- China will raise visa fees for Japanese citizens on September fourteenth, twenty twenty-six, using a reciprocal basis.
- Japan’s earlier increase lifted single-entry fees from three thousand yen to fifteen thousand yen after a June nineteenth cabinet decision.
- The new Chinese rates apply only to Japanese applicants; third-country nationals are unaffected and earlier filings keep old prices.
China is raising visa fees for Japanese citizens on a reciprocal basis from September 14, 2026, after Japan lifted its own charges on July 1, 2026. The notice landed Friday. The two governments are now moving on separate timetables.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning tied the change to reciprocity at a September 11 briefing. The embassy in Japan had already issued the notice, she said, and she repeated the point in two exact lines.
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"The Chinese embassy in Japan has issued a notice. The adjustment was made in accordance with the principle of reciprocity."
"This adjustment is based on the principle of reciprocity."
The message was plain.
The embassy split the higher charges into four visa classes: single-entry, double-entry, six-month multiple-entry and one-year multiple-entry. Those are the standard categories that matter here. The ladder is simple, but the price list is not.
Japan moved first after a June 19, 2026 Cabinet decision, with its new visa fees taking effect on July 1, 2026. The single-entry charge there rose from 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen, while the multiple-entry fee climbed from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen. That increase set off the Chinese response.
The Chinese change applies only to Japanese citizens' China visa fees. Applications received before September 14, 2026 stay under the old rates, and third-country nationals are not affected. The cutoff is clean. It draws a hard line.
The embassy in Japan issued its notice on September 11, 2026, the same day Mao Ning spoke. It set the new schedule for applications received on or after September 14, 2026 and left earlier filings under the previous charge. The timing matters. Late filings pay the new rate.
Four visa classes now carry higher fees
The embassy notice pairs the four categories with the following charges. Shorter visas sit at the lower end, and the one-year multiple-entry document carries the highest charge. The structure is simple.
| Visa type | New fee |
|---|---|
| Single-entry visa | 16,750 yen |
| Double-entry visa | 25,100 yen |
| Six-month multiple-entry visa | 33,500 yen |
| One-year multiple-entry visa | 50,250 yen |
China had already reopened short-term visa exemptions for Japanese passport holders in November 2024, allowing stays of up to 30 days for tourism and certain other short-term purposes. That exemption still stands. Short trips stay separate.
The new prices now fall mainly on longer-stay visa categories outside that exemption, including study, work and other long-term applications. Those travelers face the fee rise. The short-term lane does not.
Japan's own increase remains the first move in the chain. Its higher fees began on July 1, 2026, after the June 19, 2026 Cabinet decision. China's notice came later. The calendar now shows both steps clearly.
