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Japan raises permanent residency fees by 20-FOLD as Tokyo's immigration offices report seven-hour queues

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026 · last updated 2 October 2026.

Muslim immigrants in Japan, whose government has raised residency fees for foreign nationals by up to 3,000 per cent while tightening residency rules amid widespread public anxiety over rising immigration.
Muslim immigrants in Japan, whose government has raised residency fees for foreign nationals by up to 3,000 per cent while tightening residency rules amid widespread public anxiety over rising immigration.

Foreigners seeking permanent residency in Japan now face a fee of 200,000 yen (£955), up from just 10,000 yen, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government tightens immigration policy amid public "concern and unfairness" over the country's record 4.12 million foreign residents. The 20-fold hike set off a rush of applications, with queues at Tokyo's main immigration bureau stretching beyond seven hours and government online systems struggling under the surge in traffic. Stricter income, pension and Japanese-language requirements have also been introduced alongside the fee rise.

Japan already hiked visa fees fivefold in July — its first such increase in 50 years — citing inflation and exchange rate changes.

Takaichi, who took office last October, posted on X acknowledging that the foreign population's rapid growth may cause "concern or unfairness" among Japanese citizens.

Japan's foreign resident population hit a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, a 9.5% jump in a single year, despite the country's traditionally tight immigration controls.

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