Japan Visa & Residence Fee Increase October 2026: New Costs for PR, Renewal & Change of Status (Full Guide)

Big Warning: Visa Fees Are Going Up on October 1, 2026

If you live in Japan on a work visa, student visa, spouse visa, or Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa, please read this now. Starting October 1, 2026, Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA / 出入国在留管理庁) will charge much higher fees for:

• Changing your visa type (在留資格変更許可)
• Renewing your visa (在留期間更新許可)
• Getting Permanent Residency (永住許可)

This is not a rumor. The Cabinet officially confirmed the new fee amounts on August 25, 2026. The law that allows this change passed the National Diet on May 29, 2026.

The good news: if you submit your application on or before September 30, 2026, you pay the old, cheaper fee — even if Immigration takes months to approve it. This guide explains exactly what is changing, how much more you will pay, and what to do before the deadline.

Quick Summary: Old Fee vs. New Fee

The Full New Fee Table (By Visa Length)

This is the most important table on this page. Under the old system, everyone paid the same flat fee no matter how long their new visa period was. Under the new system, the longer your approved stay, the more you pay — and paying at the counter (窓口) always costs more than applying online.

Important: This fee is charged based on the visa length Immigration actually grants you, not the length you asked for. If you apply hoping for a 5-year visa but Immigration only gives you 1 year, you pay the 1-year fee (¥27,000–¥33,000), not the 5-year fee.

Note: Applying for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE, 在留資格認定証明書) to bring a new worker or family member into Japan from overseas is still free — this fee change only applies to changes, renewals, and PR done from inside Japan.

Why Is This Happening?

Japan's flat ¥6,000 renewal fee had not changed since 1981 — 45 years. In that time, the number of foreign residents in Japan grew to nearly 4 million people. The government says the old fee no longer covers the real cost of reviewing so many applications, and it wants to move closer to the fee levels used in the US, UK, and EU for similar procedures.

The new system also follows a "beneficiary pays" principle: if you receive a longer, more valuable visa period, you pay more for it. This is also why online applications are cheaper — Immigration wants to reduce crowding at counter windows and push more people toward Japan's online residence application system.

The September 30, 2026 Deadline: How the Grandfather Clause Works

This is the single most important fact in this article, so read it twice.

Your fee is decided by the date Immigration accepts your application (受理日) — not the date they approve it, and not the date you receive your new residence card.

• Apply on or before September 30, 2026 → you pay the current, lower fee, even if your approval comes in November or December.
• Apply on or after October 1, 2026 → you pay the new, higher fee.

This means there is no benefit to waiting once you are eligible. Since Change of Status and Renewal applications can normally be filed starting 3 months before your current visa expires, anyone whose visa expires in October, November, or December 2026 should seriously consider filing early — in September — to lock in the old price.

Who Does This Affect?

Almost every foreign resident who needs to interact with Immigration will feel this change, including:

• Work visa holders (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Highly Skilled Professional, Skilled Labor) renewing yearly or every 3–5 years
• Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa holders renewing every 6 months to 1 year
• International students renewing student status or changing to a work visa after graduation
• Spouses and dependents on Dependent or Spouse visas
• Long-term residents who now qualify, or will soon qualify, for Permanent Residency
• Company HR departments that sponsor and often pay renewal fees for multiple foreign employees

If you are a factory worker, caregiver, engineer, or student from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, or Malaysia, this fee increase applies to you directly, regardless of your visa category.

Real Cost Examples

Example 1 — SSW worker renewing a 1-year visa every year

Old cost: ¥6,000/year. New cost: ¥27,000 (online) to ¥33,000 (counter) per year. Over a 5-year SSW Type 1 period, that is an increase of over ¥100,000 in total renewal fees alone.

Example 2 — Engineer visa holder granted a 5-year renewal

Old cost: ¥6,000. New cost: ¥70,000 (online) or ¥75,000 (counter) — more than 11 times higher, but only once every 5 years.

Example 3 — Applying for Permanent Residency

Old cost: ¥10,000. New cost: ¥200,000. If you are married with one child and all three of you are applying for PR at the same time, the total jumps from ¥30,000 to ¥600,000.

Step-by-Step: What To Do Before the Deadline

Can I Get a Lower Fee If I Have a Low Income?

Yes — but only in specific hardship cases. Immigration has published a reduction and exemption guideline for people who are in a financial situation similar to someone receiving Japan's livelihood protection (生活保護) welfare support, or in other cases where there are humanitarian reasons. If approved for this reduction, the fees drop to:

Applications for this reduction cannot be filed through the online system — you must apply in person at the counter with supporting documents. This option is intended for genuine financial hardship cases, not for general cost-saving, so bring proof of your situation and be honest with the immigration officer.

What About the Entry Visa Fee Increase?

This is a separate change that already took effect on July 1, 2026, and it applies to people applying for a visa from outside Japan at a Japanese embassy or consulate — for example, family members planning to join you in Japan, or workers being newly hired from abroad.

This was the first increase to entry visa fees since 1978. If you are planning to invite a spouse, parent, or child to Japan, budget for this higher cost when they apply at the embassy in their home country.

Timeline: How Japan's Immigration Fees Changed Through 2026

Understanding the full timeline helps explain why this is happening now, not suddenly out of nowhere.

Notice that the actual confirmed fees (¥10,000–¥75,000 for renewal/change, ¥200,000 for PR) are lower than the new legal ceiling (¥100,000 and ¥300,000). This means the government chose not to charge the maximum it is legally allowed to charge — but it also means future increases within that ceiling remain legally possible without needing another vote in the Diet.

Impact by Visa Category: What This Means For You

Different visa categories renew on different schedules, so the real-world cost impact varies a lot. Here is a breakdown for the visa types most common among EasyNihon readers:

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW / 特定技能)

Most SSW Type 1 workers renew every 6 months to 1 year. Under the new table, a 1-year renewal costs ¥27,000–¥33,000 versus the old ¥6,000 flat fee — meaning your total renewal cost over a 5-year SSW Type 1 period could rise from roughly ¥30,000 to well over ¥100,000, depending on how your renewal periods are granted.

Ikusei Shuro (育成就労) — replacing the old Technical Intern Training Program from April 2027

Workers entering under this new framework will also renew periodically and fall under the same fee table. Budget for this from the start if you are planning your first years in Japan under Ikusei Shuro.

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務)

Often granted 1, 3, or 5-year periods. A 5-year grant (¥70,000–¥75,000 once) is proportionally cheaper per year than repeated 1-year renewals (¥27,000–¥33,000 every year) — one more reason to build a strong application aimed at a longer grant period.

Student visas (留学)

Students typically renew every 1–2 years. When you later change from a Student visa to a work visa after graduation, that "Change of Status" filing now falls under the same new fee table, based on the length of the work visa you are granted.

Dependent / Spouse visas (家族滞在・日本人の配偶者等)

Renewal frequency varies, but families renewing multiple dependents at once should note that each family member pays their own fee — a household of four all renewing 1-year visas could face combined new fees of over ¥100,000 in a single year, versus roughly ¥24,000 under the old flat-fee system.

Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職) and Permanent Residency track

HSP holders can often qualify for Permanent Residency in as little as 1–3 years instead of the standard 10. If you are on this track and close to eligibility, this is exactly the group that benefits most from filing for PR before September 30, 2026.

Budgeting Tips for the New Fee System

• Set a reminder 4 months before your visa expires, not 3. This gives you a full month to prepare documents before your official 3-month filing window opens.
• Ask your employer directly whether the company will absorb the fee increase, especially if you are a Specified Skilled Worker or Technical Intern whose renewal has traditionally been employer-paid.
• Compare online vs. counter costs carefully. For a 5-year grant, choosing online over counter filing saves ¥5,000. For families filing multiple applications, these savings add up.
• If you use a gyoseishoshi (immigration scrivener), factor their service fee separately from this government fee — the two are not the same, and scrivener fees are unaffected by this ISA change.
• Track your family's individual expiration dates on one calendar if you have dependents, so you don't miss the September 30 window for one family member while handling another's paperwork.

How This Compares to Other Countries

Foreign residents sometimes ask why Japan is doing this now. For context, similar long-term visa or residency application fees in the US, UK, Australia, and several EU countries have run into the hundreds or even thousands of US dollars for years — Japan's old ¥6,000–¥10,000 flat fees were unusually low by international standards. The new ¥200,000 PR fee (roughly comparable to the ISA's stated goal of aligning with Western administrative fee levels) still sits below the ¥300,000 legal ceiling the National Diet approved in May 2026, meaning further increases in future years are legally possible but not yet decided.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I already submitted my renewal application in August 2026. Will I still pay the old fee?

Yes. Your fee is locked in based on the date Immigration received your application, which was before October 1, 2026.

Q: My visa doesn't expire until March 2027. Can I apply early just to save money?

Generally, no. Renewal and change of status applications can only be filed starting 3 months before your current visa expires. You cannot file 6 months early just to catch the old fee. Permanent Residency applications work differently — if you already meet the eligibility requirements today, you can apply now regardless of your current visa's expiration date.

Q: Does this fee increase affect Special Permanent Residents?

Special Permanent Residents (a category mainly covering long-term Zainichi Korean and Chinese residents and their descendants) are governed by a separate law and are generally treated differently from this fee schedule. If this applies to you, confirm directly with your local immigration bureau.

Q: What happens if my application is rejected after I pay the new higher fee?

Immigration application fees are generally non-refundable whether your application is approved or rejected, both under the old and new fee systems. This makes it even more important to submit a complete, well-prepared application the first time.

Q: Is the ¥200,000 Permanent Residency fee final, or could it still change?

The Cabinet formally confirmed this figure on August 25, 2026, so it is considered final for the October 1, 2026 implementation. Always double-check the official ISA website (isa.go.jp) close to your application date in case of last-minute updates.

Q: Can my employer pay this fee for me?

Yes. Many companies that sponsor work visas already cover renewal fees as part of their standard HR process. If your fee is about to increase significantly (for example, moving from a 1-year to a 5-year visa), it may be worth asking your HR department whether they will help cover the difference.

Q: Does this affect Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa renewals?

Yes. SSW renewals go through the standard Extension of Period of Stay procedure, so they follow the same new tiered fee table based on how long a renewal period you are granted.

Q: I am a student changing from a Student visa to a Work visa after graduation. Which fee applies?

Changing your status of residence (for example, Student to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) falls under "Change of Status of Residence," which uses the same new fee table based on the length of the work visa you are granted.

Q: If I have multiple family members applying at the same time, is there a family discount?

No. Based on everything published by the ISA so far, each applicant — including each dependent family member — pays their own individual fee under the new table. There is no published household or family bundle discount.

Q: Will this fee increase happen again in future years?

The May 2026 law set a legal ceiling of ¥100,000 (renewal/change) and ¥300,000 (PR). The confirmed October 2026 fees (up to ¥75,000 and ¥200,000) sit below that ceiling, so a future increase within those limits is legally possible, but no further increase has been announced as of this writing.

Q: Does applying online really guarantee a cheaper fee, or are there hidden costs?

The published fee table itself is cheaper for online applications at every tier above 3 months. However, online applications require using the ISA's Online Residence Application System, which needs an account and, for company-sponsored applications, an organizational registration that can take time to set up — plan ahead rather than trying to register the week before you file.

Key Japanese Terms for This Topic

What To Do Right Now

If there is one takeaway from this whole guide, it is this: check your visa expiration date today, and if you can realistically apply before September 30, 2026 — for a renewal, a change of status, or Permanent Residency — start gathering your documents this week. Waiting even a few extra days into October could cost you tens of thousands, or in the case of PR, hundreds of thousands of yen more than necessary.

For related tools, check EasyNihon's PR Point Tracker to see if you already qualify for Permanent Residency, and the Paycheck Decoder if you want to understand how these fees fit into your overall cost of living in Japan.