Japan is raising the fees its embassies and consulates charge for visas, effective 1 July. A single-entry visa goes to approximately ¥15,000 and a multiple-entry visa to approximately ¥30,000 — roughly five times the previous amounts, and the first revision in 48 years.
Which fee this is
This is the consular visa fee, charged by a Japanese embassy or consulate abroad when it issues a visa in your passport. It is set by cabinet order and administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is not the fee for residence procedures inside Japan — changes of status, extensions, permanent residence. Those are charged by the Immigration Services Agency under different legislation, and they are changing separately on 1 October.
The two are confused constantly. Our visa fees page sets out which is which.
Who pays it
Anyone who needs a visa to enter Japan. Nationals of the roughly 70 countries and regions covered by visa exemption do not pay it for short stays, because they do not obtain a visa.
By volume, the change falls most heavily on applicants from China, the Philippines and Vietnam, which account for the largest share of visas issued.
It also falls on people coming to live in Japan. Someone taking up a job here obtains a Certificate of Eligibility first, then applies for the visa at a consulate — and pays this fee. A family of four moving together pays it four times.
The reasoning
The stated rationale is alignment with comparable countries. A US or Schengen visa costs substantially more than Japan's did, and the previous figures had been fixed since 1978 without any inflation adjustment.
The measure also arrives alongside the departure tax increase and the residence fee revision, which together make a policy of charging visitors and foreign residents more.
Practical notes
The fee is normally paid in local currency at the issuing post, so the amount you actually pay depends on the exchange rate applied there.
No fee is charged if a visa is not issued.
If you are using an accredited travel agency, its handling charge sits on top of the consular fee and is a separate matter.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa Fees, The Japan Times