British tourists planning a trip to Japan are set to be hit with a fivefold increase in visa fees. The first hike since 1978. A move that will sting the wallets of holidaymakers and business travellers alike.
The cost for a single-entry visa will jump from £10 to £50. A multiple-entry visa rises from £25 to £120. The decision, announced by Tokyo, is a stark departure from decades of near-static pricing.
Whitehall sources say the Foreign Office was blindsided. No prior warning. The Japanese embassy in London briefed officials only hours before the public announcement. A diplomatic snub, some mutter.
Why now? Japan cites rising administrative costs and a need to align with global standards. But whispers in the Lobby suggest a deeper calculation. Tokyo is eyeing a post-pandemic tourism boom. They want higher-spending visitors. British tourists, with their £10 visa, were seen as cheap.
The timing is brutal for Sunak. His government is pushing a 'Global Britain' agenda. Free trade deals. Open borders. This decision cuts against that narrative. A message that Britain is not getting the preferential treatment it craves.
Treasury officials are quietly fuming. The hike could suppress demand. Fewer British tourists means less spending in Japan. A hit to UK service exports. But there is little leverage. Visa policy is a sovereign matter.
For British travellers, the pain is real. A family of four now faces £200 in visa fees. Up from £40. No refunds if the visa is rejected. A gamble many will think twice about.
The Japanese embassy in London insists the move is not targeted. 'A routine adjustment,' a spokesman said. Routine? After 46 years? The Lobby is sceptical.
Backbenchers are stirring. Letters to the Foreign Office. Questions tabled. 'This is a kick in the teeth for British tourists,' said one Conservative MP. Labour is piling in, calling for retaliatory measures.
But what can London do? Reciprocal fees on Japanese visitors? That would hit UK tourism. A diplomatic protest? Unlikely to move Tokyo.
The real story is power. Japan is flexing. They see Britain as diminished post-Brexit. A less important partner. The visa fee hike is a symbol of that shift.
For now, British tourists must pay up or stay home. The cherry blossoms will bloom without them. And Whitehall will watch, powerless, as Japan rewrites the rules of the game.
