Japan Visa Documents

Yes, a Japan visa is mandatory for every Indian individual who wishes to visit the country. You need to apply for a Japan visa type as per your purpose of visit and it needs to be done before you plan your trip.

Remember, Japan does not offer visa-on-arrival services to Indian citizens. Thus, to avoid any inconvenience, you must get your visa approval in advance.

Japan issues various visas to Indian passport holders and each visa has its own requirements. For example, Japan's tourist visa requirements are different from work visa requirements.

However, some general requirements need to be fulfilled by every visa applicant. These document requirements include:

• Original Indian passport with a validity of 6 months

• Duly filled and signed application form

• Recent passport-size photographs

• Proof of identification and residence (Aadhar card, PAN card, voter ID card, municipality bill, utility bills)

• Details of flight tickets, accommodation and duration of stay

• Financial documents, i.e., bank statements, salary slips, credit card statements

Useful Links:

Application Documents Download

List of Japan Documents for Visa Type

If you are travelling with a minor who is under 18 years old, then you need to provide some additional documents; these include:

• Birth certificate issued by a government authority

• Proof of identity and age documents

• Copies of parents/guardians passports

• No objection certificate/document (NOC) signed by a legal guardian or parents if the minor is travelling alone

Applicants applying for a Japan work visa have to present some additional documents during the visa application process. These documents include:

• Offer letter or employment letter from a Japanese company you will be working for.

• Salary certificate for the past few months

• Employee identification card

[Note- The document list mentioned above is not exhaustive. For detailed information on the documents required for every Japan visa type, visit the official website of VFS Global or Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) portal]

The visa process for Japan includes visiting the visa application centre or the nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate, where the applicants need to bring their Japan tourist visa application form or other selected visa-type application form along with additional documents. These documents include:

• Original Indian passport with a validity of at least six months

• Duly filled and signed visa application form

• Flight ticket details and accommodation details for your stay in Japan

• Proof of identification (Aadhar card, PAN card, and voter ID card)

• Proof of residence (Aadhar card, PAN card, electricity bill, telephone bill, voter ID card)

• Financial documents (bank statements, salary slips, credit card statements)

• Offer letter, college acceptance letter, invitation letter

• Visa application fee receipt

The documents required for the Japan visa application have been mentioned in the previous sections. Now, let us know how to apply for a Japanese visa from India. As the Japanese government has outsourced the visa application process, you need to follow these Steps for application:

Step 1: Go to the official website of VFS Global.

Step 2: On the home page, click on the “Apply for a visa” tab.

Step 3: Select the visa type as per your purpose for a Japan visit.

Step 4: Download and print the visa application form for your selected visa type. After reading the instructions, fill out the form carefully.

Step 5: Now, visit your selected Visa Application Center (VAC) with your filled application form and necessary documents for submission.

Step 6: After filling out the application you need to book an appointment for submission of your application form at your selected VAC.

Step 7: Visit the VAC on the scheduled appointment date and submit your application along with your supporting documents and pay the visa fees.

Step 8: Now, wait for your application to be processed. Once your application is processed, you can collect your visa documents from VAC or have it delivered to your address.

One of the most important documents in the Japan visa documents checklist is the applicant’s photograph. It is used to verify the identity of the applicant, and that is why there is a particular specification for visa photographs. These specifications are as follows:

photograph size should be 45X45mm with no edges.

• Your picture should be easily recognisable.

• The photograph should not be older than 6 months.

• The photograph must be in colour and should have a white background. Photographs with dark or patterned backgrounds will not be accepted.

Japan offers different types of visas to Indian passport holders as per their purpose of visiting Japan. However, for every visa category, the applicants need to provide proof of their purpose of visit to get the visa approval. The details of proof that you need to provide are as follows:

Tourism: If you are travelling for tourism purposes and have applied for a Japanese tourist visa, then you need to provide these Japan tourist visa documents for Indian citizens. It includes details of your travel itinerary, return flight booking details and accommodation details.

Business: Individuals who are travelling to attend any business affairs and have applied for a business class visa need to provide the letter of initiation from the Japanese company, proof of conduct of business activity, along with other supporting documents.

Visit: If you are travelling to Japan to visit any friend or family member residing in the country, then you need to provide an invitation letter and proof of their legal residence.

Study: If a student wishes to go to Japan for higher education and applies for a Japan study visa, they need to provide proof of their invitation from a Japanese university, an enrollment letter and the consent of a guardian or parent.

Work: Individuals who have applied for a Japan work visa need to provide their offer letter from a Japanese company confirming their employment.

The Japan visa fee for single and multiple visa types is ₹500, and the transit visa fee is ₹ 50. Applicants must also pay an additional VFS service fee during the application process.

They must pay their visa fees at their respective visa application centres to start their visa processing; without paying visa fees, the application will not be processed.

[Note: The Japan visa fee details have been taken from the official website of the Embassy of Japan, India on 3 April 2024 at 5:37 pm. These amounts are subject to change. It is advised to verify the latest visa fee amount before proceeding with the application.]

The standard visa processing time provided by the Japan Embassy, New Delhi, is 4 working days if the applicant has submitted the correct Japan visa documents required for approval. In the meantime, applicants can track their application status by following these Steps:

Step 1: Visit the official VFS Global website.

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the “Track Your Application” tab. Then click on the link for “track your visa application status online”.

Step 3: You will be directed to the page where you need to provide your reference details, date of birth and given captcha. Then click on “Submit.”

Step 4: You will be displayed your application status on the screen.

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How much bank balance is needed for a Japan visit?

If you are planning to visit Japan for tourism purposes, then you must have at least ₹1 - ₹2 lakhs of bank balance to cover your expenses.

Is Japan visa-free for Indians?

No, Indian passport holders cannot travel to Japan visa-free. They must get visa approval before their trip.