Passport Renewal in Japan: ¥9,000 and a Letterpack
Department of Foreign Affairs · passports
Quick answer
Renewing a Philippine passport in Japan costs JPY ¥9,000 at the Embassy in Tokyo, plus a self-addressed ¥600 Letterpack you supply. Book online, appear in person, and bring your current passport with a photocopy of the data page.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from DFA's official published sources: Philippine Embassy Tokyo | Renewal Application (Adult) (https://tokyo.philembassy.net/consular-section/services/passport/renewal-application-adult/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with DFA before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
Japan is the one post where you supply the postage, and where keeping your old passport requires a specific Japanese postcard.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Passport renewal | JPY ¥9,000 |
| Self-addressed Letterpack you provide | ¥600 |
The Letterpack is listed among the core requirements, not as an option. Buy it before the appointment; the Embassy does not sell you one.
The core requirements
| # | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 1 | Confirmed online appointment |
| 2 | Accomplished application form: printed from the appointment system, which generates it |
| 3 | Personal appearance |
| 4 | Current passport, with a photocopy of the data page |
| 5 | Self-addressed ¥600 Letterpack |
| 6 | Payment of JPY ¥9,000 |
Note requirement 2: you do not fill in a blank form. The system produces it, and you print what it produced.
The HAGAKI rule
This is unique among the posts covered on this site.
| What the Embassy states | |
|---|---|
| Default | Passports are usually cancelled at the time of application for renewal |
| If you want the old one kept | You must provide a self-addressed HAGAKI: a Japanese postcard, obtainable from the Post Office |
| What the HAGAKI does | The Embassy uses it to inform you when the new passport has arrived in Tokyo, and it carries the instructions |
So an uncancelled old passport costs you a second piece of stationery, on top of the ¥600 Letterpack. People who want to keep visas or stamps in an expiring passport need to know this before they hand it over. Cancellation happens at application, not at release.
If your name changed
Bring the core requirements plus original PSA-authenticated documents:
- Marriage contract
- Annotated birth certificate
- Annotated marriage contract showing annulment, divorce or court-ordered instruction
- Death certificate of spouse, where applicable
A woman who opts to retain her maiden name does not need a marriage contract. That same sentence appears at Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait, so it is DFA-wide rather than a Tokyo rule.
If you hold an older passport
Brown, green, machine readable maroon, or any older passport adds:
- Original and photocopy of the PSA Certificate of Live Birth on security paper
- Married females using a spouse’s last name: original and photocopy of the PSA marriage document
This is the same trap the UK and Doha both flag: filed as a renewal, documented as a new application.
How Japan compares
| Post | Fee | Return postage | Appointment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | ¥9,000 | You supply a ¥600 Letterpack | Required |
| London | £55.00 | You supply a prepaid envelope with tracking | No appointment, walk in |
| Toronto | CAD$ 93.00 | Not published | Required |
| Canberra | AUD 108.00 | Not published | Required, monthly slots |
| Kuwait | KD 19.500 | Not published | Required |
Tokyo and London are the two posts that make the applicant supply return postage.
What the Philippine-side documents cost
| Item | Published fee | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 | Valid 60 days |
| PSA marriage certificate | ₱130.00 | Valid 60 days |
| PSA death certificate | ₱130.00 | Valid 60 days |
| PSA correction of name | - | For annotated records |
| NBI clearance | ₱130.00 plus ₱30.00, ₱160.00 total | - |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 | Valid 6 months |
| OWWA membership | USD $25.00 | To contract end or 2 years |
| Travel tax, economy | ₱1,620.00 | OFWs pay ₱0.00 |
| TESDA overseas assessment | None published | Via the Migrant Workers Office |
Planning the document clocks
Everything you order from the Philippines expires, and the windows are short enough to matter when you are ordering from Tokyo.
| Item | Published clock |
|---|---|
| PSA viewable online copy | 60 days |
| National Police Clearance validity | 6 months |
| Police clearance renewal without appearing | Within 3 years of the last appearance |
| NBI clearance delivery, NCR | 5 working days |
| NBI clearance delivery, outside NCR | 7 to 10 working days |
| OEC validity | 60 days, single exit |
| OWWA membership | To contract end, or 2 years |
| Kuwait passport waiting period, for comparison | 28 to 45 days |
Tokyo publishes no processing time of its own. The only Philippine post on this site that does is Kuwait, at 28 to 45 days: useful as a rough sense of scale, though it says nothing about Japan.
What the surrounding Philippine paperwork costs
| Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 |
| PSA marriage certificate | ₱130.00 |
| PSA CENOMAR | ₱185.00 |
| NBI clearance, collected | ₱160.00 all-in |
| NBI clearance, delivered in NCR | ₱200.00 |
| NBI clearance, delivered outside NCR | ₱350.00 |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 |
| Postal ID, regular | ₱550.00 |
| PRC licence renewal, 3 years | ₱450.00 |
| Seafarer’s Record Book | ₱1,000.00 |
| Travel tax, economy | ₱1,620.00 |
| Travel tax, OFW | ₱0.00 |
What this page does not cover
The Embassy does not publish, on the page read for this guide, a processing time, minor application requirements, lost passport procedures, the Osaka Consulate General’s requirements, or office hours. None of those are stated here.
Related
Passport renewal abroad covers the general route. The UK is the other post that needs your own postage. Malaysia and Kuwait share the maiden-name rule.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is passport renewal in Japan?
- JPY ¥9,000 at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, plus a self-addressed ¥600 Letterpack that you buy and bring yourself.
- What is the Letterpack for?
- It is how the passport reaches you. The Embassy lists a self-addressed ¥600 Letterpack among the core requirements, so it is not optional, buy it before your appointment.
- Will they cancel my old passport?
- Usually yes. The Embassy states passports are normally cancelled at the time of application for renewal.
- Can I keep my old passport uncancelled?
- You can request it, but then you must provide a self-addressed HAGAKI, a Japanese postcard from the Post Office. The Embassy uses it to tell you when the new passport has arrived in Tokyo, and it carries instructions.
- Do I need an appointment?
- Yes, a confirmed online appointment, and personal appearance is required. The application form is generated by the appointment system and you print it.
- What if my name changed?
- Bring original PSA-authenticated documents supporting the change: a marriage contract, an annotated birth certificate, an annotated marriage contract showing annulment, divorce or court-ordered instruction, or a death certificate of the spouse. A woman who opts to retain her maiden name does not need a marriage contract.
- I have the old green or maroon passport. What changes?
- You add the original and a photocopy of the PSA Certificate of Live Birth on security paper. Married females using a spouse's last name also present the original and submit a photocopy of the PSA marriage document.
- Is there an Osaka option?
- The Philippines maintains a Consulate General in Osaka as well as the Embassy in Tokyo. This page covers Tokyo's published requirements only.