Japan raises permanent residency fee by 20 times

Japan has raised fees for foreigners seeking permanent residency in the country by 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955).Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements.Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee hikes, with Tokyo's main immigration bureau reporting wait times of over seven hours.The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which aim to manage its rapidly growing foreign population.In July, Japan implemented a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners – its first visa fee hike in 50 years. Authorities said this was meant to "reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations".Although immigration remains politically sensitive and restrictive in Japan, the nation's ageing population is increasingly relying on foreign workers to plug a labour shortage. Japan's foreign resident population surpassed 4.12 million at the end of 2025, marking a record 9.5% increase from the previous year. This however has led to growing anxieties over immigration and social change.Takaichi has m...