Tourists from around the world continue to flock to Japan’s bustling megacities and quiet onsen towns, generating a record-setting (and sometimes unmanageable) influx of travelers: an increase from 25.1 million in 2023 to 42.7 million in 2025, according to the country’s tourism board. In the face of this boom, Japan is setting more boundaries with visitors, including levying an increased tourist tax and, as of October 1, making it harder for non-citizens to obtain residence status.
The number of foreign residents in Japan reached a record 3.96 million people in June 2025, prompting Japan’s immigration agency to tighten its eligibility guidelines for the country’s permanent residency permit, which is available to foreign workers who have continuously lived in Japan for at least 10 years. The new rules are just one part of a larger framework of policies adopted by the Japanese government on January 23, 2026 called the “Comprehensive Measures for the Acceptance and Orderly Coexistence of Foreign Nationals.”
The government says the policies are designed to address “anxieties and feelings of unfairness felt by some citizens as the number of foreign residents increases,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote in a September 26 post on X. That means applicants to Japan’s foreign residence permit will soon face stricter language proficiency requirements, more expensive fees, and a higher income threshold.
If you’re pursuing permanent residency or a long-term stay in Japan, here’s what you need to know.
What is changing?
The new requirements dictate that applicants must earn more than the average Japanese household income (which was about $36,350 per year in 2024, according to a survey by the country’s health, labor, and welfare ministry). In addition, applicants must now show pension benefits that match what they would have received after 30 years in the country’s employee pension program. (If the applicant falls short on the pension requirement, the guidelines say they can supplement with additional “financial assets,” but does not provide specifics beyond that.)
The government also announced a dramatic 20-fold hike in the application fee, which is now 20,000 yen, or about $1,260. That said, the cost is still relatively affordable compared to permanent residency-related applications in countries like the UK, which cost 3,226 British pounds (about $4,261), and the US, which can cost upwards of $10,000, according to Arton.
