Residence card expiring soon? You can apply to renew your period of stay from about 3 months before it expires. Fees, documents, online application, and the review timeline — all in one place.
📅 Information verified as of July 2026| Item | Details (as of July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Fee (counter application) | ¥6,000 (raised from ¥4,000 on April 1, 2025) |
| Fee (online application) | ¥5,500 |
| How to pay | Revenue stamp (収入印紙), paid when you pick up your new card |
| When to apply | From about 3 months before your period of stay expires |
| Online application | Immigration Services Agency's "Online Residence Application System" (在留申請オンラインシステム) — covers extension, change of status, and COE applications |
| Official page | Immigration Services Agency: Extension of Period of Stay ↗ |
On March 10, 2026, the Japanese government approved a draft amendment to the Immigration Control Act: the cap on permanent residence application fees would rise from ¥10,000 to ¥300,000, and renewal/change-of-status fees would increase to roughly ¥30,000–¥40,000.
Important: this is only a cabinet-approved draft amendment — it is not yet law and not yet in effect. The exact amounts and the effective date will be set by government ordinance, and no date has been announced. The current ¥6,000 / ¥5,500 fees still apply today.
Proposed renewal fee tiers in the draft (not enacted — for reference only):
| Period of stay granted | Counter | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | ¥18,000 | ¥15,000 |
| 3 years | ¥25,000 | ¥21,000 |
| 5 years | ¥33,000 | ¥27,000 |
💡 Our advice: if your period of stay expires soon, apply early at the current fee, and keep an eye on official announcements.
Your residence card shows the expiry date on the back. Renewal applications are accepted from about 3 months before that date — don't leave it to the last week.
Work through the checklist below. Tax certificates are issued by your city/ward office, so allow a few days.
Counter: visit your regional immigration office. Online: submit through the Online Residence Application System (requires a My Number card and a card reader or NFC phone). Online saves you ¥500.
Review typically takes 1–2 months. Once your application is accepted, you stay legal under a "special period" (up to 2 months) even if your current period of stay expires while waiting.
When the notification postcard (はがき) arrives, bring your passport, old residence card, and a revenue stamp to the immigration office to pay and collect your new card.
Get started: confirm the expiry date, list your documents, and request tax certificates at the city office.
Submit your application (online or at the counter). Review takes 1–2 months, so earlier is better.
No result yet? Call or visit the immigration office to check progress and ask whether extra documents are needed.
Within 14 days, bring your passport, old residence card, and revenue stamp (¥6,000 counter / ¥5,500 online) to collect your new card.
As long as you apply before your period of stay ends, you're fine — and if it expires while your application is under review, you're covered by the special period (up to 2 months). But if your status fully expires with no application filed, that's overstaying, with serious consequences. Always file before the deadline.
A My Number card plus a card reader (or an NFC-capable smartphone), and an account on the Online Residence Application System. If that sounds like a hassle, the counter route works perfectly well.
Work visa holders must file a "notification regarding the contracting organization" within 14 days of changing employers. Fill in your current employer honestly on the renewal form — immigration will verify it, and hiding a job change only makes things worse.
Not sure about your renewal documents? Get a personalized checklist from AI
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