Japan Is Raising Fees for Residence Status Extensions & Changes

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If a resident in Japan planning to renew your visa or change your status of residence anytime soon, there’s a change coming that’s worth noting.

On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Japanese government decided to raise fees for foreign nationals who renew or change their status of residency in Japan. The renewal fee will rise to up to ¥75,000 from a uniform ¥6,000, effective October 1, 2026. The Cabinet approved the move, in line with a revision to the Immigration Control Act.

Japanese immigration policies change frequently. We recommend referring to the official Immigration Services Agency of Japan under the Ministry of Justice for the most up-to-date information.

What’s Changing

At the moment, the visa renewal and change of status fee imposes a flat rate of ¥6,000, regardless of how many years the period of stay extension covers. Foreigners can apply for a period of stay of 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years.

Instead of a flat rate, the new system prices the fee according to how long your new visa will be valid for, with the maximum fee reaching ¥75,000 for the longest extension of 5 years.

Period of stay	Fee at counter	Fee online
Up to 3 months	¥10,000	¥10,000
1 year	¥33,000	¥27,000
3 to under 5 years	¥64,000	(TBD)
5 years or longer	¥75,000	¥65,000

This comes as part of a broader line of immigration policy changes, including the new requirement to prove Japanese language ability for the most common professional working visa, tightened requirements around applying for permanent residence, and increased fees across other types of temporary visas.

Fee Reductions for Specific Applicants

The hike in residence permit procedure will be exempt for specific applicants facing financial hardship, including those designated as refugees. The scope of these exempted individuals was expanded based on public reaction.

The Immigration Services Agency’s original guidelines allowed the fee to be reduced to ¥10,000 for temporary stays and ¥20,000 for permanent residency, for people who meet two conditions: financial hardship equivalent to public assistance welfare levels, and a need for humanitarian consideration.

Now, the scope has since expanded to include:

Foreign nationals who single-handedly raise the biological children of Japanese nationals or special permanent foreign residents
Cases where denying residency would be considered inhumane

How Does This Compare to Other Countries

Even after the increase, Japan’s fees remain on the lower end globally for a work-visa change of status or extension.

For example, extending a Skilled Worker visa from inside the United Kingdom, depending on length, ranges from £885–£1,751. This is separate from the annual healthcare surcharge of around £1,035/year. A standard H-1B visa in the United States costs between $2,225 and $3,500 in base government fees, though new proposals from the Department of Homeland Security include a major $103,265 supplemental fee for new applicants.

Which Visa Types Are Affected?

The fee change applies broadly to Change of Status of Residence and Extension of Period of Stay applications, meaning it covers essentially every status of residence category, not just work visas. The fee is based on the length of the new period of stay.

Some visa that falls under this price hike include:

Work visas, including the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. Other work categories (Specified Skilled Worker, Instructor, Business Manager) are included.
Spouse visas
Dependent visas
Student visas
Any other status of residence

Permanent Residency is the exception, with the application fee increasing separately from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000.

What You Can Do

If your residence status expires around October 1, consider applying for an extension earlier. You can generally apply for an extension of your period of stay up to three months before your expiration date, so you may be able to submit your application as early as July.

Applying online can also be cheaper than applying in person through the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s Online Application System, though you will need a device that is compatible to scan your My Number Card.

To apply online, you will need:

A My Number Card with an embedded IC chip and photo
A smartphone with NFC capability to read your My Number Card
The required documents for your application

FAQ

When will Japan’s new residence status fees take effect?

The new fees for residence status extensions and changes are scheduled to take effect in October 2026.

Can I apply to extend my residence status before the new fees take effect?

Yes. If you are eligible to apply before October 2026, applying earlier may allow you to pay the current fee.

Will the fee for changing my residence status also increase?

Yes. Japan is also increasing the fees for applications to change residence status.

Read more Japanese government, immigration, and visa-related news:

Written by:

Camilla Chandra

Camilla is an Indonesian writer who lived in Tokyo from 2018 to 2026. She began her career as a Writing Peer Advisor at Tokyo International University before moving into editorial writing. Her work has been published in Metropolis and Tokyo Weekender, among other publications. Her areas of focus include Japanese language and culture. She holds JLPT N2 certification.