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Extension of Period of Stay
Japan visa renewal extension is the procedure every non-permanent resident repeats for as long as they stay: an application to the immigration bureau to renew the current status for a further period.12 Missing the filing window or filing with arrears on the record can shorten the granted period or worse, so the timing and paperwork deserve attention well before the card expires.
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency extension procedure page. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi, 行政書士) for a filing read, or an immigration lawyer (bengoshi, 弁護士) for a prior refusal or adverse history.
Last verified: 2026-09.
Overview
Extension (the 在留期間更新許可申請, zairyū kikan kōshin kyoka shinsei, "application for permission to extend period of stay") renews your current status of residence without changing it.12 It is governed by Article 21 of the Immigration Control Act and examined by the regional immigration bureau with jurisdiction over your residence.2 Permanent residents have no period of stay and never file it.2
This article covers the ISA and statute angle: windows, exhibits, fees, and the grace rule. Card mechanics such as renewal counters and photo rules belong to the residence-card companion coverage, not here.
The filing window and where to file
Applications open from 3 months before the current period expires.1 File at the regional bureau covering your registered address, in person or through the online residence application system once registered as a user.1
Filing after expiry is not an extension at all. The application must be lodged while the current permission is still valid; an expired status means overstay and separate enforcement exposure under the Act.2
Documents and fees
Exhibits are status-specific: employer documents for work statuses, school documents for study statuses, spouse documents for family statuses, in every case plus updated tax-payment and pension-contribution certificates.1 ISA publishes the per-status lists; the bureau judges the file against those lists.1
Fees are in transition. Applications filed through 2026-09-30 pay the pre-revision schedule of 6,000 yen at the counter or 5,500 yen online (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with ISA).3 Applications filed from 2026-10-01 pay tiered fees set by the amended enforcement ordinance, scaled to the period actually granted.34
The October 2026 fee revision
| Permitted Period of Stay | In-Person (Counter) | Online Application | Status / Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months or less | ¥10,000 | ¥10,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| Over 3 months to 6 months | ¥18,000 | ¥15,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| Over 6 months to under 1 year | ¥25,000 | ¥21,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| 1 year | ¥33,000 | ¥27,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| Over 1 year to under 3 years | ¥48,000 | ¥42,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| 3 years to under 5 years | ¥64,000 | ¥56,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| 5 years | ¥75,000 | ¥65,000 | Enacted 2026-10-0134 |
| Grandfathered schedule (applications filed on or before 2026-09-30) | ¥6,000 | ¥5,500 | Flat fee upon approval35 |
Under the revised fee schedule effective October 1, 2026, fees scale with the granted period, from ¥10,000 for 3 months or less up to ¥75,000 for 5 years at the counter, with online applications discounted at each tier (as of 2026-10-01; confirm current figures with ISA).34 Counter applicants learn the amount from the mailed notification postcard and pay by revenue stamp (収入印紙); online-route applicants pay via convenience-store or bank electronic settlement plus a small transaction fee.4 Applications filed on or before September 30, 2026 pay the grandfathered flat fee upon approval even where the decision lands on or after October 1.5
Post-revision fees follow the period ISA actually grants. A longer grant costs more, so confirm the postcard figure before buying revenue stamps.4
Processing and the under-application grace rule
Typical processing runs 2 weeks to 2 months (as of 2026-09; confirm current estimates with ISA), varying by status, bureau workload, and season.1 A timely applicant is protected while waiting: the Act grants a 特例期間 (tokurei kikan, "special under-application period") of up to 2 months past card expiry, during which stay and previously authorized activities continue lawfully.2
Granted periods commonly step up over successive clean renewals, often from 1 year to 3 years to 5 years.1 The pattern is practice, not entitlement: instability, arrears, or notification gaps can hold the period flat or shorten it.12 A refusal ends the grace protection, and the applicant must depart or secure another permission promptly.2
Good to know
File early in the window, not at its edge
Filing in the first month of the 3-month window leaves room to correct document defects before expiry. A filing dated days before expiry leaves no such buffer.1
Keep tax and pension payments clean before filing
Payment certificates are examined exhibits, and arrears weigh on the renewal and later on any permanent-residency assessment. Settle outstanding balances before assembling the file.1
The granted period can step up, or down
Practitioner experience describes step-ups for clean files, but the bureau decides each grant on the current record. Treat a longer period as earned by the file, not owed by history.1
A refusal ends the grace protection
The special period covers pending applications only. Once a refusal issues, remaining is no longer covered, so line up professional advice immediately rather than waiting out the clock.2
See also
- Residence Card Renewal
- ISA Online Procedures
- Address-Change Notification
- Engineer/Humanities/International Services Visa
- Student Visa Process Through a Language School
- Spouse Visa Application After Marriage Registration