Japan Residence Fee Revision (October 1, 2026): Fee Amounts, Reductions & Exemptions

On October 1, 2026, Japan revised the fees for change of status, extension of period of stay, and permanent residence (amendment to Article 25, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Order of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA)). Permanent residence is now 200,000 yen at the counter, while change and extension fees are tiered from 10,000 to 75,000 yen by the period granted. Applications made before that date keep the pre-revision fees.

Which Procedures Are Affected

The revision covers three procedures: permission to change status of residence, permission to extend period of stay, and permission for permanent residence. The fee amounts for re-entry permits are unchanged, although for online applications filed on or after October 1, 2026 they are paid by convenience store or bank payment with a separate transaction fee (Immigration Services Agency, in Japanese). No fee is charged under ICRRA Article 67 for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applications or for permission to engage in activities other than those permitted.

The legal basis is the amendment to Article 25, Paragraph 1 of the ICRRA Enforcement Order. Previously the fee was the same regardless of the period of stay granted. Under the amended order, fees for change of status and extension of stay vary according to the period of stay that is granted.

Effective October 1, 2026, and the Transition Rule

The revision took effect on October 1, 2026. For applications received by September 30, 2026, the pre-revision fee is paid even if permission is granted on or after October 1 (Immigration Services Agency, “Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts Effective October 1, 2026”, in Japanese; the Agency’s fee revision Q&A, Question 11, in Japanese). Whether the pre-revision amount applies is determined by when the application was made, not by the date permission is granted.

So if your application was accepted by September 30, 2026 and the review extends into November or December, you still pay the pre-revision amount: 6,000 yen at the counter or 5,500 yen online for a change or extension, and 10,000 yen for permanent residence. The revised amount applies to applications made on or after October 1, 2026.

Fee Amounts from October 1, 2026

Change of Status and Extension of Period of Stay

Fees for permission to change status of residence and permission to extend period of stay range from 10,000 yen (three months or less, at the counter) to 75,000 yen (five years or more, at the counter) across seven tiers.

Period of stay granted	At the counter	Online
3 months or less	10,000 yen	10,000 yen
Over 3 months, up to 6 months	18,000 yen	15,000 yen
Over 6 months, less than 1 year	25,000 yen	21,000 yen
1 year	33,000 yen	27,000 yen
Over 1 year, less than 3 years	48,000 yen	42,000 yen
3 years or more, less than 5 years	64,000 yen	56,000 yen
5 years or more	75,000 yen	65,000 yen

Because the period of stay to be granted is unknown when you file, the amount you owe is not determined until the review is complete. For counter applications, the amount appears on the postcard sent after the review; for online applications, it appears in the payment notification email that follows the review completion email.

Permanent Residence

The fee for permanent residence rose from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen at the counter.

Before the revision	After the revision	How to apply
10,000 yen	200,000 yen	At the counter only

There are no period-based tiers. Permanent residence applications are outside the scope of the online residence application system, so they are filed at the counter.

(Source: Immigration Services Agency poster, “Fees for residence procedures for foreign nationals will be revised from October 1, 2026” (PDF), accessed October 5, 2026.)

Counter Applications Versus Online Applications

Online fees are set lower than counter fees (for example, 27,000 yen online against 33,000 yen at the counter for a one-year grant). For online applications, the payment method has changed from revenue stamps to convenience store payment or bank payment. According to the note in the Agency’s published fee schedule, a separate transaction fee is required in addition to the fees listed above.

For a grant of three months or less, both methods cost 10,000 yen, so there is no difference. The largest gap is in the five-years-or-more tier, where the counter fee of 75,000 yen exceeds the online fee of 65,000 yen by 10,000 yen. Please confirm the amount of the transaction fee when you file.

Counter applications continue to be paid with revenue stamps. The Immigration Services Agency’s fee revision leaflet (PDF) notes that shops and convenience stores located inside regional immigration services bureaus carry limited stock of revenue stamps, and asks applicants, whenever possible, to purchase stamps for the amount indicated on the postcard in advance at a large post office or similar establishment before coming to collect their results. Note that revenue stamps can only be purchased with cash.

For bank payment, internet banking allows the fee to be paid without handling cash.

Who Qualifies for a Reduced Fee

A fee may be reduced for applicants recognized as being in financial hardship comparable to persons requiring protection under the Public Assistance Act, and for whom humanitarian consideration is necessary (ICRRA Article 67, Paragraph 3; Enforcement Order Article 25, Paragraph 2, Item 1 and Paragraph 3).

For a change of status or an extension of period of stay, the fee may be reduced to 10,000 yen where the applicant qualifies and is granted a period of stay longer than three months (the Agency’s fee revision Q&A, Question 9). Where the period granted is three months or less, the fee is already 10,000 yen, so the reduction makes no difference.

For permanent residence, the reduction is limited to spouses or children of Japanese nationals, Permanent Residents, or special permanent residents, and certain other persons such as recognized refugees, and the fee may be reduced to 20,000 yen (Immigration Services Agency, “Reduction or Exemption of Residence Permission Fees”, in Japanese; ICRRA Article 67, Paragraph 3). Applicants outside these categories do not qualify for the permanent residence reduction, even in circumstances of financial hardship.

The cases that may qualify are set out in the Immigration Services Agency’s “Guidelines for Persons Eligible for Fee Reduction for Permission of Change of Status of Residence or Extension of Period of Stay.”

The online residence application system does not support the fee reduction. The Immigration Services Agency advises that, where an applicant submits evidence that they qualify for the reduction, the applicant should file the residence application at the counter. The general rule that online filing is cheaper does not hold for applicants who qualify for the reduction.

Exempt Procedures

Fees may be waived in the following cases (ICRRA Article 67, Paragraph 3; Enforcement Order Article 25, Paragraph 2, Items 2 to 4 and Paragraph 4):

• Change to the “Diplomat” or “Official” status of residence
• Extension of period of stay under the “Official” status of residence
• Change to “Designated Activities” for staff of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and similar personnel
• Change to “Designated Activities” for staff of the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Japan and similar personnel
• Extension of period of stay under the “Designated Activities” categories above

All are narrow categories tied to official duties. Ordinary work-based and status-based applications are not exempt.

When to File

For those with a period of stay of six months or longer, applications to extend a period of stay are accepted from three months before the expiry date (Immigration Services Agency, “Application for Extension of Period of Stay”, in Japanese).

Timing should not be decided by the fee alone. Applications to change status, extend a period of stay, or obtain permanent residence are all decided after a review of the requirements. Incomplete documents may lead to requests for additional materials and a longer review period. It is important to file with complete documents, leaving sufficient time before the expiry date.

Permanent residence requires that the good conduct, financial independence, and national interest requirements be met (ICRRA Article 22, Paragraph 2; spouses and children of Japanese nationals, Permanent Residents, or special permanent residents do not need to meet the good conduct and financial independence requirements). As a factor in the national interest requirement, ten years or more of continuous residence is required as a general rule (with exceptions such as for Highly Skilled Professionals; see the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, in Japanese). Whether these are satisfied depends on individual circumstances.

These guidelines were revised on October 1, 2026. The revised guidelines generally apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. However, two items, the household income level and the requirement not to be a burden on the public, also apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2026 that were still under review on October 1, 2026. If you applied between April 1 and September 30, 2026, the pre-revision fee applies, but these two items will be assessed under the revised criteria.

Who Bears the Fee

Under the ICRRA, the fee is payable by the foreign national who receives the permission (Article 67, Paragraph 1). Immigration law and orders contain no provision on whether the employer bears that cost. Where a company covers the cost of extending an employee’s period of stay, the revised amount varies with the period granted. For a grant of three years or more but less than five years, for example, a counter application costs 64,000 yen after the revision, against 6,000 yen before it. How the cost is allocated depends on the company’s work rules and employment contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If my application is refused, is the fee refunded?

The fee is paid when permission is granted, so no payment arises if the application is refused. Costs incurred in obtaining documents are not recoverable.

Q. What happens to the fee for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

The Immigration Services Agency’s revision materials cover only the three procedures above. No fee is charged for the COE application itself (the fee provision, ICRRA Article 67, does not list it).

Q. If I filed by September 30, does the old rate apply to my future applications as well?

The pre-revision amount applies only to the particular application you made before October 1, 2026. If you make your next extension or change application on or after that date, the revised amount applies.

How We Can Help

At AEGIS International Administrative Firm, we support residence applications in light of this fee revision.

As a registered immigration specialist (a gyoseishoshi, or licensed specialist in Japanese government procedures including visas, authorized by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients), we provide:

• Review of filing timing: we check your expiry date and the filing window and help you plan when to apply
• Preparation and filing of the full set of documents: we handle applications to change status of residence, extend a period of stay, and obtain permanent residence with the Immigration Services Agency
• Assessment of the requirements: for permanent residence, we review your residence history and the good conduct, financial independence, and national interest requirements against your current situation
• Comparison of filing methods: we explain the differences in fees and payment methods between counter and online filing so you can choose what fits your circumstances
• Eligibility check for the reduced fee: where the circumstances may qualify, we advise on the supporting evidence required and the counter filing procedure
• English-language support: we explain the procedures clearly in English for clients who are not comfortable in Japanese

Outcomes in residence procedures depend on individual circumstances. If you are unsure about your own case, please feel free to consult us.