Planning to move to Japan? Residence permit fees to rise from Oct 1

Japan to hike residence permit charges; permanent residency fee set at 200,000 yen

Foreign nationals planning to move to Japan for work, study or long-term residence will have to pay higher residence permit fees from October 1, 2026, after Japan's Ministry of Justice proposed a revised fee structure.

 

The new charges, released as part of a draft ordinance, increase fees for most residence permits and introduce lower charges for applicants who submit their applications online.

 

What will change?

 

The revised fee depends on the length of the residence permit.

 

Applicants seeking permits valid for up to three months will continue to pay 10,000 yen, irrespective of whether they apply online or at an immigration office.

 

 

However, fees increase significantly for longer stays.

 

Those applying for a one-year residence permit will pay 33,000 yen through a window application or 27,000 yen online.

 

Applicants seeking permits valid for more than five years will pay 75,000 yen at immigration offices or 65,000 yen if they apply online.

 

Permanent residency becomes more expensive

 

The biggest increase is for permanent residence applications, which will cost 200,000 yen.

 

Unlike temporary residence permits, permanent residence applications cannot be submitted online under the proposed rules.

 

Online applications become cheaper

 

The revised structure encourages digital applications by offering lower fees for most permits exceeding three months.

 

For example:

 

6 months to 1 year: 25,000 yen at the counter vs 21,000 yen online

1 year: 33,000 yen vs 27,000 yen

1–3 years: 48,000 yen vs 42,000 yen

3–5 years: 64,000 yen vs 56,000 yen

5 years or more: 75,000 yen vs 65,000 yen 

Who will be affected?

 

The revised fees will apply to foreign nationals applying for residence permits in Japan, including workers, students and long-term residents. Indians planning to relocate to Japan or renew their residence status after October 1, 2026, should factor the higher charges into their immigration costs.