TOKYO, Dec 24 (News On Japan) - Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced it will move to cut the application fee for 10-year passports by 7,000 yen, bringing the cost down to around 9,000 yen, as it prepares for a revision of the Passport Act.
Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said: “The Foreign Ministry intends to move ahead with adjustments to reduce passport fees. We hope that lowering these fees will help promote Japan as a tourism-oriented nation and encourage greater international exchange and understanding among the public.”
According to the ministry, passports for those aged 18 and over will be unified under a single 10-year option, with the current 5-year passport for adults to be abolished, while the application fee will be lowered from roughly 16,000 yen to around 9,000 yen.
For those under 18, 5-year passports currently cost between about 6,000 yen and 11,000 yen depending on age, but these fees will also be reduced and standardized at around 4,500 yen.
Applicants who submit their applications online will pay 400 yen less than those who apply in person using paper forms.
Because revising passport fees requires an amendment to the Passport Act, the government aims to submit the necessary legislation during next year’s regular Diet session and hopes to implement the reductions as early as July.
At the same time, the government is also considering raising the so-called “departure tax” imposed on travelers leaving Japan, with costs related to the protection of Japanese nationals overseas—previously included in passport fees—to be covered through this departure tax instead.
Source: TBS
