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Japan Introduces Residence Permit Fee Reductions and Exemptions from October 2026

From 1 October 2026, a person may receive a reduction if they are recognised as being in financial difficulty comparable to that of a person eligible for protection under Japan's Public Assistance Act and there is a need for humanitarian consideration. Both conditions must be satisfied. The Immigration Services Agency's guideline identifies four financial-hardship categories and 12 humanitarian categories that can form the basis for eligibility. For eligible applicants, the reduced fee is ¥10,000 for a change of status of residence and ¥10,000 for renewal of a period of stay. For an eligible permanent-residence application, the fee can be reduced to ¥20,000. Where a person receives a specified residence card at the same time, an additional applicable card fee may still be payable. The reduction cannot currently be requested through Japan's online residence application system. Applicants seeking the reduction must submit their residence application at an immigration counter and provide the supporting evidence required for the reduction. The Immigration Services Agency states that details of the required evidence will be announced separately. Full fee exemptions apply to four categories. These include people changing to the Diplomat or Official status of residence; people already holding Official status who renew their period of stay; people changing to Designated Activities status for specified activities involving employees or family members of the Japan-Taiwan Relations Association office in Japan or the Palestine General Delegation in Japan; and people already holding those specified Designated Activities statuses who renew their period of stay.

Jurisdiction

Japan

Category

Work & skilled workers

Recorded versions

1

Official source

moj.go.jp