Japan has increased the cost of permanent residency by 20 times, from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen, with the change taking effect on October 1. That works out to roughly $1,270 USD, and it comes with tighter income, pension and language rules.
Before the changes came into force, applicants scrambled to submit their paperwork. According to the BBC, long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week. At Tokyo’s main immigration bureau, waiting times reportedly stretched beyond seven hours.
The New Requirements
The updated standards look at how much money a family makes compared to what an ordinary Japanese household earns on average. B1 is the usual standard for language skills now, though there are exceptions for certain candidates.
Japan raised the cost of a tourist visa again, following an earlier move in 2026, when the price went up by 400%. The country’s foreign resident population reached 4.12 million at the end of 2025, up 9.5% from the previous year.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made immigration policy a priority.
Why Japan Is Tightening
Foreign workers keep coming into the country’s population is aging fast, and the government sees foreign residents as part of the solution. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made immigration policy a priority as Japan’, and at the same time the country’s older population is growing more dependent on them.
The rush to file before October 1 is notable.
The Cost Of Entry
Settling permanently comes with a serious price tag, and a 20-fold fee hike makes it even heavier. Families bear the brunt of the cost, which accumulates quickly. The $1,270 figure is what the government quotes.
Households undergo an income test where their earnings are measured against what a comparable Japanese family would make.
What Comes Next
The BBC’s report describes long lines at immigration offices, with waiting times indicating that the system is struggling to handle the surge.
| Date | Fee |
|---|---|
| Before October 1 | 10,000 yen |
| Effective October 1 | 200,000 yen |
The increase in fees fits into a wider change in how Japan handles those coming from abroad.
Our View
A higher fee makes permanent residency harder for those with modest incomes, while an income test could keep skilled workers out entirely. The effect appears to be a move toward controlling the foreign population, though its full consequences remain unclear.
Source material: “Japan raises foreign residency fee by 20x as immigration rules tighten,” Dexerto.
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