Japan hikes permanent residence fees to 200,000 yen and adds JESTA screening

Japan moves to lift residency fee caps and add JESTA screening

Japan's Cabinet approved a bill on March 10 to amend the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, sharply raising the legal ceiling on residency-related fees and creating the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA) for visa-exempt visitors. The House of Representatives has passed the bill and enactment during the current Diet session ending around July is highly likely.

The amendment lifts the statutory ceiling on status changes and stay extensions from 10,000 yen to 100,000 yen and on permanent residence applications from 10,000 yen to 300,000 yen. Actual fees will be set later by Cabinet Order. Fee changes are targeted for fiscal 2026, which runs April 1 through March 31, 2027. JESTA implementation is targeted for fiscal 2028.

Who pays more and who gets screened

Long-term residents renewing work, student, dependent or highly skilled professional status face the steepest jump. Based on official briefings, the Immigration Services Agency is signaling these expected fees by intended stay length:

• Up to 3 months: about 10,000 yen
• 1 year: about 30,000 yen
• 3 years: about 60,000 yen
• 5 years: about 70,000 yen
• Permanent residence application: about 200,000 yen

Current window fees sit at 6,000 yen or 5,500 yen online, regardless of duration. Permanent residency applicants face roughly a 20-fold increase. The amendment provides for reductions or exemptions on humanitarian grounds or for financial hardship.

Digital nomads on the Designated Activities status fall under the same fee framework and will pay the higher amounts at application or renewal. JESTA will apply to short-term visitors from visa-exempt countries on stays of up to about 90 days, covering tourism and non-remunerated business travel. That sweeps in most Western tourists, expats' visiting family and nomads entering visa-free for short trips.

What residents and visitors should do

Permanent residency candidates who can file before the new schedule takes effect in fiscal 2026 will save roughly 190,000 yen at current signaled rates. Multi-year visa holders due for renewal should weigh timing against processing windows. Short-term travelers don't need to act on JESTA yet, since the exact launch date, fee and validity period remain undecided.

Read our full Japan guide for the complete picture or browse more visa updates.