Key Takeaways
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Indian residents cannot apply for a Japan eVISA on the JAPAN eVISA website themselves: you submit your application at the Japan Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) for your state, and a single-entry tourist visa is then issued electronically (MOFA, The JAPAN eVISA system, mofa.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17). Japan’s Foreign Ministry (MOFA) lists India among the countries where “Application should be made through an accredited agency”, not among the nine whose residents apply on evisa.mofa.go.jp directly. In India the eVISA has been issued this way since 2024-04-01 (Embassy of Japan in India, The JAPAN eVISA system, in.emb-japan.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17).
This guide is maintained by Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group. It covers the eVISA route; for visa types and eligibility, see our guide to the Japan visa for Indians .
Last verified: 2026-09-17.
Who can use the Japan eVISA from India
The eVISA is for one tourist visit by someone who lives in India, arriving by air or by scheduled ferry. The Embassy limits eligibility to Indian and foreign nationals residing in India, so an Indian citizen living in Dubai applies under the UAE’s arrangements; MOFA also excludes anyone who needs no visa for a short stay. The conditions, from MOFA’s eVISA page and the JAPAN eVISA FAQ ( evisa.mofa.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17):
Condition | Position |
Purpose | Tourism only |
Entries | One. The FAQ: “At the moment, you cannot apply for a multiple-entry visa online.” |
Length of stay | 15, 30 or 90 days, decided by the mission from your itinerary |
Passport | Ordinary passport only; travel on the passport you applied with, and a passport renewed after issue needs a new visa |
How you arrive | By air, or by international scheduled passenger ferry between Japan and Busan or Shanghai; not by cruise ship |
Validity | Three months, counted from the day after issue; one entry; cannot be extended |
Travelling to Japan? Get covered before you fly. Travel insurance for Japan plays no part in the eVISA application, but Japan’s consulates in India recommend cover because medical expenses in Japan can be very high.
eVISA or paper visa: which one you will get
Every tourist application from India goes in through the same centre, but only a single-entry tourist visa comes out as an eVISA; everything else is still a sticker in your passport.
Your trip | What is issued |
Tourism, single entry | eVISA, no sticker |
Any multiple-entry visa, including for tourism | Paper visa sticker |
Visiting friends or relatives, business, a conference or a medical stay | Paper visa sticker |
A connection that means leaving a Japanese airport | Not the eVISA, which cannot be used for transit; ask the centre which visa applies |
Arriving on a cruise ship | Not covered by the eVISA; ask the centre before you book |
The JAPAN eVISA FAQ says an applicant without a mobile device should apply for a paper visa; if you have no smartphone, tell the centre before you submit.
How to apply for a Japan eVISA from India, step by step
You prepare the file, the centre lodges it with the mission, and on approval you receive a notice that you open on your phone at the airport.
1. Find your centre. The state you live in decides the mission and the centre (next section).
2. Check whether your centre needs an appointment (see below).
3. Gather your documents. Each centre publishes its own checklist; our guide to Japan tourist visa documents and requirements covers it.
4. Get the photo right. Some centres ask for a size different from the box on the form; see Japan visa photo size .
5. Fill in and sign MOFA’s visa application form, published on the VFS site.
6. Submit and pay at the centre. Indian nationals pay INR 500 plus a VFS service charge of INR 800; see Japan visa fees for Indians . Keep the invoice: its reference number tracks your application.
7. Attend an interview if asked. MOFA says an applicant “may be requested to appear in person” at the mission.
8. Wait for the decision. Allow at least five working days after the mission receives the file, often longer; see Japan visa processing time .
9. Collect the visa issuance notice. The centre hands you the notice file or a printout carrying a two-dimensional code. The code opens the visa; it is not the visa.
10. Open the live notice at check-in. At the departure airport, scan the code, enter the details requested, and show the notice that appears on your phone.
11. Register on Visit Japan Web before you fly. It is optional and free; our Visit Japan Web guide is the next step.
While you wait, track the application on VFS Global’s site with the reference number and your date of birth; see Japan visa status check .
Which Japan Visa Application Centre covers your state
Apply through the mission that covers the state where you live, using the list the official application centre publishes (VFS Global, Visa Information, visa.vfsglobal.com , accessed 2026-09-17):
Mission | States and union territories it covers |
Embassy of Japan, New Delhi | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand (listed as Uttaranchal), Uttar Pradesh |
Consulate-General, Mumbai | Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli |
Consulate-General, Kolkata | West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha |
Consulate-General, Chennai | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Puducherry |
Consulate-General, Bengaluru | Karnataka |
Ladakh is not named on the list, so residents there should ask the centre. VFS runs centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, New Delhi, Puducherry and Pune, with Jaipur and Jalandhar temporarily closed; Gurugram, Chandigarh and Lucknow are drop-off offices that take fees by demand draft (VFS Global, Attend a centre, accessed 2026-09-17).
· Residence, not passport, decides. The Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata centres accept a passport issued elsewhere with proof of residence in their area, such as a rent agreement, Aadhaar or an electricity bill; Kolkata also asks for a work-from-home letter if your workplace is outside its states.
· Do not go to the Embassy or a consulate. The Embassy says “Submit your application through VFS”, and the Mumbai Consulate-General stopped accepting applications directly after 2026-04-20.
Do you need an appointment at the Japan Visa Application Centre?
It depends on the centre, so check your centre’s page before you go, and book a slot if you are applying in Kolkata. The Embassy of Japan in India says “No prior appointment is needed” for submission through VFS (Embassy of Japan in India, Visa, accessed 2026-09-17). VFS’s general application steps tell applicants to book one, and the Kolkata Consulate-General’s centre notice says an appointment is required (Consulate-General of Japan in Kolkata, accessed 2026-09-17). Hours vary; the New Delhi and Chandigarh centres issue submission tokens only until 13:00.
What you receive, and how to show it at the airport
There is no sticker: you receive a visa issuance notice, and the version that counts is the one you open live on your phone at the departure airport. The Embassy is explicit: “In the form of PDF, photo, screenshot or printed copy will not be accepted.” MOFA’s guide for proxy applications shows the sequence: scan the code on the notice you were given, enter the requested details, and the live notice appears with a countdown timer at the top right (JAPAN eVISA, How to display the visa issuance notice, accessed 2026-09-17). Show it at check-in, with your phone charged and online at the departure airport.
· It does not guarantee entry. MOFA says a visa “does not guarantee that the holder of the visa will be able to enter Japan.” The immigration officer grants landing permission and sets your period of stay.
· Visit Japan Web can read it. Enter the “visa issue number” and select “Get visa information” to add the visa to your arrival registration (Digital Agency, Visit Japan Web: How to use, accessed 2026-09-17).
Mistakes that cost Indian applicants time
The avoidable mistakes on this route are about where you apply, how you show the visa, your passport and scams.
Mistake | What happens | Do this instead |
Trying to apply on evisa.mofa.go.jp | India is not on the self-apply list | Apply at your Japan Visa Application Centre |
Showing a screenshot or printout at check-in | Not accepted | Open the live notice on your phone, with internet |
Renewing your passport after the eVISA is issued | The eVISA does not carry over | Apply for a new visa on the new passport |
Paying a caller who offers to speed things up | The Embassy says it never asks for payment by phone or email | Pay only the published fees, at the centre |
Where travel insurance fits
Travel insurance is not a requirement for a Japanese visa or for entry, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry calls it highly recommended. MOFA says: “It is highly recommended to purchase international travel medical insurance for your trip to Japan” (MOFA, VISA, accessed 2026-09-17). The Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai adds that “Medical expenses can be very high in Japan” (Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai, accessed 2026-09-17). Since 2026-04-01, an unpaid hospital bill of JPY 10,000 or more (about INR 6,170 at 1 JPY = INR 0.617 on 2026-09-17) can be reported to Japan’s Immigration Services Agency and lead to strict screening on your next visit (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare notice, accessed 2026-09-17). A policy has no bearing on the visa decision.
Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel plans treat Japan as Asia geography: Excel, sum insured up to USD 100,000, and Prime, up to USD 500,000. The Asia plans accept travellers up to age 70, with no Senior Citizen plan on this geography; for travellers aged 71 or over, see travel insurance for senior citizens . Cover centres on emergency medical treatment, with baggage, trip delay, trip cancellation, passport loss and medical evacuation up to plan limits. Claims run through Europ Assistance India; in Japan most are settled by reimbursement, so keep every bill. Once your eVISA is approved, see travel insurance for Japan .
FAQs
Q: Can Indians apply for the Japan eVISA online? A: Not on their own. India is on MOFA’s list of countries where the application is made through an accredited agency, so Indian residents submit it at the Japan Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) for their state, and a single-entry tourist visa is then issued electronically.
Q: What is the official website for the Japan eVISA? A: The JAPAN eVISA system runs at evisa.mofa.go.jp , but residents of India cannot apply there themselves. Their official application centre is VFS Global’s Japan Visa Application Centre, at visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/jpn/ .
Q: Can I show a printout or screenshot of my Japan eVISA? A: No. The Embassy of Japan in India says a PDF, photo, screenshot or printed copy will not be accepted. At check-in you scan the code the centre gave you and show the visa issuance notice live on a phone with internet access.
Q: Do I need an appointment at the Japan Visa Application Centre? A: It depends on the centre. The Embassy says no prior appointment is needed for submission through VFS, but VFS’s general steps say to book one and the Kolkata Consulate-General requires one, so check your own centre’s page first.
Q: Can I get a multiple-entry Japan eVISA? A: No. The eVISA is for single-entry tourism only, and the JAPAN eVISA FAQ says a multiple-entry visa cannot be applied for online. Multiple-entry visas are still issued as a passport sticker, through the same centre.
