Japan Finalizes Sharp Visa Renewal and Permanent Residency Fee Hikes, Effective October 1

Japan's government formally decided on August 25, 2026, to raise fees for residence status changes, visa renewals, and permanent residency applications, confirming figures first proposed earlier this year.

What's changing

The Cabinet approved an amended order setting new tiered fees for residence-related procedures, replacing the flat rate that has applied for decades:

• Residence status change / renewal: rising from a flat ¥6,000 to a tiered structure of ¥10,000–¥75,000, depending on the length of stay granted (¥10,000 for 3 months or less, ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3–5 years, and ¥75,000 for 5 years or more).
• Permanent residency applications: rising from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, a twenty-fold increase.
• Online applications will carry a discount of up to ¥10,000 compared to filing at immigration counters.

This follows a separate increase to entry visa fees that took effect July 1, 2026, which raised single-entry visa costs from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000 and multiple-entry visas from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000.

Why now

The legal caps on these fees, previously fixed since 1981, were raised by an amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act passed in May 2026. That amendment lifted the ceiling for status changes and renewals from ¥10,000 to ¥100,000, and the ceiling for permanent residency from ¥10,000 to ¥300,000. The Immigration Services Agency then set the actual fees within those new limits after a month-long public comment period that drew roughly 10,000 submissions. Officials said they will not revise the amounts despite the feedback.

The government has cited Japan's record foreign resident population, around 4 million people as of mid-2026, and says the additional revenue will fund immigration processing capacity, language support programs, and measures against overstaying.

Key dates

• October 1, 2026: New fees apply to applications received on or after this date.
• September 30, 2026: Last day to file under current (lower) fees — the submission date determines which fee applies, even if approval comes later.
• A reduction or exemption is available for applicants facing financial hardship or humanitarian circumstances, under a guideline the agency published alongside the order.

Foreign residents in Japan with upcoming renewals should confirm their exact fee tier and consider filing before the September 30 cutoff.