By Paul Joseph
Japan has raised fees for foreigners seeking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency increasing 20-fold to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955).
Applicants seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements.
Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee increases, with Tokyo’s main immigration bureau reporting waiting times of more than seven hours.
The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan’s immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, aimed at managing the country’s rapidly growing foreign population.
In July, Japan introduced a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners – its first visa fee hike in 50 years. Authorities said the increase was intended to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”.
Although immigration remains politically sensitive and restrictive in Japan, the country’s ageing population is increasingly relying on foreign workers to address labour shortages.
Japan’s foreign resident population surpassed 4.12 million at the end of 2025, marking a record 9.5% increase from the previous year. However, the rise has also led to growing anxieties over immigration and social change.
Takaichi has made managing immigration one of her key priorities since taking office in October last year.
In an X post days before the residency permit increases took effect, Takaichi wrote that her government recognises 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 increases, non-permanent residents in Japan paid 6,000 yen each time they applied to change their residency status or extend their period of stay.
From 1 October, the fee varies according to the duration of stay sought – from 10,000 yen for three months or less to 75,000 yen for five years or more.
Applicants facing financial hardship or those designated as refugees would be granted discounts.
Aspiring permanent residents must now also earn a stable income at or above the Japanese average. Latest data released in July puts average household income at 5.75 million yen as of 2024.
Micaiah Michaela-Spence, who has been living and working in Tokyo for 10 years, was unable to compile the necessary documentation to submit his permanent residency application before the price increase.
The 37-year-old still plans to apply but questions the new measures aimed at 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 even tighter requirements, including basic Japanese-language proficiency.
The changes have led to a surge in enrolments at Japanese language schools, as well as increased numbers of people signing up to take the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, local media reported.
Applicants’ expected pension benefits must also be equivalent to those of someone who has enrolled in the employee pension system for 30 years, although the value of financial assets can be considered if expected pension benefits fall short.
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