Japan raises permanent-residence fee twentyfold

Japan has raised the standard fee for permanent residence from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000 for applications received from 1 October 2026. The fee is payable when permission is granted, rather than when an application is submitted. [1]

People whose applications were received by 30 September keep the ¥10,000 fee even if their permission is granted later. The Immigration Services Agency also lists a reduced ¥20,000 fee for people who meet certain conditions. [1]

Charges for changing or extending residence status have changed too. For online applications, the agency lists ¥10,000 for permission lasting three months or less and ¥65,000 for five years or more, up from a previous online fee of ¥5,500. [2] BBC News reports a previous fee of ¥6,000 and a new five-year-or-more fee of ¥75,000, without specifying the application channel for those figures. [3]