Foreign residents in Japan are about to pay a lot more to keep their status. The Cabinet signed off on the fee hikes on August 25. They kick in October 1.
Right now, renewing or changing your residency status is a flat ¥6,000. That disappears. Starting next month it becomes a sliding scale based on how long they give you.
In-person applications:
- 3 months or less: ¥10,000
- Over 3 months up to 6 months: ¥18,000
- Over 6 months but under 1 year: ¥25,000
- Exactly 1 year: ¥33,000
- Over 1 year up to 3 years: ¥48,000
- Over 3 years but under 5 years: ¥64,000
- 5 years or longer: ¥75,000
That’s up to a 1,150% jump from the old ¥6,000 fee. Online applications will be a bit cheaper than walking into the office.
Permanent residency is the real punch. The application fee goes from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000. That’s a 1,900% increase. Miss the October 1 cutoff and you’re looking at a ¥190,000 difference on the same paperwork.
The government says the extra money is supposed to cover the cost of managing foreign entry and residency. Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi has argued that foreign residents should bear an “appropriate share” of those costs.
It won’t just hit individuals. In fields like elderly care, employers sometimes pay these fees for staff on Specified Skilled Worker visas. Those businesses are about to see the cost of keeping people legally employed jump hard.
Officials have mentioned fee reductions for people in financial hardship. Details on who qualifies and how much they actually save have not been spelled out yet.
One month from approval to the new prices. If you were planning to renew or go for PR, the calendar suddenly matters a lot.