Planning a Trip to Japan? FYI, Visa Fees Are Set to Increase Fivefold

Japan has long been a major tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors from around the world each year. But for some travelers, visiting the country could soon come with a higher upfront cost, as Japan prepares to quintuple its visa fees for foreign nationals.

For the first time in 48 years, Japan is raising visa fees for foreign nationals, with costs set to increase fivefold. The fee for a single-entry visa will rise from ¥3,000 (P1,140) to ¥15,000 (P5,700), while a multiple-entry visa will increase from ¥6,000 (P2,280) to ¥30,000 (P11,400). The changes will take effect on July 1.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi explained the rationale behind the revision during a news conference, saying, “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 that various factors were considered in making the decision and that authorities “do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”

According to The Japan Times, the additional revenue will also “help cover the administrative costs of managing the country’s growing foreign population.”

There are other fee increases to anticipate as well. The Japanese government has also proposed raising the fees for residency status changes and stay extensions. These currently range from ¥5,500 to ¥6,000 (P2,090 to P2,280), but could increase to between ¥10,000 and ¥70,000 (P3,800 and P26,600). Meanwhile, fees for permanent residency applications will reportedly increase twentyfold, from the current ¥10,000 (P3,800) to ¥200,000 (P76,080). The government aims to implement these changes before March 31, 2027.

The Japan Times reports, “The government plans to use the additional revenue for processing Japan’s growing foreign resident population—which reached a record 4.13 million as of the end of 2025—as well as expanding Japanese-language programs and strengthening measures against illegal overstayers.”

The country is making these changes to align its immigration policies more closely with those of Western nations and to “build a more robust immigration system.”

The Japanese Embassy in Manila clarified on June 25 that the visitor visa will remain free for Filipino nationals. The aforementioned fee increases are applicable to long-term stays only.

“Please note that temporary visitor visa for stay within 90 days at maximum for Philippine Nationals remains as gratis,” said the embassy in an advisory. “The Embassy of Japan places great importance in strengthening the people-to-people exchange, which is a vital part of Japan and the Philippines bilateral relationship."

The issuance of the temporary visitor visa for Filipinos is free of charge; each applicant only needs to pay the embassy's third party service provider, VFS Global, a mandatory service fee of P800.