The government of Japan has announced a move to hike visa fees fivefold, for the first time since 1978.
Effective July 1, 2026, the price of a single-entry visa will leap from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000 (roughly $93 USD), while multiple-entry visas will soar from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000 (roughly $186 USD).
This decision to hike the visa fees, greenlit during a Cabinet meeting following an announcement by Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi, marks the first time Japan has adjusted its baseline visa fees in 48 years.
According to government officials, the steep hikes are designed to bring Japan’s immigration and entry fees in line with those of other Group of Seven (G7) nations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that fees had remained frozen since 1978, failing to reflect decades of inflation and recent historic fluctuations in the exchange rate, notably the prolonged weakening of the Japanese yen.
Foreign Minister Motegi explained the reasoning during a press conference:
”The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then. We do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the development also comes as the Japanese yen has been weakening continually since 2021, and is now hovering near historic 40-year lows.
This, along with a post-pandemic travel rebound, has led to a surge in tourists to Japan. The country welcomed a record 42.7 million international tourists last year.
In May, Japan’s Upper House enacted a bill to raise other fees relevant to foreigners.
Under that revision, the statutory upper limit for permanent residency applications will go up to 300,000 yen, 30 times the current cap of 10,000 yen. It will also cost up to 100,000 yen to change one’s residency status or extend a period of stay, up from the current 10,000 yen.
Authorities pushing for the fee hikes say Japan must align its visa- and residency-related fees closer to those of other G7 economies.
In the U.S, for example, non-immigrant visa application fees range from $185 to $315. For visitors to the UK, a standard short-term visa with a maximum duration of six months’ stay costs £135.
