Japan to hike visa fees fivefold from July 1, first revision since 1978

Japan will increase visa fees for foreign travellers by five times from July 1, marking its first fee revision since 1978 as it seeks to align charges with inflation and other G7 economies.

The Japanese government announced the fivefold increase in visa costs for all foreigners on Friday. From July 1 onwards, single-entry visa fees will rise from the current 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen. Multi-entry visas will increase from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen.

The revision, the first since 1978, was introduced to account for inflation and currency fluctuations, according to Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. The move comes as the Japanese yen has steadily weakened since 2021 and is hovering near its lowest level in nearly four decades.

Despite the increase, Motegi said the government does not expect the higher fees to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism. The fee hike aligns Japan with other G7 nations' visa charges, which have generally been revised upward over the years.