Will Residence Application Fees in Japan Really Rise to ¥30,000 for 1-Year Permits and ¥60,000 for 3-Year Permits? — Reading the Immigration Services Agency’s Proposed Figures and the Government’s Intent
In April 2026, reports began circulating that Japan may significantly raise residence-related application fees. What drew particular attention was the reported benchmark presented by the Immigration Services Agency during Diet deliberations: approximately ¥30,000 for a 1-year period of stay and ¥60,000 for a 3-year period of stay.
However, one point must be clearly understood. These figures are not yet final and not yet in force. What is currently under discussion is a legal framework that would first raise the statutory ceiling for such fees, after which the actual amounts would be set later by Cabinet Order. In other words, it is not accurate at this stage to say that extension or change applications already cost ¥30,000 or ¥60,000.
What has been reported?
According to recent reports, the new benchmark figures discussed in connection with the immigration law amendment are broadly as follows:
- Up to 3 months: around ¥10,000
- 1 year: around ¥30,000
- 3 years: around ¥60,000
- 5 years: around ¥70,000
- Permanent residence: around ¥200,000
At present, the actual official fees remain much lower: ¥6,000 for change of status or extension of period of stay when filed at the counter, ¥5,500 when filed online, and ¥10,000 for permanent residence. If the new reported levels are eventually formalized, the financial impact on applicants, their families, and employers would be very substantial.
The reported figures are still not final
The current bill would raise the statutory ceiling for fees relating to change of status and extension of period of stay to ¥100,000, and for permanent residence to ¥300,000. However, those are only ceilings. The actual amounts to be charged would be determined later by Cabinet Order after the law is amended.
From a practical point of view, the safest way to explain the current situation is as follows:
- The figures reported in the media are benchmarks, not final fees.
- Until the new rules actually take effect, the current official fees remain applicable.
- That said, the direction toward a substantial fee increase appears quite strong.
The key point of the bill is that it is not only about “processing costs”
What makes this amendment especially important is the legal structure behind fee-setting. The bill does not focus only on the direct administrative cost of processing an individual application. It also allows consideration of broader factors, including the cost of ensuring proper residence management, the cost of support for lawfully residing foreign nationals so that they can remain stably and smoothly in Japan, and the cost of fair immigration control and administration.
This is highly significant. It suggests that the government is moving toward a system in which residence-related fees are not merely designed to recover narrow window-processing costs, but are instead expected to fund a wider part of Japan’s immigration administration as a whole.
What is the government trying to achieve?
In my view, this development should not be read as a simple fee increase. It is better understood as part of a broader redesign of Japan’s foreign resident policy. At least three intentions can be identified.
1. Securing revenue
The government’s formal explanation centers on the idea of beneficiary burden. Immigration screening, monitoring, information-sharing systems, and support structures all require resources. The government appears to be saying that part of those costs should be borne not only by general tax revenue, but also by the foreign nationals who use residence-related procedures.
2. Tightening residence management
The discussion on fees is not taking place in isolation. It is being presented together with immigration DX, stricter residence screening, stronger countermeasures against overstayers, and enhanced information-sharing. In that context, the fee increase can be understood as part of a broader policy package aimed at making immigration control and supervision more robust.
3. Sending a political message domestically
The government has also emphasized that, while foreign human resources are necessary in certain sectors, some members of the public feel anxiety or unfairness regarding rule violations or improper use of systems by a portion of foreign nationals. Seen in that light, the fee increase also carries a domestic political message: Japan may continue to accept foreign nationals, but it does not intend to appear lax in managing the system.
Practical implications
If these increases are eventually implemented near the reported levels, applicants may no longer focus only on professional fees charged by legal specialists. The statutory government fee itself could become one of the largest parts of the total cost.
For companies employing foreign nationals, and for families planning long-term residence in Japan, this could materially affect budgeting and timing. It may also increase the practical importance of the length of the granted period of stay, because the difference between a 1-year and 3-year permission may carry a much larger financial impact than before.
How should this be explained to clients now?
At the present stage, the most accurate explanation would be:
- The currently applicable fees are still the official fees revised in 2025.
- The figures such as “¥30,000 for 1 year” and “¥60,000 for 3 years” are reported benchmarks presented during Diet deliberations, not final enacted fees.
- Nevertheless, there is a strong possibility of a substantial increase once the legal amendment and the subsequent Cabinet Order are completed.
Especially in permanent residence, extension, and change-of-status matters, some clients may misunderstand media headlines as if the change has already taken effect. For that reason, it is very important to distinguish clearly between what has already been decided and what is still to be decided.
Conclusion
The most important point is not simply the headline numbers such as ¥30,000 or ¥60,000. More fundamentally, the government appears to be moving toward a policy in which a wider portion of the costs of immigration screening, management, and support will be shifted to fee-based beneficiary burden.
For that reason, this should be understood not merely as a price increase, but as a policy shift driven by a combination of revenue needs, stricter residence management, and domestic political messaging. What matters next will be how the actual amounts are fixed by Cabinet Order after the legislative process moves forward.
投稿者プロフィール
- 行政書士 (Immigration Lawyer)
-
日系理化学機器輸入商社、日系センサーメーカー、外資系真空機器メーカー、外資系化学装置メーカーでの国内外業務を経て、令和2年度行政書士試験に合格。令和3年4月、トミーズリーガルサービス行政書士事務所を開業。
現在は入管業務（VISA・在留資格）を中心とした専門事務所として、外国人の雇用・受け入れ、企業の国際人材戦略、在留手続のオンライン申請支援を行う。
企業・個人いずれのクライアントにも寄り添い、迅速・丁寧で負担の少ない手続きをモットーとする。
また、国際業務の経験を生かし、英語での各種案内・申請支援にも対応。
趣味： バイク（CB1300SB）、ツーリング、テニス、ゴルフ
English:
After working in Japanese and foreign-affiliated companies in the fields of scientific instruments, sensors, vacuum equipment, and chemical processing machinery, I passed the national Administrative Scrivener examination in 2020 and founded Tommy’s Legal Service Administrative Scrivener Office in April 2021.
My practice is specialized in immigration procedures—visa applications, extensions, changes of status, and online filings for both companies and individuals. I support employers and foreign nationals with fast, accurate, and stress-free application processes.
English guidance and bilingual documentation are also available.
Hobbies: Motorcycles (Honda CB1300SB), touring, tennis, golf
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