Japan to hike residence permit, PR application fees from Oct 1: Key details

Higher charges for residence permit renewals and permanent residency applications will take effect across Japan from October 1

Professionals living in Japan and those planning a long-term move will have to pay substantially more for residence-related applications from October 1, according to the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) under Japan's Ministry of Justice.

 

This comes after the Japanese government decided to sharply increase fees for residence permit renewals, changes of residence status and permanent residency applications.

 

The fee revision marks the first major increase in residence-related charges in decades and comes just months after Japan raised visa fees for short-term visitors from July 1.

 

According to the Immigration Services Agency, the higher charges are intended to reflect rising administrative costs, the digitalisation of immigration services and the growing number of foreign residents in the country.

 

How much will the fees increase?

 

According to the ISA, applicants seeking to renew or change their residence status will pay fees based on the length of the residence permit instead of the current flat charge of yen 6,000.

 

The revised fee structure, effective October 1, is expected to be:

 

Up to three months: Around yen 10,000 ($61.69)

 

One-year residence permit: Around yen 30,000

 

Three-year residence permit: Around yen 60,000

 

Five-year residence permit: around yen 70,000 (around ~39,000)

 

The steepest increase applies to permanent residency applications. According to the ISA, the application fee will rise from yen 10,000 to around yen 200,000 (about ~1.11 lakh), a 20-fold increase.

 

The agency has also revised the statutory ceiling for these charges. The legal upper limit for residence status extensions and changes has been increased to yen 100,000, while the cap for permanent residency applications has been raised to yen 300,000. The government said the actual fees would be set within these limits.

 

Why is Japan raising the fees?

 

The ISA said the revised charges are aimed at covering the increasing cost of processing immigration applications, expanding digital services and supporting a growing foreign resident population.

 

According to a Bloomberg report, Japan had a record 4.1 million foreign residents in 2025, up 9.5 per cent from the previous year. Bloomberg also reported that the Japanese government's budget this financial year allocated yen 48.9 billion for managing foreign nationals, around 39 per cent more than the initial allocation in the previous financial year.

 

Bloomberg further reported that Japan's Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said the revised fees were based on the actual costs associated with processing applications and managing the entry, exit and residence of foreign nationals.

 

Why does this matter for Indians?

 

The revised charges are expected to affect thousands of Indian nationals living and working in Japan, particularly professionals employed in information technology, engineering, manufacturing, research and education.

 

Many Indian workers hold residence permits that require renewal every one, three or five years. Those planning to apply for permanent residency will see the sharpest rise in costs from October.

 

The changes could also increase the overall cost of relocating to Japan for Indian professionals and their families who intend to stay in the country for the long term.

 

Should applicants apply before October?

 

According to the ISA, the revised fees will take effect from October 1. Applicants who are eligible to renew their residence status or submit permanent residency applications before that date may be able to complete the process under the existing fee structure.

 

The agency has advised applicants to check the latest fee schedule and application requirements before filing their applications.

 

Reports by The Japan Times, Nikkei Asia and Bloomberg said the increase follows the recent revision of Japan's visa fees.

 

It forms part of the country's broader efforts to modernise immigration administration while addressing the higher costs associated with a rising foreign resident population.