Japan Visa Fee Increase 2026Old vs New Fees, Effective Date & Who's Actually Exempt

Yes. Japan's Cabinet approved the change on 19 June 2026, and it took effect for visa applications submitted on or after 1 July 2026 - the first revision to Japan's visa fee schedule since 1978. The consular single-entry visa issuance fee rose from JPY 3,000 to JPY 15,000, and the multiple-entry fee rose from JPY 6,000 to JPY 30,000 - both roughly a 5x increase (about 400%).

As of 1 July 2026, the standard consular visa issuance fee is JPY 15,000 (roughly $90-100) for single-entry categories - this covers the Temporary Visitor (tourist) visa and most work, study and family long-term visa categories in our dataset, 26 categories in total. The multiple-entry Short-Term Business visa costs JPY 30,000 (roughly $180-200). These are the government's own issuance fees, charged at the embassy or consulate when the visa is issued - separate from any agency or VFS service charge.

No - not if you are visa-exempt. Japan's visa-exemption list (75 countries/regions in our dataset, unchanged by this fee revision) already lets nationals of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, most of the EU and dozens of others enter Japan for short stays without any visa at all, so there is no fee to pay. The increase only applies to travellers who must apply for a Japanese visa in the first place.

Nationalities that need a visa for Japan today - for example China, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Pakistan, among more than 100 others - pay the new fee when they apply. Being on this list hasn't changed; only the price of the visa these travellers already had to buy has gone up.

Japan's government cited the fee schedule being unchanged since 1978 despite decades of inflation and yen depreciation. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's ministry framed the change as a long-overdue update rather than a new policy aimed at any specific market. Japan has also separately flagged further increases to other immigration fees (residence-status changes/renewals and permanent-residence applications) as under consideration, though the confirmed figures for those are still being finalised - this page covers only the visa issuance fee, which is confirmed and already in effect.

The revised figure is the government's own consular visa issuance fee, which still applies whether you submit on paper at an embassy/consulate, through the direct-apply JAPAN eVISA site (for eligible jurisdictions), or through an accredited travel agency such as VFS Global. Any separate agency service charge or courier fee is additional and unrelated to this government fee change.

It's conditional. Indonesian and Thai nationals holding an ICAO-compliant ePassport registered under Japan's exemption scheme can still enter visa-free (up to 15 days for Indonesia, 15 days for Thailand) and pay nothing. Those without a qualifying ePassport must still apply for a visa (or the JAPAN eVISA, where eligible) and now pay the higher fee. Always check your own passport type rather than assuming your nationality's general status.

No. JESTA is a separate, future electronic travel authorisation for currently visa-exempt travellers, legislated in May 2026 but not targeted for introduction until Japanese fiscal year 2028 (by March 2029) - it does not exist yet and has no announced fee. This guide covers the visa issuance fee increase that is already in effect for travellers who need a visa today; it does not add a new requirement for visa-exempt nationalities.