Key Takeaways
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Japan visa fees for an Indian national come to INR 1,300 per applicant: a visa fee of INR 500, for either a single-entry or a multiple-entry visa, plus the VFS service charge of INR 800, both paid at the Japan Visa Application Centre (Embassy of Japan in India, Visa; VFS Global, Japan Visa Application Centre; both accessed 2026-09-17). The INR 500 is the fee Japan’s missions in India publish for Indian nationals from 2026-07-01. Courier return of your passport is optional, at INR 550.
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 fees only; for visa types, eligibility and the overall process, start with our guide to the Japan visa for Indians .
Last verified: 2026-09-17.
Japan visa fees for Indians at a glance
The fee depends on your nationality, not on your centre: every Japanese mission in India publishes the same INR 500 visa fee for Indian nationals, and VFS charges INR 800 at every centre. From the Embassy’s “VISA fee (from 1 July 2026)” table, the fee tables of the Consulates-General in Mumbai and Chennai, and VFS’s fee tabs, read on 2026-09-17:
Item | Indian nationals | Other nationals applying in India | Refunded if no visa is issued? |
Single-entry visa, including the eVISA | INR 500 | INR 8,650 | Yes, refunded or not charged |
Multiple-entry visa | INR 500 | INR 17,350 | Yes, refunded or not charged |
VFS service charge, per application, taxes included | INR 800 | INR 800 | No |
Courier return (optional) | INR 550 | INR 550 | No |
Total at the centre | INR 1,300 (INR 1,850 with courier) | INR 9,450 for a single entry, without courier | Only the visa fee |
Transit visa | Abolished from 2026-07-01 | Abolished from 2026-07-01 | Not applicable |
The Mumbai and Chennai tables cover applications made from 2026-07-01 to 2027-03-31, so check the fee again if you apply after that. A multiple-entry visa costs the same INR 500, but it goes only to applicants who meet the Foreign Ministry’s eligibility categories, and the mission can issue a single-entry visa instead.
Travelling to Japan? Get covered before you fly. Travel insurance for Japan is no part of the visa fee or the visa file, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry highly recommends medical cover because a visa pays nothing towards a hospital bill.
Why a converted yen figure is not what you pay
Japan’s standard visa fee is about JPY 15,000 for a single entry and JPY 30,000 for multiple entries from 2026-07-01, but Japan’s missions in India charge Indian nationals INR 500, so budget in rupees, not yen. Japan’s Foreign Ministry (MOFA) publishes the new fees, set by a Cabinet Order revision, for applications accepted from that date (MOFA, Visa Fees, mofa.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17), and the JAPAN eVISA website says: “Effective July 1, 2026, the visa fee has been revised to 15,000 JPY” (JAPAN eVISA, evisa.mofa.go.jp , accessed 2026-09-17).
Converted, JPY 15,000 is about INR 9,255 and JPY 30,000 about INR 18,510 (at 1 JPY = INR 0.617 on 2026-09-17, ExchangeRate-API), but neither is an Indian applicant’s bill: the missions print a separate rupee fee for Indian nationals, and VFS collects INR 500. Older guides that quote JPY 3,000 give Japan’s earlier standard single-entry fee, which the missions in India did not charge Indian nationals either.
What changed on 2026-07-01
On 2026-07-01 Japan raised its worldwide visa fees, the fee for non-Indian applicants in India rose with them, and the transit visa was abolished; the fee for Indian nationals stayed at INR 500. The Mumbai Consulate-General’s tables print INR 500 for either entry type both for April to June 2026 and from 2026-07-01.
What | Before 2026-07-01 | From 2026-07-01 |
Indian nationals, single or multiple entry | INR 500 (table for 2026-04-01 to 2026-06-30) | INR 500 |
MOFA’s worldwide standard fee | JPY 3,000, single entry | About JPY 15,000 single entry; JPY 30,000 multiple entry |
Other nationals applying in India, single entry | INR 1,750 | INR 8,650 |
Other nationals applying in India, multiple entry | INR 3,450 | INR 17,350 |
Transit visa, Indian nationals | INR 50 (from 2026-04-01) | Abolished |
Transit visa, other nationals | INR 400 | Abolished |
Sources: MOFA’s Visa Fees page, the Mumbai Consulate-General’s fee tables and the Embassy (“Transit visa is abolished.”). If a connection in Japan means leaving the airport, ask the application centre which visa applies.
How and where to pay the Japan visa fee
You pay the visa fee and the service charge at the Japan Visa Application Centre when you submit, and each centre accepts different payment methods. From VFS Global’s fee tabs, read on 2026-09-17:
Centre | Accepted payment |
New Delhi | Cash or card |
Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa | Cash, card or UPI |
Chennai, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Cochin | Cash or card machine (POS) |
Bengaluru | Cash, POS or UPI |
Kolkata | Cash or POS |
Gurugram, Chandigarh, Lucknow (drop-off offices) | Separate demand drafts in favour of “VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd.” for the visa fee, the service charge and any courier charge |
Other centres list their methods on visa.vfsglobal.com . The JAPAN eVISA website’s online card payment is for residents of self-apply countries; Indian residents apply through VFS and pay at the centre.
The Embassy states: “All you have to pay for visa is the visa fee and the service charge mentioned on this page. Embassy will never ask for a payment over a telephone call or an e-mail to verify documents, expedite visa process, etc.” It also says processing “cannot be expedited or prioritized according to the schedule of applicants”, so paid express processing is not an official service. Keep the VFS invoice: its reference number is how you track the application.
Optional VFS services
Optional extras cost more but change neither the speed nor the outcome. Courier return is INR 550; the alternative is collecting the passport in person with your receipt and government ID. The Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin and Puducherry centres also sell a Premium Lounge at INR 1,950, and VFS says its optional services have “no bearing on expediting your visa process or favourable decision-making” (VFS Global, Additional Services, accessed 2026-09-17).
Is the Japan visa fee refundable?
Only the visa fee, and only if no visa is issued; the INR 800 service charge and any courier charge are never refunded. VFS says: “Visa Fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved.” MOFA says: “If a visa is not issued, no visa fee will be charged” (MOFA, Visa Fees, accessed 2026-09-17). The Chennai Consulate-General adds: “Service and Courier Charges are non-refundable.” A refusal costs you INR 800, or INR 1,350 with courier.
Situation | What happens to the money |
Your visa is refused | The INR 500 comes back; the service and courier charges do not |
Your eVISA is issued, then you cancel the trip | No refund once the visa is issued (JAPAN eVISA FAQ) |
Your trip moves past the visa’s validity | A new application at full fees: a single-entry visa is valid for three months and cannot be extended |
You renew your passport after the eVISA is issued | A new visa at full fees |
Travel insurance can return the visa fee in narrow cases. Visa Denial Insurance, an optional cover you can add when you buy a Smart Travel policy, reimburses the visa fee (not the premium) if your visa is rejected or you are denied entry on arrival; it is not available on annual multi-trip policies. A visa is not a promise of entry: MOFA says it “does not guarantee that the holder of the visa will be able to enter Japan” (MOFA, Visas and Landing Permission, accessed 2026-09-17).
Other costs at the application stage
Beyond the two fees, the visa file costs little, and MOFA does not require tickets or hotels to be bought before you apply.
Item | Cost | Official position |
Visa application form | No separate charge | MOFA’s form, published on the VFS site |
Photograph | Your studio’s charge | The size differs between centres; use your own centre’s specification |
Flight tickets and hotels | Nothing to buy before applying | MOFA: “Reservations and payments for airline tickets, accommodations, transportation, etc. are not required at the time of visa application.” The Mumbai centre’s checklist asks for confirmed bookings, so follow your centre’s list |
Bank statements or ITR copies | Your bank’s charge, if any | MOFA asks for one proof of funds; centres may ask for three to six months of statements |
A travel agent’s help | The agent’s own fee | Not a visa charge |
Travel insurance | Not needed for the visa | On none of the checklists |
Sources: MOFA, Checklist for Single-Entry Short-Term Stay Visa and the VFS centre checklists, accessed 2026-09-17.
Where the fee sits in your application
You pay on the day you submit, before the wait for a decision begins. Japan’s missions take at least five working days after they receive an application, often longer; our page on Japan visa processing time covers when to apply. For the submission itself, read how to apply for a Japan eVISA .
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). 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 plays no part in the visa decision.
Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel plans cover Japan under the Asia geography: Excel, with 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; travellers aged 71 or over can read about travel insurance for senior citizens . Cover centres on emergency medical treatment, with baggage, trip delay, trip cancellation, passport loss and medical evacuation covered up to plan limits. Claims go through Europ Assistance India and are settled within 15 days of complete documents; in Japan most run on reimbursement, so keep every bill. See travel insurance for Japan for what the plans cover.
FAQs
Q: How much is the Japan visa fee for Indians? A: INR 500 for a single-entry or multiple-entry visa, plus the VFS service charge of INR 800, so INR 1,300 per applicant at the Japan Visa Application Centre. Courier return of the passport is an optional INR 550.
Q: Is the Japan visa fee JPY 15,000 for Indians? A: No. Japan’s standard fee rose to about JPY 15,000 for a single entry on 2026-07-01, about INR 9,255 at 1 JPY = INR 0.617 on 2026-09-17, but Japan’s missions in India charge Indian nationals INR 500 for a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.
Q: Is the Japan visa fee refunded if my visa is rejected? A: The INR 500 visa fee is refunded, or not charged, if no visa is issued, but the INR 800 VFS service charge and any courier charge are non-refundable. Once a visa is issued, the fee is not refunded if you do not travel.
Q: How do I pay the Japan visa fee? A: At the Japan Visa Application Centre when you submit. Methods vary: New Delhi takes cash or card, the Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa centres also take UPI, and the Gurugram, Chandigarh and Lucknow drop-off offices take demand drafts.
Q: Can I pay extra for express Japan visa processing? A: No. The Embassy of Japan in India says visa processing cannot be expedited or prioritised according to applicants’ schedules, and VFS says its optional services, such as the Premium Lounge, have no bearing on expediting a visa.
