![Japan Status of Residence Fee Increase [Effective October 2026]: 10,000–75,000 Yen for Extension or Change, 200,000 Yen for Permanent Residence](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fue01fgnu%2Fproduction%2Fab003f85826a27611d6a937cde0ac67f3e2e2218-2400x1350.png%3Fw%3D1200%26h%3D675&w=3840&q=75&dpl=dpl_FRNEwQbN5fxFQTBSaP27jZt4n11T)
Note: This article is based on Japanese laws and materials published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) as of October 9, 2026.
The fees for status of residence procedures were revised on October 1, 2026. For an extension of period of stay (在留期間の更新) and a change of status of residence (在留資格の変更), the fee is 10,000 yen to 75,000 yen depending on the permitted period (the period of stay that is granted), and for permission for permanent residence (永住許可) it is 200,000 yen.
The new amounts apply to applications received on or after October 1, 2026. This article explains the list of amounts, the differences between applying at the counter and applying online, and the conditions for a fee reduction, in line with what the ISA has published.
Contents
How much are the fees now?
The fee for an extension or a change is determined by the length of the "permitted period" (the period of stay that is granted). Before the revision, it was 6,000 yen at the counter and 5,500 yen online, regardless of the period.
| Permitted period | At the counter | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months or less | 10,000 yen | 10,000 yen |
| Over 3 months but not more than 6 months | 18,000 yen | 15,000 yen |
| Over 6 months but less than 1 year | 25,000 yen | 21,000 yen |
| 1 year | 33,000 yen | 27,000 yen |
| Over 1 year but less than 3 years | 48,000 yen | 42,000 yen |
| 3 years or more but less than 5 years | 64,000 yen | 56,000 yen |
| 5 years or more | 75,000 yen | 65,000 yen |
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, leaflet posted on "Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese)
This point is a little hard to follow: what determines the amount is not "the period you applied for". If you apply requesting 5 years and are granted 1 year, the fee at the counter is 33,000 yen.
For this reason, the amount is not fixed at the time of application. For an application at the counter, the amount to pay is written on the postcard that arrives after the examination; for an online application, it is written in the payment instruction email. If you are issued a Specified Residence Card (特定在留カード) at the same time as the permission, the fee for that card may be added.
Permission for permanent residence is 200,000 yen
The fee for permission for permanent residence went from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen. Because an application for permanent residence cannot be filed online, you apply at the counter and pay with revenue stamps (収入印紙) when permission is granted.
The approach to examining permanent residence (the guidelines) was also revised on the same day, October 1, 2026. We summarize it in What Changed in the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence.
Procedures whose fees have not changed
Re-entry permission (再入国許可) and issuance of a Certificate of Authorized Employment (就労資格証明書) cost the same as before the revision.
| Procedure | At the counter | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Re-entry permission (single) | 4,000 yen | 3,500 yen |
| Re-entry permission (multiple) | 7,000 yen | 6,500 yen |
| Issuance of a Certificate of Authorized Employment | 2,000 yen | 1,600 yen |
For online applications, a separate transaction fee of 220 yen is also required.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Application for Re-entry Permission" (in Japanese), "Application for Issuance of a Certificate of Authorized Employment" (in Japanese)
From which applications do the new amounts apply?
The dividing line is "the date the application was received". It is not the date permission was granted.
| Date the application was received | Fee |
|---|---|
| On or after October 1, 2026 | The amount after the revision |
| On or before September 30, 2026 | The amount before the revision (this does not change even if permission is granted on or after October 1) |
Permission for permanent residence is handled in the same way. For applications received on or before September 30, the fee is 10,000 yen even if permission is granted only after today.
All applications filed from now on are subject to the amounts after the revision.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese), "Q&A on the same revision" (in Japanese), Q10 and Q11
What is different between the counter and online?
For online applications, the fee is set lower than at the counter, by up to 10,000 yen. In exchange, the payment method is different and a separate transaction fee is required.
| At the counter | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment method | Revenue stamps | Convenience store payment or bank payment (Pay-easy, internet banking) |
| Not accepted | Convenience store payment, bank payment | Revenue stamps, credit card, QR code payment |
| Transaction fee | None | 330 yen (brackets where the permitted period is less than 3 years), 550 yen (brackets of 3 years or more) |
| Fee reduction | Available | Not available |
Compared with the transaction fee included, online is 5,670 yen lower for a 1-year permission and 9,450 yen lower for 5 years or more. Only in the bracket of 3 months or less is online 330 yen higher.
How payment works for an online application
- When the examination is finished, a payment instruction email arrives
- Following the instructions in the email, pay at a convenience store, or by ATM or internet banking (payment cannot be made at a bank counter)
- Receive your residence card
The ISA asks applicants to pay by the day before they receive the residence card. Payments for multiple applications cannot be made together.
The payment instruction email comes from "@service-dgft.com", and the emails about the payment request and its completion come from "@veritrans.jp". The ISA warns that an email from any other address asking you to pay the fee is a scam.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Fee Amounts and Fee Payment Methods for Online Applications" (in Japanese)
For applications at the counter, prepare revenue stamps in advance
Now that the amounts are larger, you need to take care in preparing the revenue stamps. The shops and convenience stores inside immigration office buildings have limited stock. It is safer to buy stamps for the amount written on the postcard at a large post office or similar place before you go to receive the result. Revenue stamps can only be purchased with cash.
Conditions for a fee reduction
Those who may be eligible for a reduction are people who meet both of the following two conditions. Meeting only one of them does not make you eligible.
- You are recognized as being in financial hardship to a degree comparable to a person in need of public assistance (生活保護), that is, a "person requiring protection" (要保護者)
- Humanitarian consideration is required (for example, persons recognized as refugees or as persons under complementary protection, and victims of trafficking in persons)
| Procedure | Amount after reduction |
|---|---|
| Extension of period of stay or change of status of residence | 10,000 yen |
| Permission for permanent residence | 20,000 yen |
The rule is that, when both conditions are met, the fee may be reduced to this amount. For permission for permanent residence, eligibility for a reduction is limited to persons such as the spouse or child of a Japanese national, a Permanent Resident or a special permanent resident.
To receive a reduction, you apply at the counter and attach documents such as a certificate of receipt of public assistance (生活保護受給証明書). Fee reductions are not available for online applications.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Fee Reduction or Exemption Measures for Residence Permission Fees on and after October 1, 2026" (in Japanese)
Why does the amount differ by period?
The basis for the fees is the amended Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act promulgated on June 5, 2026 (Act No. 32 of 2026) and the Cabinet Order (政令) that came into effect on October 1. The Act raised the upper limits, and the actual amounts were set by the Cabinet Order.
The ISA explains that the amounts are divided by period because the degree of benefit received from immigration and residence management measures differs depending on the period of stay. The longer the period, the lighter the cost per year: at the counter, a 5-year permission comes to 15,000 yen per year.
Frequently Asked Questions
I applied on or before September 30 and my application is still under examination. How much is the fee?
The amount before the revision. For an extension or a change it is 6,000 yen at the counter (5,500 yen online), and for permission for permanent residence it is 10,000 yen; this does not change even if permission is granted on or after October 1.
Can I receive a fee reduction with an online application?
No. Fee reductions are not available for online applications, so those who are eligible for a reduction apply at the counter with the supporting documents attached.
Our company pays the extension fees for its employees. How much should we budget?
For a 1-year permission, it is 33,000 yen per person at the counter or 27,000 yen online (plus a separate transaction fee of 330 yen). The period granted is decided in the examination, so if 3 years or 5 years is granted, the amount for that bracket applies.
Summary
The fees for status of residence procedures were revised on October 1, 2026, and the new amounts apply to applications received on or after October 1. An extension or a change costs 10,000 yen to 75,000 yen depending on the permitted period, and permission for permanent residence costs 200,000 yen.
If you are going to apply, checking in advance the amount for each permitted period and whether you will pay at the counter or online will save you from scrambling when the time comes to receive the result.
References
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese; August 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Fee Amounts and Fee Payment Methods for Online Applications" (in Japanese; August 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Fee Reduction or Exemption Measures for Residence Permission Fees on and after October 1, 2026" (in Japanese; August 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "The 2026 Act Amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Other Acts" (in Japanese)
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