Japan Raises Visa Fees Fivefold for Tourist Applicants

Effective 1 July, Japan increased the cost of visas for foreign visitors for the first time in nearly five decades. The fee for a single‑entry tourist visa rose from ¥3,000 (about €16) to ¥15,000 (about €81), while a multiple‑entry visa went from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000 (about €162). Permanent‑residence application fees may climb from ¥10,000 (€54) to as much as ¥200,000 (€1,087). The government said the hikes respond to inflation, a historically weak yen and the need to finance expanded services for a growing foreign‑resident population, which reached a record 4.13 million in 2025.

Short‑stay visitors from visa‑free countries, such as EU nationals, are unaffected; stays of up to 90 days still require only a passport. Japan also plans to introduce an electronic travel authorization system, JESTA, by 2028, modelled on the U.S. ESTA and the U.K. ETA.

The changes are intended to curb overtourism and illegal stays while aligning Japan’s immigration fees with those of western nations, but officials do not expect a sharp decline in tourism.