TOKYO, October 2. /Dunyo IA/. Japan has raised the fee for foreigners applying for permanent residency 20-fold from October 1, to 200,000 yen, or about 1,270 dollars, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing “NHK Japan”.

At the same time, the authorities have tightened requirements for applicants for permanent residency, introducing income and pension criteria, while a basic Japanese-language requirement will be added from April next year.

Long lines formed outside immigration offices before the new fees took effect, with waiting times at Tokyo’s main immigration bureau exceeding seven hours as applicants sought to submit their documents under the previous fee structure.

The changes are part of a broader revision of Japan’s immigration policy aimed at managing the country’s rapidly growing foreign population.

In July, Japan also increased visa fees for foreigners fivefold, the first such increase in 50 years, citing the need to reflect inflation and exchange-rate fluctuations.

At the same time, Japan is facing an ageing population and labour shortages, making the country increasingly reliant on foreign workers.

The number of foreign residents in Japan exceeded 4.12 million by the end of 2025, an increase of 9.5% from the previous year and a record high, while the growth of the foreign population has also been accompanied by growing public concerns over immigration and social change.

Applicants for permanent residency must now have a stable income at or above the Japanese average. According to the latest data released in July, average annual household income in 2024 stood at 5.75 million yen.

Another requirement concerns pension benefits: applicants’ expected pension payments must be equivalent to those of a person who has been enrolled in the employees’ pension system for 30 years, although financial assets may be taken into account if expected pension benefits fall short.

From April next year, applicants will also be required to demonstrate basic Japanese-language proficiency, which has already led to an increase in enrollment at Japanese-language schools and in the number of people registering for Japanese-language proficiency tests.

For other foreign residents, fees for changing residency status or extending their period of stay have also increased. Previously, each application cost 6,000 yen, while from October 1 the fee ranges from 10,000 yen for stays of up to three months to 75,000 yen for stays of five years or longer.

Discounts are available for people facing financial hardship and for those granted refugee status.