The Japanese government approved a fivefold increase in visa fees for foreigners, raising the single-entry visa fee to 15,000 yen (around 3,000 baht), effective July 1. This is the first price adjustment since 1978, aimed at reflecting inflation and the weakening yen. The Foreign Minister believes this will not affect the tourism sector in the short term.
The Japanese government agreed at the Cabinet meeting last Friday (19 June) to raise visa fees for foreigners by up to five times, effective from 1 July. This marks the first price change in 48 years, since 1978.
Under the new pricing, the single-entry visa fee will increase from 3,000 yen (about 610 baht) to 15,000 yen (about 3,056 baht), while multiple-entry visas will rise from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen (about 6,113 baht).
Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan’s Foreign Minister, told reporters that the previous fees had been in place for a very long time. This revision reflects inflation, rising prices, and current exchange rate volatility. He added, "We do not anticipate this price increase will immediately affect the number of foreign tourists visiting the country."
The Japanese yen has been continuously weakening since 2021 and is now near its lowest level in 40 years. However, this depreciation, combined with the global travel recovery after the pandemic, has led to a surge of tourists visiting Japan. Last year, Japan set a record by welcoming 42.7 million foreign visitors.
Additionally, in May, Japan’s Upper House passed legislation to increase other fees related to foreigners. The legal maximum fee for permanent residency applications will rise to up to 300,000 yen, 30 times the previous cap of 10,000 yen. Fees for changing residency status or extending temporary residence will also increase to a maximum of 100,000 yen from the previous 10,000 yen.
Government agencies pushing for the fee hikes stated that Japan needs to align its visa and residency permit fees closer to those of other leading G7 economies. For example, the U.S. charges between 185 and 315 U.S. dollars (about 6,093 to 10,376 baht) for non-immigrant visa applications, while the U.K. charges 135 pounds (about 5,873 baht) for a standard short-term tourist visa (up to six months). Japan’s previous fees have been considerably lower than these international standards for decades.