Japan Visa for Indians 2026: eVISA, Fees, Documents, Timeline

Published 2026-10-25 · 8 min read · By the Travlys visa team

Japan still needs a visa for Indian passport holders, but tourist visas are now issued electronically after you apply at VFS. Here is the 2026 fee, document list, timeline and a simple 7-day first trip.

Yes, Indian passport holders still need a visa for Japan, but for a tourist trip it is now electronic. You submit your application at a Japan Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global, and if approved you get a single-entry JAPAN eVISA for tourism instead of a sticker in your passport. The visa fee for Indians is ₹500 plus VFS charges, and processing takes a minimum of 5 working days.

At a glance: Who needs it: All Indian passport holders. eVISA for India: Available since 1 April 2024, single-entry tourism only, applied through VFS Global. Visa fee: ₹500 for Indians, single or multiple entry. VFS service fee: ₹800 per application, courier ₹550 extra. Processing: Minimum 5 working days; VFS shows 10 days for Mumbai and 12 days for Ahmedabad, Pune and Goa. Earliest you can apply: 3 months before travel. Stay allowed: 15, 30 or 90 days, granted on arrival. Appointments: Compulsory at Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa from 19 October 2026.

Is the JAPAN eVISA available to Indians?

Yes, with one catch. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) lists India among the places where the eVISA must be applied for through an accredited agency. In India that agency is VFS Global. The Embassy of Japan says the eVISA started in India on 1 April 2024, and that you still submit at a VFS centre as before. Only the end result changes: the visa is issued electronically.

The fully online, do-it-yourself eVISA website is currently open to residents of a short list of countries such as the USA, UK, Canada and Australia. Indian residents cannot use it directly. Any site offering to file a "Japan eVISA online" for Indians without VFS is not the official route.

• Who qualifies: Indian nationals, and foreign nationals living in India, with an ordinary passport.
• Visa type: Single-entry short-term visa for tourism, for stays of up to 90 days.
• Travel mode: Arrival by air, or on certain scheduled ferries.
• Not covered: Business trips, visiting relatives and multiple-entry visas. These are still issued as passport stickers.

Common mistake: At the airport you must show the visa issuance notice live on your phone, with internet access. MOFA says a PDF, screenshot or printout is not accepted. Make sure your phone has roaming data or Wi-Fi at check-in in India and on arrival in Japan.

Where and how to apply

Japan's Embassy in New Delhi and its consulates each cover a region of India. Gujarat falls under the Consulate-General in Mumbai, which serves applicants through VFS centres in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Goa. Since 20 April 2026 the Mumbai consulate no longer accepts applications directly; everything goes through VFS.

• Book a slot if your centre needs one. From 19 October 2026, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa accept applications by prior appointment only. Rules differ at other centres, so check the VFS Japan site for yours.
• Fill in and sign the visa application form and arrange your documents in checklist order on A4 paper.
• Submit in person at VFS. A relative or travel agent can submit for you with an authorisation letter.
• Pay the fees at the centre. Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa accept card, cash and UPI.
• Track your application on the VFS website with the reference number on your receipt.

Japan visa fees for Indians in 2026

Japan raised visa fees for most nationalities from 1 July 2026. At Japanese posts in India, other nationals now pay ₹8,650 for a single-entry visa and ₹17,350 for multiple entry. Indian nationals still pay ₹500 for either. Japan has also abolished the separate transit visa.

VFS adds a service charge of ₹800 per application. The Mumbai page says GST is charged on top, while the Kolkata page says it is included, so confirm at your centre. Courier return of your passport costs ₹550. In practice, budget roughly ₹1,450 to ₹2,000 per person. VFS says the visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved; service charges are not refunded.

Documents checklist for a self-funded tourist trip

MOFA's standard list for tourism is short. VFS centres in India add their own requirements, and these differ by region. This is what applicants in the Mumbai and Ahmedabad jurisdiction should prepare:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry, plus copies of the bio pages.
• Signed visa application form and one recent photo with a white background, in the size your centre's checklist specifies.
• Flight reservation showing your arrival and departure dates. MOFA says tickets and hotels do not need to be paid for at the time of application.
• Day-by-day itinerary in Japan with hotel names, addresses and phone numbers.
• Personal bank statements for the last 3 months.
• Personal income tax returns (ITR). Kolkata asks for 3 years; Mumbai's page does not state a number, so carry at least the last 2 to 3 years.
• Government address proof (such as Aadhaar) if your passport was issued outside the consulate's region.

MOFA says documents should be issued within the last three months. Common reasons for delays are unexplained large deposits just before applying, an itinerary that does not match the flight dates, and missing ITRs for self-employed applicants.

Processing time and when to apply

The Mumbai consulate says processing takes a minimum of 5 working days and cannot be expedited. VFS lists indicative times of 10 days for Mumbai and 12 days for Ahmedabad, Pune and Goa. If the consulate asks for extra documents, the clock effectively restarts.

You can apply no earlier than 3 months before your travel date. A sensible window is 4 to 8 weeks before departure, which leaves room for a slow application without pushing up flight prices.

Single-entry or multiple-entry: which one?

A single-entry visa must be used within 3 months of issue and lapses once you enter Japan. The immigration officer on arrival grants a stay of 15, 30 or 90 days, usually matched to your itinerary.

Indians can also apply for a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 5 years, with stays of up to 90 days each, for tourism, business or visiting friends. You qualify if you fall into one of these groups:

• Two or more visits to Japan in the last three years.
• One visit to Japan in the last three years, plus financial capacity shown through ITR or a deposit certificate.
• A visit to Japan and visits to other G7 countries in the last three years.
• Sufficient financial capacity on its own, shown mainly through ITR. Spouses and children can apply alongside.

The consulate may still issue a single-entry visa after review. A multiple-entry visa is a passport sticker, not an eVISA. If this is your first trip and your income is modest, a single-entry visa is the simpler choice.

JESTA: does it affect Indians?

JESTA is Japan's planned online travel authorisation for visitors who do not need a visa, similar to the US ESTA. Japan's Cabinet approved the bill in March 2026, and reports say the launch is targeted for fiscal 2028. Because Indians need a visa, JESTA will not replace or change your visa process. No JESTA applications are being taken today.

Cherry blossom 2027: when to apply

Cherry blossoms usually open in late March in Tokyo and in late March or early April in Kyoto and Osaka. Official bloom forecasts appear in early 2027, and the peak lasts only about a week in each city.

Since you can apply only within 3 months of travel, a trip starting around 1 April 2027 opens its visa window in early January 2027. Book refundable flights and hotels early, then submit in January or the first half of February. Other good seasons are autumn leaves (roughly mid-November to early December in Kyoto) and late spring. Avoid Golden Week in late April and early May, when domestic travel peaks.

A practical 7-day first trip: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka

• Day 1 (Tokyo): Arrive, buy a rechargeable IC card for trains, and walk around Shinjuku or Shibuya.
• Day 2 (Tokyo): Asakusa and Senso-ji in the morning, Ueno or Akihabara after lunch, Tokyo Skytree or Shibuya Sky at sunset.
• Day 3 (Tokyo): Meiji Shrine and Harajuku, then Ginza or teamLab. Add a day trip to Hakone or Kamakura if you prefer nature.
• Day 4 (to Kyoto): Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning, Gion and Higashiyama in the evening.
• Day 5 (Kyoto): Fushimi Inari early, before the crowds, then Kiyomizu-dera. Go to Arashiyama on another morning if you can.
• Day 6 (Nara and Osaka): Half day at Nara Park and Todai-ji, then move to Osaka for Dotonbori in the evening.
• Day 7 (Osaka): Osaka Castle and Kuromon Market, then fly home from Kansai Airport.

If your airline allows it, book an open-jaw ticket, flying into Tokyo and out of Osaka, so you do not backtrack. Vegetarians should save restaurants in advance; options are good in big cities but thin in smaller towns.

JR Pass note: The 7-day ordinary Japan Rail Pass now costs ¥50,000 bought online or ¥53,000 through an overseas agency, after the price revision of 1 October 2026; the online price was kept unchanged for a limited time, so check before you buy. For a straight Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka route, separate one-way shinkansen tickets usually work out cheaper. Compare before you buy.

Two more tips. Fill in Visit Japan Web before you fly to speed up immigration and customs. And do not carry meat products, vegetables or fruit into Japan; the Embassy warns about this specifically.

How Travlys helps

Travlys does not file Japan visas, so apply through VFS directly using the checklist above. We can help you plan the rest of the trip around your visa timeline. If you are adding a stopover, we file Singapore visas from ₹2,950 and Thailand visas from ₹1,950 (service fee, government fees extra), along with USA, UK, Schengen, Canada and Australia visas. We have filed 5,000+ visas with a 98% approval rate. WhatsApp us on +91 82009 18967.

Last checked: Rules, fees and timelines in this guide were checked on 25 October 2026 against the sources listed below. Visa rules change without much notice, so check the official site before you apply.