Thanks to the Japanese yen weakening since 2021, and the end of the pandemic seeing tourists finally able to return to the country, Japan has seen tens of millions of tourists flock to its cities and rural areas each year. However, this could change as all foreign entrants will now need to pay a much higher entry fee for their visas.
As per the BBC, this marks the first time entry visas have increased in price in nearly 50 years. They've been the same since 1978, but from the 1st of July a single-entry visa will now cost 15,000 yen (over £70) where it once cost just 3,000 yen. Multiple entries will cost 30,000 yen, up from 6,000. "We do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism," said foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
Other fees related to foreign travel have also been increased. Authorities pushing for the fee increases say they now align more closely with the visa costs of other countries. If you're looking to stay in Japan for longer than a holiday period, you're in for even greater cost, as the upper limit for permanent residency is now 300,000 yen, up 30 times its previous cap of 10,000 yen. It's also now 100,000 yen to change your residency status or extend a period of stay.