Japan Visa for Indians 2026: Fee, VFS Centres and Documents

Indians need a visa for a holiday in Japan: the Temporary Visitor visa fee is INR 500, single or multiple entry, plus a VFS service charge of INR 800 per application, and you apply through a Japan Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global, including the one in Ahmedabad, where processing is listed as 12 days (VFS Global's Japan visa pages, checked October 2026). Our Japan trips start from ₹1,39,999 per person for 5 days with return flights from Ahmedabad (prices checked 16 Oct 2026).

Our private Japan trips include return flights from Ahmedabad, hand-picked stays with daily breakfast, transfers and the listed experiences, a JR rail pass where the itinerary needs one, a trip captain, and the visa handled by us. GST and TCS are shown in your written quote.

Prices checked 16 Oct 2026 from our live trip pages. Visa fees, centres, processing times and documents checked on VFS Global's Japan visa pages for New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai in October 2026; the eVISA report is from Business Today (19 Jan 2026), opened in October 2026.

Do Indians need a visa for Japan?

Yes. For sightseeing or visiting as a tourist, Indian passport holders apply for a Temporary Visitor visa before they fly. VFS Global's page for the Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai describes it as a visa for a holiday or recreation, for a stay of up to 90 days. The length of stay you are actually given, and the dates the visa can be used, are printed on the visa; the VFS pages we read do not state its validity, so read it when your passport comes back.

Your passport should be valid for 6 months from the date you enter Japan, according to the same page. Keep your old passports ready too, because the document checklist asks for them.

How much does a Japan tourist visa cost in India?

The fee is the same at every centre we checked. These are the charges on the VFS Global pages in October 2026.

The pages disagree on one detail: VFS Delhi says the INR 500 fee took effect on 1 Apr 2025, and VFS Chennai says 1 Apr 2026. The amount is the same, but check before booking in case it changes again.

At the centres under the Mumbai consulate, including Ahmedabad, the page says charges can be paid in cash, by credit or debit card, or by UPI.

Where do you apply, and is there a centre in Ahmedabad?

Yes. Ahmedabad is one of the Japan Visa Application Centres on VFS Global's page for the Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai, alongside Mumbai, Pune and Goa. The file is submitted on paper at the centre, with your original passport.

If your passport was issued outside the Mumbai consulate's area, the page says to add government proof of your current address, such as a rent agreement, an electricity bill or Aadhaar. The Mumbai page does not give the Ahmedabad centre's address or hours, so check them on VFS Global before you go.

How long does processing take at each centre?

VFS calls all of these indicative times, which can stretch in busy periods.

From Ahmedabad, plan on about two weeks from submission to collection, and longer if you choose courier return. The checklist asks for confirmed flight bookings, so ask for fares you can change until the visa is in your passport.

Which documents and photo size do you need?

The VFS checklist for a Temporary Visitor visa for sightseeing without a guarantor (version CL-01, November 2025) lists these:

1. Passport, plus any old passports
2. A copy of the first and last pages of your current passport
3. The visa application form, filled in and signed, with a photograph
4. A cover letter stating the purpose of your visit
5. A detailed itinerary
6. Confirmed hotel and flight bookings
7. Your latest income tax return and personal bank statements for the last three months
8. Leave sanctioned by your employer, or a no-objection certificate
9. For a student or dependant: consent from the parents or spouse, with their bank statement
10. For a company owner: proof of ownership
11. For a student: a copy of the student ID card
12. Proof of relationship, if dependants travel with you

The checklist also asks for your travel in the last two years to Australia, Canada, Europe, the USA and Japan. Everything goes on A4 paper, as photocopies, without staples.

Photo size

The photo rules differ by centre. The Mumbai page, which covers Ahmedabad, asks for a 2 x 2 inch colour photo on a plain white background, no more than 6 months old, with the face filling 70 to 80% of the frame. The New Delhi page asks for 45 mm x 35 mm, and the Chennai page accepts 2 x 2 inches or 45 x 45 mm. Use the size your centre lists.

For elderly parents and children

If a retired parent or a child travels as your dependant, the checklist's consent and relationship documents apply. Ask the centre what it accepts for a pensioner without an income tax return before you submit.

Can you apply for a Japan eVISA from India?

Not on your own, as far as we could check. Business Today reported on 19 Jan 2026 that Japan introduced an eVISA for short-term tourism in April 2024, for a single entry and a stay of up to 90 days, and that applicants based in India still apply through VFS Global, though eligible applicants may receive a digital eVISA instead of a sticker in the passport. We could not open the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's eVISA page or the Embassy of Japan's visa page in October 2026, and none of the three VFS pages we read mentions an eVISA. So plan on applying through VFS with the documents above, and ask the centre before booking whether your visa will be a sticker or an eVISA.

When should you apply for a cherry blossom or autumn trip?

VFS Chennai's page says you can apply no earlier than 89 days before your travel date. The Mumbai page, which covers Ahmedabad, gives no such limit, so ask at the centre. Then add the 12-day processing time.

For a cherry blossom trip, fix your dates early and apply as soon as your centre allows. Our Japan Cherry Blossom Special is planned for late March to April.

Our Japan trips and what they include

For a couple, the 5-day Japan Express comes to ₹2,79,998 and the 8-day Golden Route to ₹3,79,998, before GST and TCS. The group tour includes Indian Jain, vegetarian or non-vegetarian lunches and dinners on most days; its remaining 2026 departures listed are 21 Oct and 11 Nov 2026, subject to written confirmation.

The Mount Fuji day includes the 398 steps up to the Chureito Pagoda viewpoint, with no lift, so tell us if a parent would rather skip the climb. Our Japan destination guide has more on Tokyo and Kyoto, and if you want a different route, see how customised travel plans work.

How we help

We plan Japan trips from Ahmedabad with flights, hotels, rail passes and day trips in one written quote, and we handle the visa file with you on our private trips. Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what everyone eats: start with a message.

Sources, checked October 2026: VFS Global, Japan visa, New Delhi; VFS Global, Japan visa, Mumbai; VFS Global, Japan visa, Chennai; VFS Global, document checklist CL-01; Business Today: Japan eVisa for Indians, 19 Jan 2026.

FAQs

Do Indians need a visa for Japan in 2026? Yes. For tourism you apply for a Temporary Visitor visa at a Japan Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global, with a passport valid for 6 months from your date of entry (VFS Global, checked October 2026).

How much is the Japan visa fee for Indians? INR 500 for single or multiple entry, plus a VFS service charge of INR 800 per application. Courier return is optional at INR 550. The visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved.

Is there a Japan visa centre in Ahmedabad? Yes. Ahmedabad is listed on VFS Global's page for the Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai, with an indicative processing time of 12 days. Check the address and hours on VFS Global before you go.

What photo size is needed for a Japan visa from India? The Mumbai page, which covers Ahmedabad, asks for 2 x 2 inches, in colour, on a plain white background, no more than 6 months old. New Delhi asks for 45 mm x 35 mm, so use the size your centre lists.

Can Indians get a Japan eVISA? Business Today reported in January 2026 that a single-entry tourist eVISA has existed since April 2024, but that applicants based in India still apply through VFS Global. We could not open the official Japanese eVISA page in October 2026, so plan on VFS and check before booking.

How early should I apply for a Japan visa? VFS Chennai allows applications no earlier than 89 days before travel; the Mumbai page gives no limit, so ask your centre. From Ahmedabad, allow 12 days of processing plus a buffer.