Japan hikes permanent residency fees 20-fold for foreigners

Khaosod•International•20d ago

Reader Briefing

Japan has significantly increased fees and tightened requirements for foreigners seeking permanent residency.

•Fees for permanent residency applications increased 20-fold to 200,000 yen.
•New criteria for permanent residency include income, pension, and Japanese language skills.
•New fees for changing residence status or extending stay took effect on October 1.
•The policy change is led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

•Japan increased the permanent residency application fee to 200,000 yen, which is 20 times the previous rate.
•The Japanese government implemented new requirements for permanent residency regarding income, pensions, and Japanese language skills.
•New fees for changing residence status and extending stay periods took effect on October 1.
•The fee increase for permanent residency is part of immigration policy changes under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to manage the rapidly increasing foreign population.
•The number of foreigners residing in Japan exceeded 4.12 million people by the end of 2025, an increase of 9.5 percent from the previous year.
•Japan previously increased visa fees for all foreigners five-fold in July to reflect inflation and exchange rate volatility.
•The average household income in Japan was 5.75 million yen in 2024, which serves as a benchmark for stable income for permanent residency applicants.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Government

"Some people may feel concerned or view it as unfair"

ประชาชนบางส่วนอาจรู้สึกกังวลหรือมองว่าไม่เป็นธรรม

Government

"To respond to these concerns, the government is working to ensure that policies toward foreigners are orderly"

เพื่อตอบสนองต่อข้อกังวลเหล่านี้ รัฐบาลกำลังดำเนินงานเพื่อให้มั่นใจว่านโยบายที่มีต่อชาวต่างชาตินั้นมีความเป็นระเบียบเรียบร้อย

Sanae Takaichi(ซานาเอะ ทาคาอิจิ)ℹ️

The Prime Minister of Japan who has made migration management a top priority since taking office in October 2025.

Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมืองโตเกียว)

An immigration bureau that reported wait times of over seven hours as applicants sought to beat fee hikes.

Immigration Services Agency(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง)

The agency stating that fee changes also affect changing residence status and extending periods of stay.

BBC(บีบีซี)ℹ️

The news organization that reported on the Japanese government's announcement regarding fee increases.

Japan(ญี่ปุ่น)ℹ️

The country implementing increased fees and new criteria for foreign permanent residents.