Japan is set to raise immigration fees from October 1, 2026, with the biggest increase hitting foreign residents applying for permanent residence. The country’s permanent residence application fee will rise from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, a 20-fold increase.
The revised system will also end the current flat fee for changing or extending residence status. From October, the amount will depend on the length of the approved stay, with online applications generally cheaper for longer periods.
New Japan Residence Fees
For applicants with an authorised stay of up to three months, the fee is ¥10,000 for both physical and online applications, pplicants granted an authorised stay of one year will pay ¥33,000 for a physical filing, compared with ¥28,000 for an online application while for an authorised stay of three years to under five years, the fee is ¥64,000 for physical applications and ¥54,000 for online applications.
Applicants with an authorised stay of five years or more will pay ¥75,000 when filing physically, while the online application fee is ¥65,000.
The current fee is ¥6,000 for applications filed at an immigration office and ¥5,500 online, regardless of the period granted. Japan introduced the online option to reduce the need for visits to immigration offices, and the system remains available to eligible applicants.
Applications submitted before October 1, 2026 will however continue to be charged under the existing fee schedule, even if immigration authorities make the decision after October 1 while applications submitted on or after October 1 will fall under the new rates.
