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen and multi-entry visas increasing from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters the revision reflects inflation and yen weakness adding that authorities do not anticipate an immediate impact on inbound tourism.
The decision approved at a Cabinet meeting on Friday aims to bring Japan’s fees closer to those charged by other G7 economies according to a government assessment. In the United States non-immigrant visa application fees range from $185 to $315 while a standard UK short-term visa costs £135 according to figures from those countries’ immigration authorities. Japan’s fees had remained unchanged for 48 years prompting the adjustment to account for economic shifts over that period the Foreign Minister noted.
Japan National Tourism Organization figures show the country received a record 36.9 million international visitors in 2024 surpassing the previous high set in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The weak yen which has hovered near historic lows since 2021 has contributed heavily to the tourism surge by making the destination more affordable for overseas travelers according to JNTO data. Motegi however expressed confidence that the higher visa costs would not deter visitors in the short term.
Separate revisions enacted in May raised the statutory upper limit for permanent residency applications to 300,000 yen from the current cap of 10,000 yen the legislation showed. It will also cost up to 100,000 yen to change one’s residency status or extend a period of stay up from 10,000 yen according to the bill’s provisions. The Directorate of Immigration Services applied these increases to better cover administrative costs associated with processing foreign applications.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted in preparatory documents that the visa fees set in 1978 no longer reflected current economic realities including inflation and exchange rate fluctuations over nearly five decades. A preparatory document published this spring highlighted the need to align amounts with international benchmarks used across OECD member states the ministry indicated. This marks a significant policy shift for a country that has long maintained some of the lowest visa issuance charges among developed economies.
In an announcement on Friday Motegi stated “The current visa fee was set in 1978 and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then.” 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.” The new rates will apply to applications submitted on or after July 1 according to the Cabinet order.
