Staying long term, or going home

Japan Visa Fee Increase 2026: Permanent Residence Now 200,000 Yen

Residence permit fees change on 1 October 2026. The flat rate is replaced by amounts based on the period of stay granted, so a 2-year renewal goes from 5,500 to 42,000 yen online, and permanent residence goes from 10,000 to 200,000 yen. Any application accepted by 30 September 2026 keeps the old amount even if permission comes later. Only people whose residence card expires by 30 December 2026 can file a renewal in September; changes of status and permanent residence have no 3-month rule. A reduction scheme exists but needs humanitarian grounds, not just hardship.

2026.09.02

EnglishProtect

iDeCo for Foreigners in Japan: Locked Until 60, and the Exit

Foreign nationals can join iDeCo - the condition is public pension enrolment, not nationality - but assets are locked until age 60. Join at 28 and leave at 33 and the money sits in Japan for 27 years. There is an exit: a lump-sum withdrawal payment with seven conditions, two of which only foreign nationals meet automatically. The real gate is five years or 250,000 yen, and a two-year deadline.

2026.08.30

EnglishGrow

Can Permanent Residency Be Revoked in Japan? The 2027 Rules

From April 2027 permanent residence in Japan can be revoked on three grounds: unpaid public dues, breaches of Immigration Act duties, and certain convictions. Public dues include National Health Insurance and National Pension premiums. But inability to pay is not itself a ground, and the draft guidelines list four situations that explicitly do not qualify.

2026.08.26

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Japan National Pension for Students: 17,920 Yen and How to Defer It

Residents aged 20 and over must join the National Pension, students included, and the premium is 17,920 yen a month. If you cannot pay, apply for the student deferral. Unpaid and deferred are not the same thing: unpaid brings asset seizure and reaches your visa renewal. Deferred months can be paid back within 10 years.

2026.08.25

EnglishProtect

Visa Renewal in Japan: Timing, Cost and the Documents You Need

You can file from roughly three months before your period of stay ends. The fee is 6,000 yen, or 5,500 yen online. There is no universal document checklist - it depends on your status, and students need a confirmation document from their school. Online filing needs a My Number card and cannot be used for permanent residence or on the expiry date.

2026.08.22

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NISA and Brokerage Accounts for Foreigners in Japan 2026: How to Open One, and What Happens When You Leave

You can open a Japanese brokerage account whatever your nationality, as long as you live here. But NISA only works while you are a resident, and the rule that lets you keep holding tax-free after leaving covers only employer transfers, not students going home.

2026.08.05

EnglishGrow

Permanent Residency in Japan 2026: Rules and the 2027 Changes

Ten years is the standard, but from April 2027 your residence card must show a 5-year period of stay, and permanent residence becomes revocable. What changed is not how long you have lived here. Decided rules and undecided proposals, separated.

2026.08.04

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Leaving Japan for Good: The Checklist That Saves You Money

Leaving Japan permanently? The moving-out notice unlocks your pension refund and stops your bills. Resident tax follows you home, and an abandoned bank account can block your re-entry. The order that saves you money.

2026.07.26

EnglishProtect

Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment from Japan: How Much You Get Back

Japan pension lump-sum withdrawal payment explained: who qualifies, the 5-year payout cap, the unconfirmed 8-year reform, claim deadlines, and how to reclaim the 20.42% withheld tax.

2026.07.25

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