Asia
Indian passport holders need a visa before travelling to Japan; there is no visa-free entry or visa on arrival. Applications are lodged through VFS Global and decided by the Embassy or the Consulate General of Japan for your region. The file is judged on a clear day-by-day plan, proof of funds and evidence that you will return to India.
Where to apply: At the VFS Global Japan visa application centre that serves your state. VFS only collects the file; the Embassy of Japan or the relevant Consulate General decides it. Applications are accepted no earlier than 89 days before travel.
Original passport with blank visa pages, valid for the whole trip, plus an A4 copy of the data page. Check the checklist PDF for the exact validity rule.
Completed and signed, with a recent photo in the size the embassy specifies.
VFS asks for documents in the order of the checklist, with a copy of the checklist attached and all photocopies on A4.
Day-by-day plan covering the full trip, including arrival and departure and where you stay each night.
A return reservation that matches the dates in the schedule of stay. Confirm the exact wording in the checklist PDF.
Hotel bookings for each night, or the host's details if you are invited.
Recent bank statements and income tax returns as set out in the checklist.
Employment certificate and leave approval, business proof, or a student ID / bonafide letter.
Short letter explaining the purpose, dates and who pays for the trip.
Letter of guarantee and invitation letter in the embassy's sample format when a host in Japan supports the trip.
Paid at the centre; the VFS Chennai page lists cash and card (POS).
Travel medical insurance: Not listed as a requirement in the sources checked; travel medical cover is still sensible.
The individual tourist checklist is published by VFS as a PDF (with or without guarantor) and is built around an itinerary / schedule of stay in Japan, which has to show your arrival and departure. The VFS page text itself only spells out a ticket for group tours, so read the PDF checklist for the exact flight wording; a held return reservation is the usual way to support the schedule.
Get it for ₹708The schedule of stay should show where you will sleep each night. The VFS page text names hotels only for group tour itineraries; the individual checklist PDF carries the exact wording, and a guarantor or invitation letter replaces hotel details when you stay with a host.
Get it for ₹590Questions
The application is built around a schedule of stay that shows when you enter and leave Japan, and applicants normally support it with a return flight reservation. The exact wording sits in the VFS checklist PDF for your category, so read that before you apply. A held reservation is enough to show the dates; you do not need to rely on memory or a rough plan.
Your schedule of stay should name where you stay each night, so hotel bookings covering the whole trip are the practical way to prove it. If you are staying with a friend or relative, their invitation and guarantee letters take the place of hotel bookings.
Japan accepts applications only within 89 days of travel, and the Chennai consulate quotes a minimum of 3 working days to process. Hold a reservation for the application and buy the final ticket once the visa is issued.
The VFS Chennai page lists INR 500 for Indian nationals from 1 April 2026, for single or multiple entry, plus a VFS service charge of INR 800. The visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved; the service charge is not refunded.
VFS Global Japan (Chennai) page, fees effective 1 April 2026; the tourist checklist PDFs themselves could not be opened, so flight and hotel wording must be confirmed there.. Last checked 2026-11. We are not a government body and this page is general information, not visa advice. Consulates change their lists without notice, so always confirm on the official page before you apply.
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