Japan has implemented a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreign nationals, marking the first such price hike in nearly 50 years.
Effective from 1 July, the cost of a single-entry visa will rise from the current 3,000 yen (£14) to 15,000 yen, while multi-entry visas will increase from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen, reports BBC.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters on Friday that these revisions – the first since 1978 – were made to reflect “inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”. He added that authorities do not anticipate that the move will have an “immediate impact on inbound tourism”.
The Japanese yen has been weakening continually since 2021 and is currently hovering near historic 40-year lows. This decline, alongside a post-pandemic travel rebound, led to Japan welcoming a record 42.7 million international tourists last year.
Beyond standard visas, Japan’s Upper House enacted a bill in May to significantly raise other fees relevant to foreigners. Under this revision, the statutory upper limit for permanent residency applications will increase 30-fold, rising from 10,000 yen to 300,000 yen.
Additionally, the cost to change residency status or extend a period of stay will rise from 10,000 yen to up to 100,000 yen.
Authorities pushing for the adjustments stated that Japan must align its visa and residency-related fees more closely with those of other G7 economies. By comparison, a standard short-term visa for the United Kingdom costs £135, while non-immigrant visa application fees in the United States range from $185 to $315.
