Indian leisure and business travellers heading to Japan are reporting unusual lags at the Mumbai VFS centre. A thread posted on 27 March 2026 in r/visas says applications filed on 16 March have yet to receive any status update, whereas the published service-level agreement is five working days. Travel agents attribute the backlog to a surge in spring-season tour groups and a new requirement—effective 15 March—that every applicant submit a hotel confirmation covering the entire stay, not just the first night. Consulate officials acknowledged ‘a temporary capacity mismatch’ and urged applicants with travel in the next 10 days to email for priority handling. While delays are currently limited to Mumbai, corporate travel managers should monitor Chennai and Delhi posts, which often receive overflow files. Employers with last-minute trips may need to route staff through Singapore or apply for the e-Visa on Arrival that Japan introduced for Indian G20 delegates (but only at Haneda and Kansai airports). Japanese corporations operating in India, notably in the auto and pharma sectors, are lobbying for business-track visas similar to Korea’s 48-hour fast-track scheme. Until such measures are in place, travellers are advised to submit applications at least four weeks before departure and carry detailed itineraries to minimise additional queries.
Source: Reddit r/visas post
