🇯🇵 Japan Visa Guide for Indian Passport Holders

At a glance

Indian passport holders need a Temporary Visitor visa to travel to Japan for tourism or business — there is no visa-free or visa-on-arrival option. Since 1 April 2024, most tourism-only applicants in India can use Japan's eVisa system for a single-entry visa valid up to 90 days; applicants needing a multiple-entry visa, travelling for business, or in categories the eVisa doesn't cover instead apply for the traditional visa (issued either as an electronic visa notice or a passport sticker), through VFS Global, the official partner of the Embassy of Japan in India.

Choose your visa route

• eVisa (from 1 April 2024): a single-entry Temporary Visitor visa for tourism, valid up to 90 days, issued electronically — you show a "visa issuance notice" on your mobile device at the airport rather than a passport sticker. Available to Indian nationals (and foreign nationals residing in India) applying through VFS Global.
• Multiple-entry Temporary Visitor visa: for travellers with prior visits to Japan (twice or more in the last 3 years), or with demonstrated financial capacity, or travel history to Japan plus G7 countries, or independently sufficient financial capacity — issued as a 5-year visa (90-day stay per entry) covering tourism, business affairs, and visits to relatives/acquaintances (not paid work).
• Business (sticker) visa: for business activities not covered by the tourist eVisa.

Visa requirement for an Indian passport holder

A visa is required for every visit; Japan does not offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to Indian passport holders. Note that in Japanese immigration law, a visa is a prerequisite for boarding your flight and requesting entry — it does not itself guarantee entry, which is separately decided by an immigration officer at the port of entry.

Where and how to apply

• Submit through VFS Global — no prior appointment is needed for standard submissions, per the Embassy of Japan's own guidance.
• eVisa applicants submit through the same VFS Global channel but receive an electronic visa notice rather than a passport sticker.
• Diplomatic/official visas, and cases needing special humanitarian consideration, are handled directly by the Embassy rather than through VFS Global.
• Applications can be submitted from 3 months before your travel date — plan ahead, since processing volume can affect timing.

iamravi.com is not affiliated with the Government of Japan, the Embassy of Japan, or VFS Global. All application, payment, and issuance steps happen through official Japanese government and VFS Global channels — never here. Be aware the Embassy explicitly warns that it will never ask for payment over phone or email to "verify documents" or "expedite" a visa — report any such contact to the police and inform the Embassy.

Eligibility and passport conditions

Your passport should be a machine-readable passport (MRP) or e-passport compliant with ICAO standards. For the multiple-entry visa specifically, eligibility depends on one of: prior temporary-visitor travel to Japan twice or more in the last 3 years, prior travel to Japan in the last 3 years plus demonstrated financial capacity, travel history to Japan and G7 countries plus financial capacity, or independently sufficient financial capacity — each with its own specific document requirements per Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Application steps

1. Decide your route — eVisa (tourism only, single-entry, up to 90 days) or sticker visa (multiple-entry or business).
2. Gather your documents based on your chosen category (see below).
3. Submit through VFS Global — no prior appointment needed for standard applications.
4. Pay the visa fee and VFS service charge.
5. For eVisa: receive your visa issuance notice by email and save it for display on your mobile device at the airport (a PDF, screenshot, printed copy, or photo of the screen will not be accepted — it must be shown as instructed on the Embassy's guidance page).
6. For sticker visa: collect your passport with the visa affixed, per VFS Global's return instructions.

Forms required

An application form with photo is required for all categories; multiple-entry applicants provide additional category-specific documents as listed above.

Document checklist

Typical requirements: your passport (MRP/e-passport, ICAO-compliant), a recent photo, the completed application form, and — depending on your category — prior passports showing Japan travel/visa history, income tax returns or bank certificates demonstrating financial capacity, or (for multiple-entry based on family relation) proof of relationship to an eligible applicant.

Fees

Per the Embassy of Japan's own fee notice (effective from 1 July 2026), Indian nationals benefit from a specific concessional rate as part of ongoing "Visa Relaxation Measures":

• Single or Multiple-entry visa, for Indian nationals: INR 500
• Transit visa: abolished — not applicable
• (For comparison, other nationalities pay INR 8,650 for single-entry and INR 17,350 for multiple/double-entry — this concessional rate is specific to Indian nationals.)

A separate VFS Global service fee is charged on top of the government visa fee. Visa fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome, and this concessional India-specific rate should be re-confirmed at the time of your application since it is described as an ongoing relaxation measure rather than Japan's standard global fee.

Appointment process

No prior appointment is required for standard submissions through VFS Global, per the Embassy of Japan's own guidance — you can submit your application directly.

Processing information

Processing times can vary significantly depending on application volume, per the Embassy's own notice, and cannot be expedited or prioritized regardless of your travel schedule. The Embassy explicitly states it does not answer enquiries about application status, documentation, or reasons for refusal — direct such queries to VFS Global's call centre instead.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the eVisa covers business travel — it's explicitly for tourism only; business travellers need the sticker visa route.
• Saving your eVisa's "visa issuance notice" as a photo or screenshot rather than displaying it exactly as instructed — the Embassy's guidance is specific that PDFs, photos, screenshots, or printed copies are not accepted in place of the proper display method.
• Responding to any phone or email request claiming to be the Embassy asking for payment to "verify" or "expedite" your application — the Embassy explicitly warns this is fraud.
• Applying for a multiple-entry visa without checking which of the four eligibility categories you actually qualify under, since each has a different document list.

Official links

• Embassy of Japan in India — Visa
• The JAPAN eVISA system
• VFS Global — Japan visa applications in India
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Multiple Visa Application Procedures for India