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The Japanese government has approved a major increase in visa fees for Nigerians and other foreign nationals, ending nearly five decades without any adjustment to the charges.
The decision was approved during a Cabinet meeting on Friday and will apply to visa applications submitted from July 1, according to reports by Japanese media.
Under the new fee structure, the cost of obtaining a single-entry visa will jump from ¥3,000 ($18.60) to ¥15,000 ($92.99), while multiple-entry visas will increase from ¥6,000 ($37.20) to ¥30,000 ($187.97).
Japan’s Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, said the review became necessary because visa fees had remained unchanged since 1978 despite rising costs and currency fluctuations over the years.
“The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then,” Motegi told reporters on Friday.
“We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”
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The increase follows legislation passed by Japan’s parliament last month allowing the government to raise visa and residency-related charges for foreign nationals. The measure was approved by the Upper House after earlier receiving support from the Lower House in April.
Beyond visa applications, the new law also raises the maximum fees that can be charged for residency-related services. Previously, the legal ceiling for changing residency status, extending a stay, or applying for permanent residence was ¥10,000. Under the revised framework, those limits have been increased to ¥100,000 and ¥300,000 respectively.
Government proposals show that fees for residency status changes and extensions could rise from the current ¥5,500-¥6,000 range to as much as ¥70,000, while permanent residency application fees may increase from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000.
The revised residency charges are expected to come into force before the end of Japan’s next fiscal year on March 31, 2027.
Japanese authorities said the additional revenue would help the country manage its growing foreign population, which reached a record 4.13 million residents at the end of 2025. The funds are also expected to support Japanese-language education programmes and strengthen efforts to tackle illegal overstaying.
Officials further argued that Japan’s visa and immigration charges remain lower than those imposed by several Western countries. In the United States, visa renewal fees can cost between $420 and $470, while similar charges in Germany range from €93 to €98.
