Japanese Parliament has passed an amendment to the immigration control law to raise the maximum cost of applying for residence status for foreign nationals and introduce an online pre-arrival travel authorization system for arrivals from abroad.
After the cost changes are implemented at the end of this fiscal year, the upper limit will be set at 100,000 yen (Rp11.2 million) for visa extensions and 300,000 yen (Rp33.7 million) for permanent residence permit applications, marking a sharp increase from the existing threshold of 10,000 yen (Rp1.1 million).
Currently, the fee charged is 6,000 yen (Rp674 thousand) for changing the status of residence or extending the period of stay and 10,000 yen (Rp1.1 million) for a permanent residence permit.
The new fee will be officially set through a Cabinet decision after seeking public input.
The government, which has cited rising costs as a reason for the revision, says it will ease the burden of payment on humanitarian grounds and for those facing financial hardship, but lawmakers have pointed out during parliamentary deliberations that the criteria for such consideration are still unclear.
The Immigration Service plans to formulate guidelines that set specific requirements and other details.
The latest revision also includes the establishment of the Japanese Electronic Travel Authorization System, with a target implementation in fiscal year 2028.
The system, which aims to prevent terrorism and illegal workers, targets 74 countries and territories whose citizens are eligible to enter without a visa for short visits.
Travelers will be asked to provide information online, such as name, purpose of visit, and destination, days before departure, which will be cross-checked with criminal records and other databases.
If there is any suspicion they are over the allowed time limit illegally, travelers will be denied boarding or the ship.
The number of foreign residents in Japan at the end of 2025 reached around 4.13 million which is a record high.
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