How do Indians get a Japan visa, and what does it cost?

Japan is on many Indian wish lists, and it still needs a visa in advance. The good news is that the Embassy of Japan’s own fee for Indian nationals is small, the application goes through VFS Global, and the process is paper-based and predictable. This guide reports what the embassy, consulate and VFS pages say, and says clearly where we could not confirm something.

Exchange basis: JPY 100 = about INR 60.6 (open.er-api.com, 24 October 2026: USD 1 = INR 95.04 = JPY 156.8). Rupee amounts are rounded; your bank or forex card will add its own margin.

Japan visa for Indians at a glance

Question	Answer	Source
Do Indians need a visa?	Yes, apply in advance	Embassy of Japan in India
Visa fee (Indian nationals)	INR 500, single or multiple entry, from 1 July 2026	Embassy of Japan in India; Consulate-General in Mumbai
VFS service charge	Listed at INR 800 per application on the VFS Delhi page	VFS Global
Optional courier return	INR 550 on the VFS Delhi page	VFS Global
Where to apply	Through VFS Global, no prior appointment needed	Embassy of Japan in India
Processing time	Minimum 5 working days, can vary, cannot be expedited	Embassy; Consulate-General in Mumbai; VFS Global
When to apply	Up to 3 months before the travel date	Embassy of Japan in India
Tourist stay	Up to 90 days	VFS Global
Transit visa	Abolished (from 1 July 2026)	Embassy of Japan in India

How the Japan visa application works

The Embassy of Japan in India says applications are submitted through VFS, with no prior appointment needed, and the Consulate-General in Mumbai notes that from 20 April 2026 it entrusts the facilitation of Japan visa applications to VFS Global and no longer accepts them directly. The embassy only takes applications directly for diplomatic and official visas and for cases that need special attention on humanitarian grounds.

What the official pages say you should know:

1. Plan ahead. Applications can be accepted from 3 months before the travel date, and the embassy asks all applicants to plan the trip well in advance.
2. One photo, one form. VFS lists a completed and signed application form and one recent colour passport photograph (45 mm by 35 mm) on a plain white background, taken within the last six months, with the face clearly visible. The full document list for your visa type is on the VFS page.
3. Pay in the right way. VFS says fees and charges are paid in cash and card only in INR at New Delhi; applicants at drop-off offices pay by demand draft in favour of VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. Follow your centre’s instructions.
4. Wait. Embassy processing is a minimum of five working days from receipt, and it can be longer when volumes are high.

The embassy and the consulate say the visa cannot be expedited or prioritised and that they do not take enquiries about application status, documents or reasons for refusal.

Fees

• Visa fee: the embassy lists INR 500 for a single or multiple visa for Indian nationals from 1 July 2026. The Consulate-General’s table shows the same INR 500 for the periods before and after that date. Other nationalities pay far more, so check you are reading the Indian column.
• VFS service charge: the embassy says a VFS service fee is also charged. The VFS Delhi page lists INR 800 per application, including taxes, and says it is non-refundable. That table is headed “Effective 01 April 2025”, so confirm the current figure at your VFS centre.
• Courier return (optional): INR 550 per application on the VFS Delhi page.
• Refund: VFS says the visa fee is refunded only if the embassy does not approve the visa.

So the expected cost is roughly INR 1,300 per person (INR 500 plus INR 800), plus INR 550 if you choose courier return.

Beware of fraud

The embassy page opens with a fraud warning: all you have to pay for the visa is the visa fee and the service charge listed on the page, and the embassy will never ask for a payment over a phone call or an email to verify documents or expedite the visa. If someone contacts you asking for money, do not respond, report it to the police and inform the embassy at the address on its page. It also asks visitors to watch for fraudulent websites, social media and emails that try to extract payments.

Japan eVISA for Indians

The Embassy of Japan in India says the JAPAN eVISA system started in India on 1 April 2024 and links to the details. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs page that explains who can use it returned an access error when we tried, so we cannot confirm the eligibility rules, the fee or the conditions here. Treat the VFS route above as the one we have verified, and check the embassy page and Japan’s MOFA eVISA page before relying on eVISA.

Do you need a Japanese visa if you hold a US visa? (Japan visa with US visa)

None of the embassy, consulate or VFS pages we read mention an exemption for people who hold a US visa or any other third-country visa. They publish a fee schedule for Indian nationals and route applications through VFS, which means an Indian passport holder needs a Japanese visa. If an agent or website tells you your US visa replaces it, ask them for the official source.

Visit Japan Web

The Embassy of Japan in India lists Visit Japan Web among its useful links for visitors. It is a service of Japan’s Digital Agency, at services.digital.go.jp. We could not read the detailed instructions on it, so use the official page to see what you can register before you travel.

A 5-day Tokyo and Kyoto plan (assembled from public information)

A first-trip plan built from well-known sights, not a diary. It assumes you have your visa and a flight into Tokyo.

• Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo. Check in around Shinjuku or Shibuya. Evening walk and dinner near the station area, and an early night.
• Day 2: Old and new Tokyo. Morning at Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, then Ueno or Akihabara. Evening in Shibuya.
• Day 3: Shinkansen to Kyoto. Take the bullet train in the morning (a little over two hours on the fastest services). Afternoon in Gion and the old streets of Higashiyama.
• Day 4: Kyoto highlights. Fushimi Inari early in the morning for its row of red gates, then Kiyomizu-dera, and Arashiyama in the afternoon.
• Day 5: Head home. Spend the morning in Kyoto or Osaka, then transfer to the airport for your flight. Leave a generous buffer for the transfer.

Cost of a 5-day trip from India (INR, estimates)

Item	Cost (per person)	Where the number comes from
Visa fee and VFS service charge	about INR 1,300	Embassy of Japan and VFS Global (courier return extra, INR 550)
Hotel, 4 nights, private room shared by 2	INR 20,000 to 56,000	Our planning range
Food, 5 days	INR 7,000 to 15,000	Our planning range
Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen and local trains	INR 12,000 to 20,000	Our planning range
Attractions	INR 3,000 to 9,000	Our planning range
SIM or eSIM, small extras	INR 1,500 to 3,000	Our planning range
Total without flights	about INR 45,000 to 105,000

These are budgeting ranges, not quotes. For your own dates and group size, use our trip cost calculator. To compare Japan with places that need no advance visa for Indians, see our visa-free countries for Indians tool.

Food and what not to carry

Japan is demanding for strict vegetarians because fish stock (dashi) turns up in many soups, sauces and vegetable dishes. Kyoto’s temple vegetarian cuisine, many Indian restaurants in the big cities and convenience-store options help. Ask “niku to sakana nashi” (no meat and no fish) and check what is in the broth. The Embassy of Japan’s page also says do not bring any meat products, vegetables or fruits into Japan, so think twice before packing homemade snacks. Jain travellers should carry a printed note listing no onion, garlic or root vegetables.

Quick checklist

• Visa applied for through VFS well ahead, up to 3 months before travel
• Passport and the visa safely together, with copies
• Ignore anyone who asks for extra payments by phone or email; the embassy says it never does that
• Travel insurance (the embassy recommends preparing overseas travel insurance)
• Visit Japan Web checked on the official page

Planning more Asia trips? See our Singapore visa guide, our Malaysia visa guide and our Sri Lanka visa guide.