Japan visa renewal fees from October 2026, and the contract rules every ALT should know

The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) revised the fees for extending your period of stay (a renewal) and changing your status of residence. Both now cost the same, and the amount depends on the period of stay you're granted and on whether you applied at a counter or online (ISA: fee revision from 1 October 2026, in Japanese; ISA English leaflet, PDF).

Permanent residence went from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000 (counter applications). A few details from the ISA notice:

• Old fee for older applications. If your application was received by 30 September 2026, you pay the old fee even if permission is granted on or after 1 October.
• You learn the amount at the end. For counter applications, the amount is on the postcard sent when the review is finished; for online applications, it's in a separate payment email.
• How you pay. Counter applications are paid with revenue stamps (shūnyū inshi), which are sold for cash only. ISA asks applicants to buy them in advance at a large post office, because shops at immigration offices have limited stock. Online applications are paid by convenience store or bank payment, plus a separate transaction fee.
• Reductions exist only for people in financial hardship comparable to those who need public assistance, not for ordinary workers.

Most English teachers in Japan hold one of two statuses: Instructor (school and most ALT jobs) or Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (most eikaiwa jobs). Both are granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months (ISA: Instructor; ISA: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services). Immigration decides the period, not you, so you won't know the exact fee until the review is done.

• Budget for the worst realistic case. A 1-year renewal now costs ¥33,000 at the counter or ¥27,000 online; a 3-year one costs ¥64,000 or ¥56,000. Applying online saves between ¥3,000 and ¥10,000 at every level above 3 months, before the separate transaction fee.
• Changing job type can mean a change of status. Moving from a school or ALT job on Instructor to an eikaiwa job on Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (or the other way round) usually means a change-of-status application, which costs the same as a renewal under the new table. Check with ISA before you accept.
• Ask your employer. Some employers pay or reimburse visa costs and some don't. Ask before you sign, and get the answer in writing.

• The window. You can apply up to the day your period of stay expires. If you hold a period of 6 months or more, you can apply from 3 months before it expires (ISA: extension of period of stay, in Japanese). Earlier applications are accepted only in genuinely unavoidable cases, such as a long overseas posting or a planned hospital stay.
• Who applies. You do, in person, unless an approved agent files it for you. An agent can be a staff member of your employer approved by the regional immigration bureau, or a registered lawyer or gyoseishoshi (administrative scrivener). Either way, you must be in Japan while the application is filed.
• Online or at the counter. Online applications cost less (see the table) and are paid by convenience store or bank payment.

If your contract ends or you start with a new employer, you must tell ISA within 14 days. Which form you use depends on your status:

• Instructor: a Notification Concerning the Activity Organization, when you leave a school or employer or move to a new one (ISA, in Japanese).
• Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services: a Notification Concerning the Contracting Organization, when a contract ends or you sign a new one (ISA, in Japanese).

You can file online through ISA's Electronic Notification System at any time, at a regional immigration office with your residence card, or by post with a copy of your residence card. No supporting documents are needed for the online notification. This applies to ALTs who switch dispatch companies between school years, too.

Your working conditions must be stated clearly (LSA Article 15)

When you sign, the employer must clearly state your wages, working hours and other working conditions. If the actual conditions differ from what was stated, you may cancel the contract immediately. And if you moved for the job and go home within 14 days of cancelling, the employer must pay the necessary travel costs. Keep the written terms you were given.

No penalty clauses (LSA Article 16)

An employer must not make a contract that sets a penalty for breaking it or fixes the amount of damages in advance. Watch for clauses like a set "breach fee" for leaving early, and ask about them before you sign.

Pay in full, every month (LSA Article 24)

Wages must be paid in full, at least once a month, on a fixed date. Deductions are allowed only where a law permits them (tax, social insurance) or under a written agreement with a union or workers' representative. If your contract lists other deductions (materials, housing, a car), ask what they are based on. Also check how pay works in August, when schools are closed: some ALT companies pay less or nothing that month (see our Japan overview).

Dismissal needs 30 days' notice (LSA Article 20)

To dismiss you, an employer must give at least 30 days' notice or pay at least 30 days' average wages instead. The limited exceptions include a natural disaster that makes the business impossible to continue, or dismissal for reasons attributable to the worker. On a fixed-term contract, the employer may not dismiss you before the term ends unless there are unavoidable circumstances (LCA Article 17).

Paid leave after 6 months (LSA Article 39)

After 6 months of continuous work with at least 80% attendance, you're entitled to 10 days of paid leave, and the number rises with longer service.

Renewed fixed-term contracts over 5 years (LCA Article 18)

If you've had two or more fixed-term contracts with the same employer and the total goes over 5 years, you can apply for a contract without a fixed term, and the employer is deemed to accept. Working conditions stay the same except the term. This matters for ALTs and eikaiwa teachers on one-year contracts that keep getting renewed.

• Monthly pay for every month, including August and the first month.
• Who pays the visa or renewal fee, and whether online applications are allowed.
• Which status of residence the job uses, and whether you'll need a change of status.
• Every deduction from pay, and what it's based on.
• Any penalty or "breach fee" for leaving early.
• The notice period for both sides, the contract term, and whether it's renewable.
• Paid leave, and when it starts.

Our interview guide has more questions to ask a school, and our fake job offer guide covers the red flags we see in ads.

Japan's school year starts in April, so schools and ALT companies hire for April 2027 starts now. Our Japan pack currently has 18 listings offering a February to April 2027 start, out of 43 checked listings (verified as of 2026-10-27). Start dates are set by each employer and can change, and there is no job or visa guarantee. Want to see what's in the packs first? Get 12 free verified openings (3 per country), or get the Japan pack.