Claim: Japan visa costs GH¢273, and it is paid after approval
Source: Social media (X)
Verdict: True
Researched by Alfa Shaban
In July 2025, the Donald Trump-led United States government announced plans to charge a ‘visa integrity fee’ of US$250 in addition to the existing visa fees for some categories of visa applicants.
According to a myjoyonline report citing the UK Independent, the fee, described as a visa integrity surcharge, applied to various categories including tourist, student, exchange, and work visas.
“This new charge pushes the total cost of a typical U.S. visa application for Ghanaians closer to $500, excluding other expenses such as travel, documentation, and appointment-related costs,” the report said.
RelatedNews
In the wake of the report, social media conversations led to a comparison of visa processes and costs for different advanced countries.
One post on X, which caught our attention due to its accumulated views and other interaction metrics, claimed that a Japanese visa costs 273 Ghana cedis (approximately US$22.30), and it is paid upon approval of one’s visa.
This fact-check report analysed the claims about a Japanese visa.
Fact-check
GhanaFact visited the official website of the Japanese Embassy in Ghana, which is also responsible for Liberia and Sierra Leone, and sought visa-related information from the portal.
We found extensive information on visa application processes beneath the visa section on the Consular Services page of the site.
On the visa fees section, the costs of single-entry, double-entry and transit visas were quoted as 3,000, 6,000 and 700 Japanese yen, respectively.
| Visa type | Japanese yen (¥) | Ghana cedi (¢) | US dollar ($) |
| Single-entry | 3,000 | 250.74 | 20.46 |
| Double-entry | 6,000 | 501.48 | 40.92 |
| Transit | 700 | 58.51 | 4.77 |
“Fees are collected in the currency of the country (region) in which the Embassy / Consulate General is located. Depending on the purpose of your visit and your nationality, fees may not be required or may be a different amount.
“If the visa is not issued, no fees are required. The processing fees are needed in addition to the visa issuance fees in case the visa application is made through an approved agency by the Embassy/Consulate General of Japan,” the guidelines added.
Email to Embassy of Japan in Ghana
With specific reference to the cost of applying for a visa at the embassy in Ghana, we sent an email and got the following response.
“The visa processing fee is GHS 273, and it’s paid only after the application process is completed and the visa is approved. It’s paid in cash at the Embassy when picking up the passport.”
Verdict
The above information proves that a Japanese visa costs GH¢273 and is paid upon approval of the visa. Therefore, the claim is true.
