MANILA, Philippines — The Japanese government will raise visa fees for foreign nationals fivefold starting July 1, but Filipino tourists applying for temporary visitor visas continue to enjoy a visa fee exemption.
The fee increase was approved during a Cabinet meeting on Friday, marking the first revision of Japan's visa issuance charges in 48 years.
Under the new rates, the fee for a single-entry visa will increase from 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen, while the fee for a multiple-entry visa will rise from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen.
The revised fees will apply to visa applications submitted on or after July 1.
Despite the increase, ordinary Philippine passport holders applying for a Temporary Visitor visa for tourism are currently exempt from paying Japan's visa issuance fee under the existing "gratis" arrangement.
As a result, Filipino tourist visa applicants generally pay only the service fees charged by accredited visa application centers and not the visa fee itself.
As of this writing, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines has not announced any changes to the visa fee exemption enjoyed by Filipino tourist visa applicants.
The newly approved fee increase is therefore not expected to immediately affect most Filipinos traveling to Japan for tourism purposes.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the revision was necessary because the current visa fees have remained unchanged since 1978.
Motegi explained that the government reviewed the fees in response to rising prices and changes in foreign exchange rates over the past several decades.
He added that various factors were considered before the decision was made and that he does not expect the higher fees to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.
The Japanese government revised a related cabinet order to implement the new fees.
Meanwhile, diplomatic passport holders may continue to enjoy visa-free entry or special arrangements under existing agreements between Japan and the Philippines, depending on the purpose and conditions of travel.
Applicants for official and diplomatic visas also generally remain exempt from visa issuance fees under established diplomatic protocols.
Earlier, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo said Japan continues to study ways to further improve and streamline visa application procedures for Filipinos.
Endo noted that visa facilitation remains one of the most frequently raised concerns among Filipino travelers and said Japanese authorities will continue exploring measures to make travel to Japan more convenient.
— The Summit Express
Start the conversation. Share your thoughts, insights, or reactions, and connect with fellow readers.