Japan has implemented a five-fold increase to visa fees for all foreigners, marking the first price hike in nearly 50 years, the BBC reports.
From 1 July, single-entry visa fees will be raised from the current 3,000 yen ($18.69) to 15,000 yen, while multi-entry visas will now cost 30,000 yen, up from 6,000 yen.
The visa fee revisions – the first since 1978 – were made to “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations”, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters on Friday.
“We do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism,” he added.
The Japanese yen has been weakening continually since 2021, and is now hovering near historic 40-year lows.
This, along with a post-pandemic travel rebound, has led to a surge in tourists to Japan. The country welcomed a record 42.7m international tourists last year.
