Japan visa for Indians: the flat ₹500 fee, VFS filing, 5 to 12 working days, the eVISA and the six-month refusal rule (2026)

Key facts

• Government fee: ₹500 per person, single or multiple entry; eVISA the same
• Processing: Minimum 4 to 5 working days at the mission; 6 to 12 working days via VFS by city
• Stay: Up to 90 days per visit (15, 30 or 90 granted at landing)
• Where to apply: VFS Global for your jurisdiction; walk-in counters closed from 2 March 2026
• Validity: Single entry 3 months; multiple entry 1 to 5 years
• Multiple entry: Sufficient funds, 2+ Japan visits in 3 years, or a valid US, UK, Canada, Australia, Schengen or NZ visa
• Refusal rule: Six-month bar on reapplying for the same purpose
• Verified: 29 October 2026 against in.emb-japan.go.jp and VFS Japan India

Overview

A Japan visa for an Indian passport holder costs a flat ₹500 for single or multiple entry, a concessional rate India kept when Japan raised fees worldwide on 1 July 2026. Applications go through VFS Global for the Embassy in New Delhi or the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, since the walk-in counters closed on 2 March 2026; the missions need at least four to five working days and VFS quotes six to twelve working days end to end depending on the city. A tourism eVISA at the same fee is open to residents of India, the stay is up to 90 days, and a refusal carries a six-month bar on reapplying for the same purpose.

The short version with the price card and checklist is on the Japan temporary visitor visa route page. This article is the long version, with the reasoning behind the schedule of stay, the funds evidence and the multiple-entry rules.

Who needs a Japan visa in 2026?

Every Indian ordinary passport holder, for tourism, visiting friends or relatives, business meetings and conferences, for stays of up to 90 days; diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt under the bilateral arrangement. Transit passengers who stay airside at Narita, Haneda or Kansai do not need a visa; those leaving the airport do. The visa is permission to seek landing, and the officer grants 15, 30 or 90 days at the port of entry.

Multiple-entry visas valid one to five years are issued to Indians with sufficient financial capacity, two or more visits to Japan in the last three years, or a valid visa for the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the Schengen area or New Zealand together with travel history; frequent business travellers qualify on their employer's letter. Since the fee is the same ₹500, a multiple-entry grant is a free upgrade earned by the file. The eVISA for tourism covers a single entry of up to 90 days and is not available for business or family visits, which stay on paper.

Where is the application lodged, and what does VFS check?

Since 2 March 2026 the four consulates accept no walk-in applications; every file goes through VFS Global or an accredited travel agency. Jurisdiction follows your state of residence: New Delhi covers the north, Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Madhya Pradesh with VFS centres in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa, Chennai covers Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Bengaluru covers Karnataka and Telangana, and Kolkata covers the east and north-east. VFS checks the form, the photo and the completeness of the file but does not assess it; the mission does, and may request more documents or an interview.

The core of a Japanese tourist file is the schedule of stay in the MOFA format: a day-by-day plan with the city, the activity and the accommodation for each night, with a contact telephone number. Missions compare it with the flight and hotel reservations and with the funds shown, and a thin or inconsistent schedule is the most common reason for a request for more documents. Reservations need not be paid.

How much does a Japan visa cost?

The fee is paid in cash or by card when the file is lodged at VFS. Vistolane charges the ₹500 government fee as listed and shows the VFS fee and its own service separately on the Japan destination page.

What documents go in the file?

Identity and forms. A passport valid for the stay with two blank pages, plus old passports with previous visas; the MOFA visa application form, typed and signed, with an e-mail address and telephone number; and a 45 x 45 mm photo on a white background taken within six months, pasted on the form.

Trip. The schedule of stay in the MOFA format, flight and hotel reservations, and, for visits to relatives or friends, the host's invitation letter, guarantee letter and residence card copy; business visits add the Japanese company's invitation and the Indian employer's letter stating the purpose and who pays.

Funds and ties. Six months of bank statements, original or bank-stamped, showing regular income; the latest income tax return acknowledgement; and an employer's leave letter with designation and salary, or business registration and GST for the self-employed. Students add a bona fide certificate and a parent's documents. The travel document checklist helps you tick the items off before booking VFS.

How does the application run?

• Prepare the MOFA form, photo, schedule of stay, reservations, six months of statements, ITR and employer or business letter; Vistolane reviews the schedule against the bookings.
• Book an appointment at the VFS Japan centre for your jurisdiction and lodge the file; pay ₹500 and the VFS service fee.
• The embassy or consulate reviews the file for a minimum of four to five working days and may request additional documents or an interview.
• VFS returns the passport with the visa sticker by courier or collection; eVISA applicants receive the visa issuance notice by e-mail and show it at check-in.
• Travel within the validity and complete Visit Japan Web for immigration and customs before arrival; the landing permission sets the stay.

How long does it take from India?

Apply three to four weeks before departure, and five to six weeks for cherry-blossom dates in late March and autumn foliage in November, when VFS slots and mission queues are longest. Applications are accepted up to 89 days before travel.

What happens at the border and during the stay?

Immigration grants landing permission for 15, 30 or 90 days and records it electronically; extensions of a temporary visitor stay are granted only in exceptional circumstances such as illness. Visitors cannot work or be paid in Japan, including remote work for an Indian employer in most readings of the rules, while business meetings, market research and conference attendance are allowed. Compliant visits build the record that earns multiple-entry visas later.

Long stays for study, work or family need a Certificate of Eligibility issued in Japan before the visa, as the Japan student visa guide and the Japan work visa guide explain; a visitor cannot change status inside Japan except in narrow cases.

Why are Japan visas refused, and what fixes each reason?

Financial capacity not shown. Low or irregular balances, recent lump sums or a missing ITR. Show six months of statements with regular income and the ITR; a sponsor in India adds their documents and relationship proof.

Purpose or schedule unclear. A thin or inconsistent schedule of stay, or bookings that did not match it. Submit a realistic day-by-day schedule matching the reservations and keep the trip within what the funds support.

Host documents incomplete. The invitation or guarantee letter was missing, or the host's residence card was not provided. Hosts in Japan complete the MOFA invitation and guarantee letters and attach residence card copies.

Travel history and ties. A first-time long-haul traveller with no employment proof or family ties. Add the employer's leave letter, business proof and family documents, and consider a shorter first trip.

Previous refusal within six months. Reapplying for the same purpose within the bar. Wait out the six months or apply for a different purpose with new evidence.

How Vistolane files it

Vistolane prepares the MOFA form and schedule of stay, books the VFS appointment for your jurisdiction and charges the ₹500 fee as listed; eVISA applications are filed online for tourism. Start with the free eligibility check or the Japan temporary visitor visa route page. Travellers comparing Asian destinations can read the Singapore visa guide and the UAE tourist visa guide.

Questions, answered