Visa and Permanent Residency Costs Soar: Changes Affecting People’s Lives in Japan from October 2026

From October 2026, the costs associated with visas and residency status in Japan will see significant changes. The standard fee for extending a visa or altering status will increase, ranging from ¥6,000 to a maximum of ¥75,000 depending on the duration of stay. Online applications will generally qualify for a discount. A permanent residency permit, currently priced at ¥10,000, will see a substantial increase to ¥200,000.

The government has removed the annual wage threshold, called the "yen 1.06 million wall," which previously required applicants to meet this income level to enroll in health insurance and pension schemes. This change will enable more employees, including part-time workers, to be covered under these programs. For small companies, the requirement of having 51 or more employees to offer social security benefits will be phased out by October 2027, ensuring coverage for all workers who clock in for at least 20 hours each week.

Aimed at enhancing childcare support for the self-employed and freelancers, parents will no longer be required to pay national pension premiums for their children's first year. Fathers will enjoy a full exemption for a period of 12 months from the birth of their child, while mothers will benefit from a full exemption for 13 months, including the month preceding childbirth.

As part of a phased reform, a uniform tax of ¥54.25 per 350ml can will be applied to regular beer, low-malt beer, and beer-flavored beverages without malt. This adjustment is intended to eliminate discrepancies in tax rates due to variations in ingredients and brewing methods, thereby creating a more equitable competitive landscape. Additionally, taxes on canned chūhai and similar beverages will rise by ¥7 to ¥35, aligning them with the pricing of sake and wine.

Japan Tobacco has decided to raise prices on all 31 varieties of its Ploom heated tobacco device sticks by ¥40, alongside a tax increase designed to close the tax gap between heated tobacco products and traditional cigarettes. Similarly, Philip Morris International has increased the price of tobacco sticks for its IQOS devices by anywhere from ¥20 to ¥30.

With the cessation of summer subsidies, households will face a practical increase in energy costs when billed for October usage. Standard households, accustomed to a subsidy rate of ¥3.5 per kilowatt-hour for July and September, and ¥4.5 in August, will now pay higher rates.

Toll fees on the Shuto Expressway, which traverses metropolitan Tokyo, will also see a rise. Standard vehicle users will experience a price increase of about ¥3 per kilometer, elevating the rate from ¥29.52 to ¥32.472. The upper toll limit will also see a boost of ¥180, moving from ¥1,950 to ¥2,130, resulting in an average price increase of 8.1%.

Shipments via Japan Post's Yū-Pack service will incur an average 10% price increase, impacting costs for sending a 60 cm parcel from Tokyo to Osaka from ¥100 to ¥1,090. This additional expense is attributed to rising labor and operational costs.

Lastly, companies and local governments are mandated to institute preventive measures against customer harassment, including unreasonable requests and abusive conduct, as part of their commitment to protect employees.