Japan Visa Fees Increased 5x on 1 July 2026: New Costs for Every Applicant

The First Fee Increase in 48 Years

Japan's visa fees had not moved since 1978. That ended on 1 July 2026. On 19 June 2026, the Japanese cabinet approved the first increase to visa issuance fees in 48 years, and the new schedule took effect for applications submitted on or after 1 July 2026.

The headline numbers: a single-entry visa jumped from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000 - roughly $93-100 at current exchange rates - and a multiple-entry visa from ¥6,000 to ¥30,000. That is a fivefold increase across the board.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the increase reflects inflation and exchange-rate changes since 1978, and that the government does not expect an immediate negative effect on inbound tourism.

If you are applying from India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, Vietnam, or any other country whose nationals need a visa for Japan, here is exactly what changed and how to budget for it.

Old vs New Fees

The cut-off is the submission date, not the issuance date. An application lodged on 30 June 2026 pays the old fee even if the visa is issued in mid-July; an application lodged on 1 July or later pays the new fee.

One important nuance about how Japan handles payment: unlike many countries that charge at application, Japan collects the visa fee when the visa is issued. You pay at the embassy, consulate, or visa application centre at collection, in local currency at a rate set by that consulate. The yen figures above are the reference amounts - the rupee, yuan, peso, naira, or dong figure you actually hand over is fixed locally and updated periodically, so confirm the current local-currency amount with your specific embassy, consulate, or visa application centre before you go to collect your passport.

A practical corollary: because the fee is charged at issuance, a refused application does not incur the issuance fee. Service charges at outsourced centres such as VFS Global are separate and are payable regardless of outcome.

What This Means for Applicants

If you submitted before 1 July 2026: you pay the old fees - ¥3,000 single-entry or ¥6,000 multiple-entry - regardless of when the visa is actually issued.

If you are applying now: budget the new amounts. For applicants in the countries most affected:

• India: the single-entry fee that was previously a few hundred rupees is now the local equivalent of ¥15,000. Check the Embassy of Japan in India or your VFS Global Japan centre page for the current rupee figure before collection day.
• China: applicants using multiple-entry visas for repeat business or leisure travel see the steepest absolute rise - the local equivalent of ¥30,000 per issuance.
• Philippines, Nigeria, Vietnam: the same yen amounts apply; the peso, naira, and dong figures are set by the embassy or consulate handling your application and can differ from a simple market-rate conversion.

Family applications multiply the cost. The fee is per person, including children who require their own visa. A family of four applying for single-entry tourist visas now faces ¥60,000 (~$375-400) in issuance fees alone, before service charges, insurance, or document costs. Under the old schedule the same family paid ¥12,000.

Visa-exempt nationalities are unaffected. If you hold a passport from a country whose nationals enter Japan without a visa - the US, UK, EU member states, Australia, Canada, and others - nothing changes. This is an issuance fee, and no visa means no fee. Not sure which side you fall on? Run your passport through our visa checker.

The application process itself has not changed. Documents, forms, photo specifications, and processing times are as before. If you are preparing an application, our Japan tourist visa guide covers the full document list, and the travel itinerary builder can help you produce the day-by-day plan Japanese consulates expect.

Why Now, and Is Tourism a Concern?

The government's stated rationale is straightforward arithmetic. Fees set in 1978 were never adjusted for nearly five decades of inflation or for the yen's movement against major currencies, leaving Japan's visa fees far below those of comparable destinations. Motegi's position, as reported by The Japan Times, is that the new schedule simply catches up with 1978-to-present price and exchange-rate changes - and that the government does not expect an immediate negative effect on inbound tourism.

Whether applicants agree is another matter. For a solo traveller, ¥15,000 is a noticeable but absorbable line item on a Japan trip budget. For large families, or for applicants in countries where the fee represents a larger share of monthly income, the fivefold jump is a genuine planning consideration - one more reason to get the application right the first time.

The fee rise has also been reported alongside other Japanese immigration changes this year. Khaleej Times reported that the capital requirement for the Business Manager visa is rising to ¥30 million - a change relevant to entrepreneurs rather than tourists, and one we will cover in detail once the full implementing rules are confirmed. This follows the procedural changes covered in our March 2026 Japan update, including mandatory VFS appointments for applicants in southern India.

Checklist Before You Apply

1. 1Confirm whether you need a visa at all - visa-exempt nationals pay nothing. Check the Japan requirements page for your nationality.
2. 2Budget the new fee per person - ¥15,000 single-entry or ¥30,000 multiple-entry, plus any VFS or agency service charges.
3. 3Get the local-currency figure from your embassy or centre - consulate-set rates, not market rates, determine what you actually pay at collection.
4. 4Bring payment at collection, not application - the issuance fee is due when you pick up your passport with the visa.
5. 5Verify against MOFA before you rely on any figure - the official fee page is the authoritative source: MOFA visa fees.

All information is sourced from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the named news reports, verified as of 13 July 2026. Visa fees and policies can change at short notice - always confirm the current fee with the Japanese embassy, consulate, or visa application centre handling your application.