The Japanese government has approved a sharp increase in visa fees for Nigerians and other foreign nationals, ending nearly five decades of unchanged charges following a major revision of a Cabinet order.
The decision, reported by Japan Times, was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Friday and represents the first upward review of visa fees in Japan since 1978, when the current structure was introduced.
Under the new arrangement, the cost of a single-entry visa will rise from ¥3,000 ($18.60) to ¥15,000 ($92.99), while multiple-entry visas will increase from ¥6,000 ($37.20) to ¥30,000 ($187.97).
The new rates will apply to all visa applications submitted on or after July 1.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, speaking at a press conference, said the adjustment was long overdue, citing inflation and currency fluctuations over the decades.
“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then,” he said.
Motegi added that the government did not expect the new charges to significantly affect tourism inflow into the country.
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” he said.
The development comes after Japan’s Upper House passed a bill last month approving a major overhaul of visa-related charges for foreign nationals, with increases reaching as high as 30 times current rates. The legislation had earlier been approved by the Lower House in April.
Authorities said the policy is designed to generate additional revenue to manage the country’s growing foreign population and associated administrative costs.
Before the review, fees for changing residency status or extending stay were capped at ¥10,000, while permanent residency applications also stood at the same amount. Under the new framework, these figures will rise significantly, with permanent residency applications expected to jump to as high as ¥200,000.
The government also plans to raise charges for residence status changes and stay extensions from the current range of ¥5,500–¥6,000 to between ¥10,000 and ¥70,000.
Officials explained that the additional revenue will support Japanese-language education programmes, strengthen migration management systems, and address issues linked to illegal overstayers.
Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025, according to government data.
Authorities further argued that the revised fees would bring Japan in line with countries such as the United States, where visa-related charges range between $420 and $470, and Germany, where similar fees fall between €93 and €98.
Nigeria, other foreign nationals to pay higher as Japan hikes visa fees after 48 years
The Japanese government has approved a sharp increase in visa fees for Nigerians and other foreign nationals, ending nearly five decades of unchanged charges following a major revision of a Cabinet order.
The decision, reported by Japan Times, was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Friday and represents the first upward review of visa fees in Japan since 1978, when the current structure was introduced.
Under the new arrangement, the cost of a single-entry visa will rise from ¥3,000 ($18.60) to ¥15,000 ($92.99), while multiple-entry visas will increase from ¥6,000 ($37.20) to ¥30,000 ($187.97).
The new rates will apply to all visa applications submitted on or after July 1.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, speaking at a press conference, said the adjustment was long overdue, citing inflation and currency fluctuations over the decades.
“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then,” he said.
Motegi added that the government did not expect the new charges to significantly affect tourism inflow into the country.
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” he said.
The development comes after Japan’s Upper House passed a bill last month approving a major overhaul of visa-related charges for foreign nationals, with increases reaching as high as 30 times current rates. The legislation had earlier been approved by the Lower House in April.
Authorities said the policy is designed to generate additional revenue to manage the country’s growing foreign population and associated administrative costs.
Before the review, fees for changing residency status or extending stay were capped at ¥10,000, while permanent residency applications also stood at the same amount. Under the new framework, these figures will rise significantly, with permanent residency applications expected to jump to as high as ¥200,000.
The government also plans to raise charges for residence status changes and stay extensions from the current range of ¥5,500–¥6,000 to between ¥10,000 and ¥70,000.
Officials explained that the additional revenue will support Japanese-language education programmes, strengthen migration management systems, and address issues linked to illegal overstayers.
Japan’s foreign resident population reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025, according to government data.
Authorities further argued that the revised fees would bring Japan in line with countries such as the United States, where visa-related charges range between $420 and $470, and Germany, where similar fees fall between €93 and €98.
