Japan plans to sharply cut passport fees in an effort to boost overseas travel and international exchange. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced at a news conference in December 2025 that the government will lower the fee for a 10-year passport from ¥16,000 to ¥9,000 and reduce the cost of a five-year passport issued to those aged 18 or younger from ¥11,000 to ¥4,500. Meanwhile, a five-year passport for those aged 18 or older will be abolished.
The policy shift comes as Japan continues to record low passport ownership. Japan’s passport is among the world’s most powerful, allowing visa-free travel to 190 destinations. However, according to figures released by the Foreign Ministry in early 2025, as of 2024, the total number of valid passports stood at about 20.77 million, equivalent to only about 16.8% of Japan’s population of 123 million. Of these holders, 44.8% were men and 55.2% were women, and those aged 30 or younger accounted for 48%.
Passport issuance has rebounded only partially from the pandemic slump. The Foreign Ministry began online passport applications in 2023. In 2024, around 3.7 million passports were issued domestically, an 8.8% increase from the previous year but still 15.2% below the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
AloJapan.com