Japan to Hike Visa Fees Significantly from July 1

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Travelers who require a visa to enter Japan will pay up to five times more from July 1, after Tokyo raised visa fees for the first time since 1978, citing rising costs and exchange-rate fluctuations amid a tourism boom.

The application fee for a single-entry visa will climb to 15,000 Japanese yen ($93) from 3,000 yen, while multiple-entry visas will cost 30,000 yen, up from 6,000 yen.

Japan said visa fees are now being increased "in order to respond to the current price increases and fluctuations in exchange rates."

The Japanese yen has hovered near multi-decade lows in recent months, despite government intervention aimed at supporting the currency.

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Experts told CNBC that the increase comes as Japan experiences a surge in tourism that has placed considerable strain on infrastructure and public services.

"Given the prolonged depreciation of the Japanese yen in recent years, maintaining fee structures set under different economic conditions may no longer be financially sustainable," said Zilmiyah Kamble, senior lecturer in hospitality and tourism management at James Cook University.

Kamble said the increase was unlikely to be aimed directly at curbing overtourism.

"Although the visa fee increase is unlikely to be a direct overtourism control measure, it may contribute modestly to offsetting some of the administrative and operational costs associated with managing growing visitor volumes," she added.

Japan welcomed record numbers of visitors in 2024 and 2025, with arrivals reaching 36.8 million and 42.6 million, respectively. The tourism sector has become a significant contributor to the country's GDP, according to Mastercard.

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The visa fee increase is unlikely to affect tourism in the country, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reportedly said.

The move also comes alongside an increase in the departure tax for all travelers to 3,000 yen from the current 1,000 yen. The change reflects the growing share of foreign tourists among departures from Japan, according to Yuki Masujima, chief economist and partner at Deloitte Tohmatsu Group.

Foreign travelers now account for 74% of departures from Japan, compared with about 20% to 30% before the implementation of "Abenomics" in 2013, Masujima said, referring to an economic program under the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that weakened the yen and boosted inbound tourism.

As tourists are eligible for sales tax refunds, Japan needs to offset some of the associated costs, which can partly be achieved through higher visa issuance fees and departure taxes, he added.

But despite the tax increases, Masujima said they are unlikely to deter tourists, noting that many visitors are returning travelers, underscoring Japan's enduring appeal as a destination.

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Political dimension

In the Japan Brand Survey 2025 conducted by Dentsu, 52.7% of the 12,400 respondents said they wanted to visit Japan again, ranking the country first among 20 markets polled.

"More than the effect of the weak yen, the appeal of Japan's food and products is boosting visits, suggesting that Japan's popularity as a travel destination is not just a passing fad," the firm found.

Masujima said the strength of tourism demand gives policymakers greater room to raise fees without risking a significant decline in visitor numbers.

There may also be a domestic political dimension to the policy, according to Jesper Koll, expert director at Tokyo-based financial services firm Monex Group.

"After an explicit 'open door' policy for skilled immigrants adopted by Abe, his chosen heir [Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi is reacting to growing popular concerns of overtourism and over immigration," Koll told CNBC.

In May, Japan's Upper House enacted legislation to raise the upper limit for permanent residency applications to 300,000 yen from the current 10,000 yen. The upper limit for fees to change residency status will also rise to 100,000 yen from 10,000 yen.

The reasons for raising these fees are twofold, Koll explained: to cover the growing administrative costs of effectively managing immigration and to attract higher-quality human capital.