Japan has increased payments for foreigners seeking permanent residency by 20 times, to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955). Applicants for permanent residency must also meet stringent income, pension, and Japanese language requirements.
Long lineups formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants rushed to avoid the cost increases, with Tokyo’s main immigration agency reporting wait times of more than seven hours.
The fee increases are part of a series of adjustments to Japan’s immigration policy implemented by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in an effort to regulate the country’s fast rising foreign population.
In July, Japan implemented a five-fold rise in visa costs for all foreigners, the country’s first in 50 years. Authorities stated that this was done to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”.
Although immigration remains politically contentious and regulated in Japan, the country’s ageing population is increasingly reliant on foreign labour to fill labour shortages. Japan’s foreign resident population topped 4.12 million at the end of 2025, a 9.5% increase over the previous year. However, this has heightened concerns about immigration and social change. Takaichi has made managing immigration one of her top goals since taking office in October of last year.
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