Japan has raised the fee for permanent residency applications from 8,000 yen to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955) — a twenty-fold increase — as part of a series of immigration policy changes under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aimed at managing the country's rapidly growing foreign population.

The change took effect on 1 October, and it comes with new eligibility requirements. Applicants for permanent residency must now earn a stable income at or above the Japanese average, which stood at 5.75 million yen in average household income as of 2024, according to the latest data released in July.

Applicants must also show expected pension benefits equivalent to those of someone enrolled in the employee pension system for 30 years. Where expected pension benefits fall short, authorities can consider the value of an applicant's financial assets.

Tighter requirements follow from April next year, when permanent residency applicants will need to demonstrate basic Japanese language proficiency. Local media report that language schools have already seen a surge in enrolments and that more people are signing up for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.

Tiered visa fees replace flat rate

The permanent residency hike sits alongside a broader restructuring of residence fees. Before the changes, non-permanent residents paid a flat 6,000 yen each time they applied to change their residency status or extend their period of stay.

From 1 October, the fee scales with the duration of stay sought: 10,000 yen for three months or less, rising to 75,000 yen for five years or more.

Applicants facing financial hardship and those designated as refugees will receive discounts.

The residency fee increases follow a five-fold rise in visa fees for all foreigners introduced in July — Japan's first visa fee hike in 50 years. Authorities said that increase was meant to "reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations".

Seven-hour queues in Tokyo

Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants rushed to file before the new fees took effect. Tokyo's main immigration bureau reported wait times of over seven hours.

Political context

Immigration remains politically sensitive and restrictive in Japan, but the country's ageing population increasingly relies on foreign workers to fill labour shortages.

Japan's foreign resident population surpassed 4.12 million at the end of 2025 — a record 9.5% increase from the previous year. That growth has fed anxieties over immigration and social change.

Takaichi, who took office in October last year, has made managing immigration one of her key priorities. In an X post days before the residency permit hikes took effect, she wrote that her government recognises that "some members of the public may feel a sense of concern or unfairness" as Japan's foreign resident population grows.

"To address these concerns, [the government] is working to ensure that its policies toward foreign nationals are orderly, and that both Japanese citizens and foreign residents can live safely and securely," she wrote.

Applicants should confirm current fees, discount criteria and eligibility thresholds with Japan's Immigration Services Agency before filing, as the requirements now differ by permit type, duration of stay and applicant category.