What's changed

The fivefold increase is the first revision to Japan's visa issuance fees since 1978. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, announcing the measure on June 19, attributed the change to inflation and exchange-rate movements over the intervening 48 years, stating that the previous fees no longer reflected the administrative cost of processing applications. Fees are paid at the Japanese embassy or consulate when a visa is issued, in the currency of the country where the mission is located; no fee is charged if a visa is not issued.

The visa-issuance change is the first of two fee tracks. A separate, larger overhaul of charges for residence-status procedures — including status-of-residence renewals and permanent-residency applications, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and immigration authorities — is scheduled for implementation before the end of Japan's 2026 fiscal year on March 31, 2027.

Who's affected

The revised fees apply to foreign nationals who require a visa to enter Japan for tourism or business. Travellers from the more than 70 countries holding short-term-stay visa-exemption agreements with Japan are not charged a visa issuance fee and are unaffected by the change. Applicants who file before July 1, 2026 are charged the previous fee, because the new schedule applies only to applications submitted on or after the effective date.

Japan recorded approximately 4.13 million foreign residents at the end of 2025. The government has said the additional revenue will support the administration of immigration services as the foreign population grows.

When it takes effect

The single-entry and multiple-entry fee increases take effect on July 1, 2026. The transit visa fee, currently ¥700, and reduced or waived fees that apply to certain nationalities and visit purposes remain subject to the published Ministry of Foreign Affairs schedule. The separate residence-status and permanent-residency fee revisions are scheduled to take effect at a later date, before March 31, 2027.