Japan to Raise Residence Status Fees for Foreign Nationals to Up to ¥75,000, Permanent Residency Fee to ¥200,000
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On July 3, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency published a draft cabinet order for a sharp increase in fees for residence-related procedures for foreign nationals. Fees for changing or renewing residence status, previously a flat 6,000 yen, will rise in tiers depending on the length of the residence period: 10,000 yen for stays of three months or less, 33,000 yen for one-year stays, and 75,000 yen for stays of five years or more. The fee for permanent residency applications will be sharply increased from the current 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen.
A 30-day public comment period ran from July 3 to August 2, and the revised fees are set to apply to applications filed on or after October 1, 2026. The agency has also published draft guidelines for fee waivers in cases that meet both financial hardship and humanitarian consideration criteria.
The steep increases have drawn concern, with critics warning the fees are "too high" and could cause some people to lose their residence status. Along with the emergency increase in immigration staffing (related coverage), the fee revision appears to be part of a broader series of institutional reinforcements tied to the "Zero Illegal Overstayers Plan – Strong Promotion Package" (related coverage).
Current status: The Immigration Services Agency formally announced the finalized fee revision on August 28, 2026, confirming it will take effect October 1, 2026. The published fee schedule finalizes the amounts for residence status change permits, extension of period of stay permits, and permanent residency permits. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Update (October 1, 2026): The revised fees took effect as scheduled on October 1, 2026. According to NHK, the Immigration Services Agency said it would continue publicizing the relevant information on its website and elsewhere to ensure a smooth transition. Which fee applies is determined by the date an application is received, so applications accepted on or before September 30, 2026 remain subject to the previous fees even if permission is granted on or after October 1. Because of this treatment, a rush of applications was reported ahead of the change.
Editorial Perspective
Responses at the municipal level play a role in bridging the gap between national policy design and residents' lived experience. Whether a move like this spreads to other municipalities will be worth watching going forward. In particular, whether information-sharing between municipalities facing similar challenges leads to wider adoption of successful approaches may shape how effective this policy area becomes overall.