Two things to know before budgeting for anything. Japanese immigration fees changed more in 2026 than in the previous forty years, so older guidance is unreliable. And every fee is payable on approval rather than on filing, which means a refused application costs you time rather than money.
The current headline numbers
- Single-entry visa at an embassy: ¥15,000, up from ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026
- Multiple-entry visa: ¥30,000, up from ¥6,000
- Permanent residency: ¥10,000 today, rising to ¥200,000 on 1 October 2026
- Extension or change of status: ¥6,000 today (¥5,500 online), replaced on 1 October 2026 by a scale of ¥10,000 to ¥75,000 keyed to the period of stay granted
- Certificate of Eligibility: free
- Permission to work part-time on a student or dependent status: free
The ¥6,000 figure has itself only applied since 1 April 2025, when the counter fee rose from ¥4,000. Guidance still quoting ¥4,000 is a revision out of date already, and will be two revisions out of date in October.
Full tables are on Japan Visa Fees by Category. The reasoning behind the increases and what else changed alongside them is on 2026 Fee Changes.
Two systems, two ministries
Visas issued abroad are priced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and paid at an embassy or consulate in local currency. Applications filed inside Japan are priced by the Immigration Services Agency and paid in yen, usually by revenue stamp, when permission is granted.
They changed separately, four months apart, for different reasons. Confusing one for the other is the most common mistake in budgeting for a move.
Filing online is cheaper
For extensions and changes of status, the Online Residence Application System costs ¥3,000 to ¥10,000 less than filing in person at every tier above three months. It also saves a day of queueing. If your category supports it, there is no argument for the counter.
What the fee does not cover
The government charge is usually the smaller part of what an application costs. Translation, obtaining and apostilling documents from your home country, photographs, courier charges, and professional fees if you use an administrative scrivener all sit on top. For a straightforward work visa, expect the surrounding costs to exceed the fee itself.
Where the fee changes bite hardest
From 1 October, anyone on a one-year renewal cycle pays ¥33,000 a year to remain resident, or ¥27,000 online, against ¥6,000 at the counter today. Families multiply that by each member. And permanent residency, which costs less than a train ticket to Osaka, goes to ¥200,000.
One consequence worth planning around: a five-year period of stay costs ¥75,000 once, against ¥165,000 for five annual renewals at the counter or ¥135,000 online. Longer grants now save money as well as trips to the bureau, and from April 2027 holding the longest available period becomes a condition for a permanent residency application.
The pages in this section
- Japan Visa Fees by Category — the current tables for every application type
- 2026 Fee Changes — what changed, when, and what it means in practice
Where to go next
For the procedures these fees attach to, see How to Apply. For the requirements behind them, see Eligibility & Requirements.