Indian travellers submitting short-term visitor applications for Japan at the VFS Global centre in Bengaluru are reporting a notably friction-free experience. A first-time applicant who filed on 29 July received passport pickup notification within four working days and shared a detailed document checklist on 31 July. Japan reinstated its multi-entry 90-day visitor visa for Indian nationals in April 2026 after a year-long suspension tied to biometric-system upgrades. Consular officials quietly increased daily file quotas at Bengaluru and Mumbai this month, moving away from the lottery-style appointment system that frustrated travellers in 2025. For corporate mobility teams, the faster turnaround is important ahead of the autumn trade-fair calendar in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Firms should note that Japan still expects original income-tax returns or Form 16s for the previous two years, a stumbling block for younger professionals. VFS staff in Bengaluru have also begun accepting INR payments via UPI and credit cards, simplifying fee settlement for group applications. However, the centre insists on hard-copy itineraries stamped by approved travel agencies—digital app screenshots are being rejected. Travel managers should budget at least one week for processing outside Delhi and Mumbai, build slack for courier transit, and remind employees that Japan requires visa labels to be physically affixed; an e-visa alternative is not yet available to Indians.
Source: Reddit – r/visas
