Marrakech – Japan is set to raise visa fees for foreign nationals by five times starting July 1. The measure is the country’s first revision of visa issuance charges since 1978.
The decision, approved at a government cabinet meeting on June 19, will affect travelers from countries that require a visa to enter Japan, including tourists and business visitors.
Under the new structure, the fee for a single-entry visa will rise from JPY 3,000 ($18.6) to JPY 15,000 ($93). The fee for a multiple-entry visa will increase from JPY 6,000 ($37.2) to JPY 30,000 ($186), aligning Tokyo more closely with visa fee levels in other G7 and European countries.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi explained that the review was linked to rising prices, inflation, and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. He noted that the existing fees had remained unchanged for nearly 50 years and no longer reflected current conditions.
Motegi also argued that the government does not expect the increase to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.
Japan has seen strong international travel demand in recent years, helped by a weak yen and the post-pandemic recovery in global tourism.
The visa fee hike comes as part of wider immigration-related reforms. Japan’s Upper House approved revisions to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act on May 29, giving the government authority to increase several administrative fees linked to foreign residents.
Under the revised framework, the legal ceiling for changing residence status or renewing a visa will rise from JPY 10,000 ($62) to JPY 100,000 ($620). The maximum fee for permanent residency applications will increase from JPY 10,000 ($62) to JPY 300,000 ($1,860).
The actual fees for those categories will be set later through Cabinet orders and public consultation procedures. Government proposals suggest long-term residents could eventually pay between JPY 10,000 ($62) and JPY 70,000 ($434), depending on the length of the renewal period. Permanent residency applicants could face a fee of JPY 200,000 ($1,240), compared with the current JPY 10,000 ($62) charge.
Japanese authorities say the additional revenue will help cover the growing cost of managing the country’s immigration system. The number of foreign residents in Japan reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025, increasing pressure on staffing, technology, and administrative infrastructure.
Part of the funding is also expected to support Japanese-language education programs for foreign residents, while strengthening measures against illegal overstaying and improving systems used to process immigration applications.
For Moroccan applicants, the website of the Embassy of Japan in Morocco currently states that Moroccan nationals and other visa-required travelers must obtain an entry visa through the embassy’s consular service. The website, updated on June 2, says short-stay applicants should begin the procedure at least two weeks in advance.
It also lists the visa fee at MAD 190, payable when the visa is issued. The tariff has been in effect since April 1, 2026, and is scheduled to remain valid through March 31, 2027.
The embassy requires applicants to submit original documents, including a passport, a copy of the passport’s personal-data pages, a national identity card or residence card, a signed visa application form, one recent photo, and a return flight ticket or reservation.
Additional documents are required depending on the purpose of travel, including tourism, business, family visits, work, or long stays.
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