Japan has raised the fee for foreigners applying for permanent residency by 20 times, from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen.
The new fee, equivalent to about $1,270 or £955, took effect on 1 October alongside tougher requirements for foreigners seeking long-term residence.
Applicants must now demonstrate a stable income at or above the Japanese average, while new pension and Japanese-language requirements will also apply.
Long queues formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants tried to submit their applications before the higher fees took effect. Tokyo’s main immigration bureau reported waiting times of more than seven hours.
The changes are part of a wider overhaul of Japan’s immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as the country manages a rapidly growing foreign population.
In July, Japan introduced a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners, marking the first increase in 50 years. Authorities said the change was intended to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”.
Despite Japan’s traditionally restrictive immigration policies, its ageing population increasingly depends on foreign workers to address labour shortages.
The number of foreign residents in Japan exceeded 4.12 million at the end of 2025, a record 9.5% increase from the previous year.
However, the rise has also contributed to growing concerns over immigration and social change.
Takaichi has made immigration management one of her key priorities since taking office in October last year.
In an X post days before the new residency fees took effect, Takaichi said the government recognised that “some members of the public may feel a sense of concern or unfairness” as Japan’s foreign resident population grows.
“To address these concerns, [the government] is working to ensure that its policies toward foreign nationals are orderly, and that both Japanese citizens and foreign residents can live safely and securely,” she wrote.
Before the latest changes, non-permanent residents paid 6,000 yen each time they applied to change their residency status or extend their period of stay.
From 1 October, the fee depends on the length of stay sought, ranging from 10,000 yen for three months or less to 75,000 yen for five years or more.
Applicants experiencing financial hardship and those designated as refugees can receive discounts.
Under the new permanent residency rules, applicants must earn a stable income at or above the Japanese average. The latest data released in July puts average household income at 5.75 million yen as of 2024.
Micaiah Stevens, who has lived and worked in Tokyo for 10 years, was unable to gather the required documents to submit his permanent residency application before the fee increase.
The 37-year-old still plans to apply but questioned the new measures targeting foreign residents.
“My immediate reaction was that foreigners were being treated a bit too conveniently. We’re being asked to make more than the average Japanese person, pay a significantly higher fee, just to be able to work in Japan and provide taxes,” he tells the BBC.
“There’s already a significant language and cultural barrier that prevents some talent from coming over. This just doesn’t strike me as a plan that was thought out to the long term.”
From April next year, permanent residency applicants will face further requirements, including basic Japanese language proficiency.
Local media have reported a surge in enrolments at Japanese language schools and increased registrations for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.
Applicants will also need expected pension benefits equivalent to those of someone who has been enrolled in the employee pension system for 30 years.
However, financial assets can be taken into account where an applicant’s expected pension benefits fall short.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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