Japan Raises Visa Fees From Rs 1,750 To Rs 8,752 For First Time In 48 Years

Japan, with its cherry blossoms, matcha, bullet trains and Mount Fuji, has been added to many Indian tourists’ must-see travel bucket lists. The country has become the top pick for many Indians as you can travel to this destination year round. It attracted over 3 lakh Indian travellers in 2025, according to a report by travel platform Cox & Kings.

And if you too have been planning to travel to Japan this year, it seems like things will be getting slightly more expensive for tourists who want to visit the country for tourism.

According to reports, the Japanese government has decided to increase single-entry visa fees from ¥3,000 (Rs 1,750), to ¥15,000 (Rs 8,752) for foreign nationals. The cost for the multiple-entry visa will also increase from ¥6,000

(Rs 3,501) to ¥30,000 (Rs 17,505), based on a revision following a Cabinet order.

These new rules will come into effect from July 1.

The decision represents the first adjustment to visa fees that Japan has made in 48 years, with the last change occurring in 1978. The reason given for the increase in visa fees comes amid inflation and the yen’s depreciation.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi explained to a news conference on Friday and said, “The current visa fee was set in 1978, and we have recently revised it to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations since then. We made this decision after carefully considering various factors, and we do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”

According to a report by The Japan Times, in May, the Upper House enacted a bill to raise visa-related fees for foreign nationals by up to 30 times the current levels. The increase will enable the government to use the additional revenue to help cover the administrative costs of managing the country’s growing foreign population. The bill cleared the Lower House in April.

The hikes are expected to bring Japan’s visa issuance fees closer to the levels implemented by the Group of Seven countries. The G7 is an informal intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Additionally, the European Union (EU) participates as a “non-enumerated member”.