Japan has increased the fee for permanent residency applications by 20 times, from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955), effective from 1 October. The move comes alongside new income, pension, and Japanese-language requirements for applicants.
Long queues formed outside immigration offices this week as foreigners rushed to submit their applications before the fee hike. Tokyo’s main immigration bureau reported wait times exceeding seven hours. The fee change is part of a broader set of immigration policy reforms introduced under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October last year and has made managing Japan’s foreign population a priority.
This is the latest in a series of increases: in July, Japan raised visa fees fivefold for all foreigners, the first such increase in 50 years. Authorities said the hikes reflect inflation and fluctuations in exchange rates.
Japan’s foreign resident population reached 4.12 million at the end of 2025, a 9.5% increase from the previous year. Despite the country’s ageing population relying more on foreign workers to fill labour shortages, immigration remains a sensitive topic. There are rising concerns about social change related to the growing number of foreigners.
Takaichi acknowledged these tensions in a post on the social media platform X days before the permanent residency fee hike. She wrote that the government recognises some citizens may feel concern or unfairness as the foreign resident population grows. She added the government aims to ensure policies are “orderly” so both Japanese citizens and foreign residents can live “safely and securely.”
Before the changes, non-permanent residents paid a flat 6,000 yen each time they applied to change their residency status or extend their stay. Now, fees vary by the duration of stay requested, ranging from 10,000 yen for three months or less, up to 75,000 yen for five years or more. Refugees and applicants facing financial hardship can receive discounts.
Aspiring permanent residents must now prove a stable income at or above the Japanese average household income, which stood at 5.75 million yen in 2024, according to data released in July. They must also demonstrate pension benefits equivalent to someone enrolled in the employee pension system for 30 years. If their pension benefits fall short, the value of financial assets can be considered.
From April next year, applicants will face stricter requirements, including basic Japanese language proficiency. This has caused a surge in enrolments at Japanese language schools and increased registrations for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, according to local media.
Micaiah Michaela-Spence, a 37-year-old who has lived and worked in Tokyo for ten years, missed the deadline to apply for permanent residency before the fee hike. He told the BBC he still plans to apply but questioned the new rules. “My immediate reaction was that foreigners were being treated a bit too conveniently. We’re being asked to make more than the average Japanese person, pay a significantly higher fee, just to be able to work in Japan and provide taxes,” he said. “There’s already a significant language and cultural barrier that prevents some talent from coming over. This just doesn’t strike me as a plan that was thought out to the long term.”
The government’s tougher stance reflects growing unease over immigration as the foreign resident population expands. The new measures will affect thousands of applicants each year seeking to stay permanently in Japan.
According to Joy Online.
