Japan’s allure is known worldwide. Depending on where you go, you can find natural hot springs among cliffs, a unique blend of modern skylines and historic shrines, sublime coasts and snowy mountains. It’s no surprise the country has experienced a significant surge in tourism in recent years.
Now, for the first time in 50 years, Japan has introduced a fivefold increase to visa fees for all foreign tourists.
From 1 July 2026, single-entry visa fees will go from 300 yen (£14) to 15,000 yen. Meanwhile, multiple-entry visas have risen from 6,000 yen (£28) to 30,000 yen (£280).
The price increases were made to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations,” Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters on Friday.
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” he added.
This marks the first time since 1978 that the country has implemented a visa fee increase, and follows the currency’s continued decline since 2021. The Japanese yen is now close to a historic 40-year low.
This is a large reason for the country’s boom in tourism. According to figures shared by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), the country welcomed more than 42.7 million international visitors in 2025 – 10 million more than the pre-pandemic 2019 total of 31.9 million.
A separate bill has also been enacted to increase visa-related charges for foreign nationals in the country. This means application fees for permanent residency would increase from 10,000 yen to 200,000. The fee to change residency status or increase the length of stay would go from around 6,000 yen to between 10,000 and 70,000 yen.
The government will use this extra revenue to process the country’s increasing foreign resident population, according to Japan Times. This group reached a record 4.13 million at the end of last year. The money will also go towards expanding Japanese-language programs and challenging illegal overstayers.
AloJapan.com