The Japanese government has approved an increment in visa fees for foreign nationals beginning July 1.
Under the changes, single-entry visa fees will rise from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000, while multiple-entry visas will increase from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000.
The decision, made at a cabinet meeting on Friday, marks the first revision of the visa fees in 48 years, since 1978.
Toshimitsu Motegi, foreign minister, said the revision was made to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then.
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” he added.
Citizens of more than 70 countries and regions, including Australia, the US and the UK, are exempt from Japan’s short-stay visa requirements and will not be directly affected by the change.
Chinese nationals who comprise the largest foreign visitor group to Japan are likely to be the most hit, alongside a majority of African countries including Nigeria.
Last month, the Japanese upper house enacted a bill to raise visa-related fees for foreign nationals by up to 30 times the current levels.
The lawmakers said the increase will enable the government to use the additional revenue to help cover the administrative costs of managing the country’s growing foreign 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.
Prior to the bill’s enactment, the statutory upper limit for fees to change residency statuses or extend a period of stay was ¥10,000 ($63), while the cap for permanent residency applications was also set at ¥10,000.
Under the revision, those ceilings will be raised to ¥100,000 and ¥300,000, respectively.
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