Japan sees 60% rise in passport applications in July
There were about 3.3 times more applications in the first three days of July compared with the same period last year, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Japan witnessed a significant surge in passport applications in July, with the number jumping by 60% compared to the previous year, according to the Foreign Ministry. The increase was attributed to a reduction in application fees that took effect at the start of the month. The ministry reported that there were roughly 530,000 passport applications filed in July, which was about 1.6 times higher than the 330,000 applications received in the same period last year.
The trend was particularly pronounced in the first three days of July, where application numbers were 3.3 times more than in the corresponding period of the prior year. Despite the surge in applications, the ministry anticipated that the issuance process would take around three weeks, faster than the initial estimate of one month.
The amendment to the passport application process began on July 1, allowing Japanese nationals aged 18 or older to apply for a 10-year passport online at a fee of ¥8,900, a reduction from the previous fee of ¥15,900. Similarly, children could apply for a five-year passport through the online portal for a fee of ¥4,400, down from ¥10,900.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
