Japan Quintuples Visa Fees Starting July 1, but Most Tourists Won't Feel It

Japan will quintuple entry visa fees starting from July 1, but most Australian tourists will not be impacted, as the change targets specific visa categories while leaving short-stay visitors largely untouched.

Why the Fees Are Rising

Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi said the change was done to bring the fees, set in 1978, in line with inflation and changing exchange rates. "There could be possibility for various impacts but bearing that in mind we made the revision," Motegi said. "We are not anticipating an immediate impact to inbound tourists."

The Specific Fee Changes

The single entry visa fee will rise from roughly $26.50, or 3,000 yen, to $132, or 15,000 yen, and the multiple entry visa will rise from approximately $53 to $265.

For context, by comparison, a similar single entry visa to Australia allows a maximum stay of 12 months and costs $200.

Who Will Actually Be Affected

Australian tourists enjoy visa-free entry to Japan for stays of up to 90 days, meaning the vast majority of leisure travelers from Australia will not encounter the new fees at all. However, working holiday-makers and Australians traveling to Japan for work or immigration may be affected by these steeper fees.

The Embassy of Japan in Australia was contacted for clarification on the precise scope of the changes.

A Broader Shift in Immigration Policy

The visa fee increase is part of a wider tightening of Japan's approach to immigration under the current government. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative government is continuing to explore tougher policies on immigration as fears of overtourism and an increased number of foreign residents have led to a surge in support for the far-right opposition party, Sanseito.

This includes a number of fee increases aimed at tourists or immigrants, such as the tripling of Japan's international tourist tax, attached to airfares departing Japan, starting July 1.

The Stated Purpose Behind the Tourist Tax

According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, this fee will "support the maintenance of public works, critical infrastructure at airports and tourist sites, restoration of historic assets, and the creation of online tourist resources."

A Much Steeper Increase for Long-Term Residents

Beyond the entry visa changes affecting tourists, residents already living in Japan are also facing significant cost increases of their own. Longer-term residence visas are also up for increases after a bill passed in the national diet earlier this year, enacting increases of up to 30 times the current levels for visa renewals.

Legal Groups Raise Concerns

The scale of those increases has drawn pointed criticism from legal organizations representing the interests of foreign residents. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations said in a statement the extent of these fee raises could be described as "radical."

"Such a significant increase of financial burden under the Bill, which was compiled without hearing the opinions of foreign residents who will be affected, would have a serious impact on their livelihood," the federation said. "This situation would bring about heavier costs on businesses and local governments in relation to the hiring and fostering of employees of foreign nationalities."

Record Tourism Numbers Behind the Backdrop

The fee increases arrive against the backdrop of unprecedented visitor numbers to Japan in recent years. The number of tourists visiting Japan reached a record 42.6 million in 2025, a surge that has fueled growing domestic concern over overtourism in popular destinations and contributed to the broader political climate driving the current policy changes.

A Significant Australian Resident Population

Beyond the tourists who visit Japan each year, a substantial number of Australians have also made the country their long-term home, putting them more directly in the path of the steeper residence visa renewal fees. Almost 12,000 Australians lived in Japan as residents as of June 2025.

The Political Context Driving the Changes

The broader push toward tougher immigration policy reflects a notable shift in Japan's domestic political landscape, with anti-immigration sentiment gaining significant traction in recent months. Japan's answer to One Nation has skyrocketed in popularity after adopting an anti-immigration stance, despite Japan needing foreign workers more than ever — a tension that continues to shape the government's approach to balancing tourism revenue, labor needs, and public sentiment toward rising numbers of foreign visitors and residents.

With the new entry visa fees and the tripled international tourist tax both set to take effect July 1, the coming months will offer the clearest test yet of whether Japan's government is correct in its assessment that the changes will not meaningfully deter inbound tourism. For the nearly 12,000 Australian residents and the broader population of foreign workers and long-term visa holders living in Japan, the more dramatic increases tied to residence visa renewals are likely to remain a point of ongoing concern and advocacy, particularly given the Japan Federation of Bar Associations' criticism that the changes were finalized without adequately consulting the foreign residents they will most directly affect.