Visa renewal in Japan: when to apply, new fees and the online system

For a visa renewal in Japan, you apply for an extension of period of stay (在留期間更新許可申請) at your regional immigration office or online, from 3 months before your residence card (在留カード)’s expiry date. Fees rose on October 1, 2026 and now depend on how long you are granted: at the counter ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years and ¥75,000 for 5 years. Online is cheaper. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA).

When can you apply to renew your visa?

If your period of stay is 6 months or more, you can apply from 3 months before it ends. You must apply on or before the expiry date. Check the date on the front of your residence card.

ISA may accept an application earlier than 3 months in genuine special cases, for example:

• you are going abroad to study, or on a long overseas assignment ordered by your employer
• you are pregnant and the birth falls in the application window
• you will be in hospital for treatment
• family members are applying together
• a foreign visa you need requires 6+ months left on your Japanese stay

Contact the office first and bring proof.

How much does visa renewal cost from October 2026?

The fee depends on the period of stay you are granted, not the one you ask for. Applications received by September 30, 2026 pay the old fee (¥6,000 at the counter, ¥5,500 online), even if approved later.

Source: ISA fee pages, as of October 2026.

At the counter you pay with revenue stamps (収入印紙) stuck on a fee form. Online, you pay by convenience store or bank payment only. ISA does not accept credit cards or QR payments for online fees.

A reduced fee of ¥10,000 exists for people in serious financial hardship or needing humanitarian consideration. You need proof and must apply at the counter.

What documents do you need?

The list depends on your status of residence (在留資格). ISA’s renewal page links to a list for each status. Almost everyone needs:

• the renewal application form (在留期間更新許可申請書)
• one photo meeting ISA’s size rules. Since June 14, 2026, photos are needed for everyone aged 1 and over
• passport and residence card, shown at the counter
• status-specific proof, such as your Japanese spouse’s family register (戸籍謄本) for a spouse visa
• for some statuses, such as a spouse visa, resident tax certificates (課税証明書 and 納税証明書) from your city office

Certificates issued in Japan must be dated within 3 months. Documents in other languages need a Japanese translation.

At the counter, ISA also asks to see proof of health insurance. Since paper health insurance cards ended on December 2, 2024, you can show the My Portal screen, the 資格情報のお知らせ notice or a 資格確認書. ISA says not showing it does not by itself lead to refusal.

What does immigration check?

ISA’s renewal guideline lists the main factors:

• you actually did the activities of your status (for example, you worked in the job your visa covers)
• good conduct
• enough income or assets to live on, judged by household
• proper employment conditions
• taxes and national health insurance paid: serious or long unpaid amounts count against you
• Immigration Act notifications filed, such as a change of employer or address
• no long absences abroad without good reason

Since June 2026 the guideline notes that ISA may use payment information from other agencies.

How do you renew your visa online?

The Online Residence Application System (在留申請オンラインシステム) lets most mid- to long-term residents aged 15 or over apply themselves. Employers, lawyers and 行政書士 can also apply for you. ISA publishes an English user manual for individuals. A new version of the system started on January 5, 2026.

Two limits matter:

• You can’t apply online on the last day of your period of stay. Go to the counter instead.
• If you applied online yourself, extend your My Number card (マイナンバーカード)’s validity before your stay expires. If you enter the special period without doing this, you can no longer send documents through the online system.

Step by step

If an employer, lawyer or 行政書士 submits for you, you don’t need to appear in person, but you must be in Japan. Busy work is not accepted as a reason for a relative to apply for you.

Can you stay in Japan while your renewal is pending?

For counter applications, immigration stamps the back of your residence card to show an application is pending. Online applications don’t get this stamp.

ISA lists no administrative appeal against a refusal.

Related guides

If you have been in Japan for years, you may be close to qualifying for permanent residency (永住), which ends renewals. Married to a Japanese national? See our spouse visa guide.

Banks and money transfer services also record your residence card’s expiry date, so update them after you renew: see our guides to bank accounts and sending money from Japan.

More guides: permanent residency vs naturalization (帰化), Japanese naturalization process.