Japan has officially increased its visa application fees for the first time since 1978, with the revised charges taking effect on July 1, 2026.

The move marks the country's first major revision to its visa fee structure in nearly five decades. According to the Japanese government, the update reflects inflation and exchange rate changes over the years and is not intended to discourage international tourism.

Japan's New Visa Fees

Both single-entry and multiple-entry visas now cost significantly more than under the previous system.

Note: This is a 400% increase, not a 500% increase. The new fee equals 500% of the old amount, but the increase itself is 400%.

Who Will Be Affected By This Increase?

The higher fees mainly affect travellers who need a visa before entering Japan.

This includes many:

• Tourists
• Business travellers
• Students
• Workers
• Dependants
• Long-term residents

However, the changes do not affect everyone travelling to Japan.

Japan maintains reciprocal short-term visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions. Travellers from these places generally do not need to apply for a tourist visa for short visits, meaning they will not pay the revised visa fees unless they are applying for another type of visa, such as for work or study.

What Does This Mean for Travellers?

For travellers from visa-required countries, visiting Japan has become noticeably more expensive at the application stage.

A solo traveller applying for a single-entry visa now pays around ¥15,000 instead of ¥3,000.

For families, the increase is even more significant. A family of four requiring single-entry visas could see government visa fees rise from approximately ¥12,000 to around ¥60,000, before service charges or agency fees are added.

Since visa fees are usually collected in the local currency where the visa is issued, the exact amount applicants pay may vary slightly depending on exchange rates and the country where they apply.

One Important Exception

There is one notable exception to Japan's new visa fees.

Indian passport holders applying in India will continue to pay ₹500 for both single-entry and multiple-entry visas. The higher fees apply only to other foreign nationals applying in India.

In other words, the global visa fee increase does not apply to Indian passport holders applying in India.

Japan Is Raising Visa Fees as Tourism Continues to Grow

Japan's visa fee increase comes at a time when the country is seeing record tourism.

In 2025, Japan welcomed 42.7 million international visitors, the highest ever, while visitor spending reached a record ¥9.5 trillion. A weaker yen has also made Japan a popular destination for travellers from around the world.

Even with the higher Japan visa fees, the country is continuing to promote tourism. The government is aiming to attract 60 million international visitors and ¥15 trillion in tourism spending by 2030.

This suggests the Japan visa fee hike is intended to update long-standing visa charges and cover rising costs, rather than discourage people from visiting the country.