The Japanese government has announced plans to raise visa fees for visitors to Japan. The Nikkei newspaper reported this on November 6th.
This policy was explained by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Foreign Affairs Committee; it is not an official decision and has not been officially announced. The amount of the increase will be “considered by the relevant ministries and agencies, taking into account the levels of major countries such as the United States and Europe,” and discussions will take place in the future.
According to Nikkei, the reason for the fee increase is the rising cost of visa issuance due to the increase in visitors to Japan.
The fee is scheduled to be raised within fiscal year 2026 (April 2026 to March 2027).
What are the current fees?
Let’s take a look at visa issuance fees for entry into Japan from several countries.
U.S. citizens do not need a visa if they are staying in Japan for less than 90 days, but one is required for stays of more than 90 days. According to the Japanese Embassy in the United States, the current visa issuance fee is $20 for a single-entry visa and $40 for a double-entry or multiple-entry visa.
German citizens also qualify for a visa exemption under the same conditions as Americans. The visa issuance fee is 18 euros for a single-entry visa and 37 euros for a multiple-entry visa.
Comparing fees with the US and EU
So, what about visa issuance fees for countries other than Japan?
The cheapest US visa, the B1/B2, is $185. A visa allowing stays in the EU for up to 90 days costs 80 euros.
In light of this, Japan’s visa fees are a fraction of those of the countries and regions mentioned above, so it’s not hard to understand why the government intends to raise them.
However, citizens of the 74 countries with which Japan has visa waiver agreements do not require a visa for stays of less than 90 days. For now, there’s no need to rush to see what the Japanese market is like with your own eyes.
