As Japan’s fees for single-entry and multiple-entry visas increase by 400% for hundreds of nationalities, Filipinos’ short-term visitor visa processing fee remains free-of-charge in line with the gratis between the Philippines and Japan.
Philippine passport holders applying for Japan temporary visitor visas do not pay a visa issuance fee. What remains are the third-party service fees collected by the Japan Visa Application Centre (JVAC), operated by VFS Global, and any fees charged by accredited travel agencies contacted.
The number of short-stay visas issued to Philippine passport holders has grown to nearly 491,000 in 2024. Since then, multiple-entry visa requirements have been relaxed for Filipino applicants with demonstrable financial capacity, while Filipino diplomatic passport holders have been visa-exempt since October of the same year. The Embassy of Japan has also publicly stated it is studying further easing of requirements to deepen people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi acknowledged that visa fees had been frozen since 1978—almost half a century—and that this increase accounts for decades of inflation and exchange rate movement. The government also cited administrative struggles of processing foreign populations that reached 4.13 million people by the end of 2025.
With the increase seemingly affecting travel arrival rates as of May 2026, dipping 3.6 percent compared to last year, the Japanese government does not foresee an immediate negative effect on inbound tourism.
Filipinos can continue availing the free visa fee for short-term temporary visitor visas (for tourism, business, family visits, or friends) for a maximum of 90 days without any changes from Japan’s fee increase.
Photo courtesy of Travelpro
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