First increase to visa fees in nearly 50 years will affect some arriving foreigners more than others.

The Japanese government has announced a proportionally huge increase in visa fees for foreign nationals entering the country, and it’s going into effect almost immediately.

Right now, the cost for a single-entry visa is 3,000 yen (US$19). Under the new pricing structure, set by the Cabinet of Japan, that fee will be raised to 15,000 yen, five times its current price. The fee for a multiple-entry visa, which allows the holder to enter and leave Japan multiple times during its period of effectiveness, will be undergoing the same 500-percent increase, rising from 6,000 to 30,000 yen. This will be the first time for Japan to raise its entry visa fees in 48 years, as the current prices were put in place in 1978.

In announcing the price increases, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi justified them on the grounds of reflecting “inflation and current exchange rates.” While this explanation isn’t complete nonsense, there’s an argument to made that it makes only half-sense. Yes, Japan is experiencing inflation pretty much across the board right now, and so the Japanese government’s Immigration Services Agency is likely seeing increase to its operating costs. However, “current exchange rates,” referring to the weakened value of the yen versus foreign currencies, don’t seem like they should be putting any kind of extreme pressure on the Japanese government in terms of visa application processing, since the review and issuing of visas is something the Japanese government is doing within itself, not through the use of foreign materials or overseas labor.

As such, it seems like the price hikes aren’t a single-minded initiative to cope with rising costs, but also an attempt to grab some extra cash from foreigners coming into Japan at a time when the increase will seem combatively palatable to people whose home-country currency is currently strong versus the yen. Speaking about the price increases, Motegi specifically mentioned that “We are not expecting this to have a near-future influence on the number of inbound foreign visitors to Japan.”

Part of any lack of immediate impact, though, is going to be thanks to the suddenness with which the fees are going to be raised. The new prices were announced on July 19, and will go into effect on July 1, leaving little time for upcoming visa applicants to hit the brakes on their travel plans.

So who exactly is going to be affected by this? The answer is a little complicated. For tourists visiting Japan, citizens of many countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, European Union members, South Korea, and Singapore coming to Japan as tourists are automatically given a 90-day visa exemption, so they won’t be paying the higher fees unless they’re planning a very long trip to Japan. Not on the visa-exempt list are Russia, much of the Middle East and Africa, and, most notably China. Chinese travelers represent a very large portion of Japan’s inbound foreign tourist numbers, and the Japanese government predicts that the higher visa fees will produce a total revenue increase of 116.1 billion yen (US$19.72 million) in the 2026 fiscal year.

However, even citizens of countries on the visa-exempt list for tourists still need to apply for a visa if they’re arriving in Japan for non-tourist reasons. So, for example, if you’re a U.S. citizen moving to Japan for a study abroad program, or a Canadian coming to work as an English teacher, you’ll need to apply for a visa and pay the new, higher fees as of July 1.

It should be noted that the announced increases are for entry visas, which are a separate permission from the periodic status of residence renewals that foreign nationals who’re already living in Japan have to apply and pay for, though those too may be getting price increases soon.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, Jiji
Top image: Pakutaso
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