Japan tourist visa
Japan runs no visa-on-arrival for Indian travellers — the visa must be in hand before you fly. For a holiday, sightseeing or a visit to friends and relatives, the document you need is the Temporary Visitor (short-term stay) visa, which allows a stay of up to 90 days. Every application from India goes through VFS Global, the official visa application partner of the Embassy of Japan; you cannot lodge it directly at the Embassy or a Consulate.
Since 1 April 2024 there are two ways in. Indian residents can now apply for the tourism visa as a JAPAN eVISA — a single-entry electronic visa with no sticker in the passport — through VFS Global, then simply show the visa issuance notice on a smartphone at the airport. The older paper (sticker) visa still stands for single-entry tourism and for multiple-entry short-term stay, which for eligible Indian nationals can carry a validity of up to 5 years.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Indian ordinary passport holders travelling to Japan for tourism, sightseeing, holiday or visiting friends and relatives
- ✓Applicants who can show funds for the trip through their latest Income Tax Return or, if unavailable, a 6-month bank statement
- ✓Students and dependents, supported by a consent letter and the financial documents of a parent or spouse
- ✓Frequent visitors with a qualifying Japan travel record, who may qualify for a multiple-entry short-term stay visa (validity of up to 5 years)
Visa options for Japan
Temporary Visitor visa (Short-Term Stay) – single entry
Paper (sticker) visa for tourism, sightseeing or visiting friends and relatives; permitted stay up to 90 days.
JAPAN eVISA (tourism)
Single-entry electronic short-term stay visa for tourism, up to 90 days, applied for through VFS Global with no passport sticker. Multiple-entry cannot be applied for online.
Multiple-entry Temporary Visitor visa (Short-Term Stay)
For eligible Indian nationals with a qualifying Japan travel record; validity of up to 5 years, each stay up to 90 days. Issued as a paper visa only.
Documents typically required
- ✓Valid passport with at least two blank pages (submit old passports too, if any)
- ✓Photocopy of the passport bio-data page (first and last pages)
- ✓Completed and signed visa application form
- ✓One recent passport-size photograph (45mm x 35mm), white background, taken within the last 6 months
- ✓Flight tickets showing travel to and from Japan
- ✓Day-by-day itinerary in Japan, including hotel bookings and contact details while in the country
- ✓Latest Income Tax Return; if unavailable, bank statement for the last 6 months
- ✓For students and dependents: consent letter from a parent or spouse plus their latest ITR (or 6-month bank statement)
- ✓Proof of relationship for any accompanying dependent (passport copy, marriage certificate or birth certificate)
- ✓Covering letter where a special explanation is needed
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
Every Japan visa application from India is handled at a VFS Global centre — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and others. The Embassy may call you in for an interview or ask for additional documents, and nothing you submit is returned except the passport. Per the official VFS one-pager (effective 1 April 2025), the consular fee is INR 500 for a single- or multiple-entry visa plus a VFS service charge of INR 800; the visa fee is refunded only if the application is not approved.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No one honestly can — that decision sits entirely with the Embassy or Consulate of Japan. What we do is read your profile straight, tell you where you stand, and build the strongest possible application. Over the last 2-3 years our clients have seen a 97% success rate.
Do Indian passport holders get visa-on-arrival for Japan?
No — Japan grants no visa-on-arrival to Indian nationals. You need a short-term stay visa in hand before you travel, either the JAPAN eVISA or a paper visa.
Should I apply for the eVisa or the paper visa?
It comes down to how you travel. For a single-entry tourism trip, the JAPAN eVISA is the simpler route — applied for online through VFS Global with no sticker in your passport; you just show the visa issuance notice on your phone at the airport. If you want multiple entries (validity up to 5 years for eligible Indians), that is only issued as a paper visa, so you must apply for one.
How long does the Japan tourist visa take?
The Embassy works to a minimum of 5 working days from submission at VFS. Build in more time during peak travel seasons — the cherry blossom period (March–April) and Golden Week — when the queue lengthens.