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As of October 1, 2026, the fees for Application for Change of Status of Residence, Application for Extension of Period of Stay, and Application for Permission for Permanent Residence were revised and significantly increased. At the same time, a system will be introduced to allow for a reduction in fees for those who are economically distressed and require humanitarian consideration. As of the August 28 announcement, the supporting documents (documents demonstrating eligibility) required to request a reduction were stated as “to be announced later.” This remained the case when our office confirmed on September 8, but subsequently, the Immigration Services Agency’s dedicated page published supporting documents for each type of guideline. This article organizes what documents are required, how much the fees will be, and where to apply, based on primary sources. This content is for foreign nationals experiencing financial hardship, as well as support organizations, local governments, and employers who assist such individuals.
First, here are the key points:
According to the Immigration Services Agency’s Q&A and dedicated page, the reduced fees are as follows:
| Type of Permission | Normal Fee after Revision (at counter) | If Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| Application for Change of Status of Residence / Application for Extension of Period of Stay (3 months or less) | 10,000 yen | 10,000 yen (originally the same amount) |
| Application for Change of Status of Residence / Application for Extension of Period of Stay (1 year) | 33,000 yen | 10,000 yen |
| Application for Change of Status of Residence / Application for Extension of Period of Stay (5 years or more) | 75,000 yen | 10,000 yen |
| Application for Permission for Permanent Residence | 200,000 yen | 20,000 yen |
For Application for Change of Status of Residence and Application for Extension of Period of Stay, if the applicant is eligible for a reduction and a Period of Stay exceeding 3 months is granted, the fee can be reduced to 10,000 yen. For Periods of Stay of 3 months or less, the normal fee after revision is already 10,000 yen.
Please note that those who receive a Specific Residence Card upon permission may be required to pay the reduced fee plus the issuance fee for the Specific Residence Card.
The overall picture of the revised fees and payment fees for online applications are explained in “Immigration Services Fee Revision on October 1 | Old Fees Until September 30.”
The basis for the reduction is Article 67, Paragraph 3 of the revised Immigration Control Act and Article 25, Paragraph 2 of the revised Immigration Control Act Enforcement Order. The Immigration Services Agency’s “Guidelines for Fee Reduction Eligibility for Permission for Change of Status of Residence or Extension of Period of Stay” (August 2026) outlines the types of individuals who may be eligible.
The Agency’s Q&A explains that meeting only one of ① or ② is not sufficient for eligibility for a reduction. Being in financial hardship alone, or requiring humanitarian consideration alone, is not enough.
For the general public, the most common combination is likely those with a status of residence based on personal status falling under ②(2) receiving protection equivalent to the treatment under the Public Assistance Act in ①(1). For example, this applies to individuals residing under “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” who are receiving public assistance and are applying for an extension of their Period of Stay.
The dedicated page states that when submitting application documents for various Status of Residence applications, the following evidentiary documents must also be submitted.
| Guideline Category | Evidentiary Documents to Submit |
|---|---|
| ①(1) Protection equivalent to treatment under the Public Assistance Act | Certificate of Public Assistance Recipient |
| ①(2) Protective measures for refugee status applicants, etc. (protection costs) | Receipts for the payment of protection costs (dated within the last 2 months from the submission date) |
| ①(3) Support benefits for Japanese remaining in China, etc. | Copy of the identification card issued to Japanese remaining in China, etc., for whom the payment of support benefits has been decided |
| ①(4) In similar financial difficulty | Income and taxation certificate for the most recent year (including non-taxation certificate), and a copy of bank passbook or equivalent |
| ②(8) Admission to child welfare facilities, etc. | Document certifying that the child guidance center has placed the child in a child welfare facility, etc. |
| ②(9) Designated intractable diseases / specially disabled persons | Medical recipient certificate for recipients of specific medical expenses, or special disability allowance certification notice for recipients of special disability allowance |
| ②(10) Disabled children / severely disabled children | Special child rearing allowance certification notice for recipients of special child rearing allowance, or disability child welfare allowance certification notice for recipients of disability child welfare allowance |
| ②(1) to (7), (11), (12) | None (no additional evidentiary documents are indicated on the dedicated page) |
There are two points to note regarding how to read the table.
For receipts under ①(2), there is a date condition: “within the last 2 months from the submission date.” If you only have old receipts, please prepare the latest ones before applying.
Those eligible for a reduction in Application for Permission for Permanent Residence are limited to Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Permanent Resident, or Special Permanent Resident. Furthermore, whether they fall under ① and ② will be individually determined based on their asset status, Status of Residence, etc.
The Application for Permission for Permanent Residence fee will be 200,000 yen at the counter from October 1st, but if reduced, it will be 20,000 yen.
The dedicated page clearly states that applications made through the online Status of Residence application system do not support fee reduction measures. If you wish to request a fee reduction by submitting evidentiary documents, you must submit your Status of Residence applications in person at the counter.
For applications accepted at the counter, the fee will continue to be paid with a Revenue Stamp even after October 1st. The Immigration Services Agency advises applicants to purchase Revenue Stamps for the amount stated on the postcard sent to them at a large post office or similar location in advance before visiting the office to receive their examination results. Revenue Stamps can only be purchased with cash.
For residents of Miyazaki Prefecture, the nearest office is the Miyazaki Branch Office of the Fukuoka Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
In addition to reductions, fees may also be exempted. The dedicated page indicates that this applies to those who fall under any of the following categories:
There are very few situations where this applies to general foreign residents. If the burden of fees is an issue, please check the requirements for reduction above.
The Immigration Services Agency states that for applications accepted by September 30, 2026, even if permission is granted on or after October 1st, the pre-revision amount will be paid. The pre-revision amounts are 6,000 yen at the counter and 5,500 yen online for change of Status of Residence and extension of Period of Stay, and 10,000 yen at the counter for Application for Permission for Permanent Residence.
In all cases, these amounts are lower than the reduced amounts (10,000 yen and 20,000 yen). Applications for extension of Period of Stay can be made from 3 months before the expiration date for those with a Period of Stay of 6 months or more. If you applied in September, please check whether the acceptance date was on or before September 30th.
Even for those who apply from now on, we do not recommend rushing to apply with insufficient documents just for the sake of the fee. For information on the application period for extension of Period of Stay, please also refer to “[2026] When to Apply for Extension of Period of Stay? 45 Days Before is a Guideline“.
Q1. Will everyone with low income have their fees reduced?
A. No. The Immigration Services Agency’s Q&A states that simply being in financial difficulty does not qualify one for a fee reduction. You must meet both conditions: financial difficulty (①) and humanitarian considerations (②).
Q2. Can I apply online and submit supporting documents later to get a fee reduction?
A. The dedicated page states that applications made through the online Status of Residence application system are not eligible for fee reduction measures. If you wish to request a reduction, please apply at the counter.
Q3. When should I submit supporting documents?
A. They should be submitted along with the application documents for Status of Residence applications.
Q4. If the fee is reduced, will an Application for Extension of Period of Stay for 5 years also cost 10,000 yen?
A. If the applicant is eligible for a reduction and is granted a Period of Stay exceeding 3 months, the fee can be reduced to 10,000 yen. However, if a Specific Residence Card is issued upon permission, an additional issuance fee may be charged.
Q5. Will the fee for an Application for Permission for Permanent Residence also be reduced?
A. Only Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Permanent Resident, or Special Permanent Resident may be eligible for a fee reduction. The reduced amount in such cases is 20,000 yen.
Q6. What happens if I apply in September?
A. Applications accepted by September 30 will be subject to the pre-revision fee (e.g., 6,000 yen at the counter), even if permission is granted in October or later. In this case, the fee will be lower than the post-reduction amount even without using the reduction system.
While Immigration Services Fees increased from October 1, a system will be introduced to reduce fees for those in financial difficulty and requiring humanitarian considerations to 10,000 yen for changes/extensions and 20,000 yen for Application for Permission for Permanent Residence. The supporting documents, which were previously announced as “to be announced later,” have now been published for each category in the guidelines.
The key points are three: meeting both conditions ① and ②, submitting supporting documents appropriate to the category along with the application form, and applying at the counter instead of online. Applications accepted by September 30 were subject to the pre-revision fee, so if you applied in September, please also check the acceptance date.
💴 Estimated Fees: Support fees for Application for Extension of Period of Stay and Application for Change of Status of Residence are listed in our “Pricelist“. The first consultation is free for up to 60 minutes via online (web conferencing system).
As an Administrative Scrivener Corporation in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, our office provides consultation on residence procedures.
Please feel free to use our free consultation service first.
📞 To book a phone consultation: 0985-68-0851
Before you submit, let us take a look.
Free Immigration Pre-Submission Check ›
For those who will apply for a status of residence at the Immigration Services Bureau by themselves. Before you submit, we check your application form and supporting documents and tell you about any missing documents and points to watch. We accept checks online (Google Meet, about 20 minutes) or via LINE.
・Eligible: applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status of residence and extension of period of stay (applications for permanent residence are accepted only from residents of Miyazaki Prefecture). Naturalization is not covered.
・Online (Google Meet): once per application. Replies via LINE: available for the same application until you submit it.
・Our guideline for replies via LINE is, in principle, within 2 business days (we are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; replies may take longer when we are busy).
・Please send copies of your documents by LINE or email. For your residence card, send the front side only; please do not send the side showing your My Number.
・What we tell you is our office’s opinion. It does not guarantee approval; the outcome depends on the decision of the Immigration Services Bureau.
・We only point out missing documents and points to watch. We do not prepare or rewrite your application documents for you or draft text for them, and we do not tell you whether your application is likely to be approved (if you would like to engage us, we will introduce the Self-Prep Course, the Light Plan and the Standard Plan).
・If we find that a document contains information that is not true, or that the application is not your own (or a family member’s), we will decline the check.
This article is written based on publicly available information as of September 2026. The eligibility for fee reduction and supporting documents may change in the future due to revisions of the Immigration Services Agency’s guidelines and dedicated pages. Whether one is eligible for a fee reduction is determined individually based on asset status, residence status, etc. For actual applications, please confirm with official information from the Immigration Services Agency or our office.
Author of this article: Administrative Scrivener Authorized to File Applications, Satoshi Nakayama
Representative, Administrative Scrivener Corporation Miyazaki International Legal Office
Location: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
