Overview
- The government confirmed on June 22 that new charges take effect on July 1, 2026, raising single-entry visas from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000 and multiple-entry visas from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000.
- A separate Diet bill raised statutory ceilings on residency and status-change fees, with some permanent-residence application limits increasing to roughly 30 times current levels.
- Officials, including Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, say the hikes respond to inflation and a weaker yen and will fund biometric and digital border systems, language programmes and extra processing staff.
- Most short-stay travellers from visa‑exempt countries will not need to pay, but working‑holiday visitors, workers, migrants and foreign residents will face substantially higher application and renewal costs; the international tourist tax will also rise from July 1.
- Legal groups and employers warn the increases will place heavy financial burdens on migrants and businesses, while the government says it does not expect an immediate drop in inbound tourism after a record 42.6–42.7 million visitors in 2025.