# Japan Spouse and Dependant Visa for Indians: Joining Family > How an Indian spouse or child joins family in Japan: the Certificate of Eligibility step, the VFS documents, fees, centre-wise timings, and the short-visit alternatives. _Published: 2026-10-20 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1094_ ## TL;DR An Indian spouse or child moving to Japan normally needs a long-term visa backed by a Certificate of Eligibility obtained in Japan. The visa itself is filed at a VFS Japan centre in India for INR 500 plus an INR 800 service charge, and the visa stage takes a few working days once the COE is issued. ## Key takeaways - Living in Japan with family needs a long-term visa; the COE is issued in Japan before you apply in India. - The Immigration Services Agency's standard COE processing is 1 to 3 months, with no fee. - Bengaluru's dependant checklist asks for the COE, an invitation letter, the spouse's residence card and passport copy, and a marriage or birth certificate. - Visa fee INR 500 for Indian nationals plus INR 800 VFS service charge. - Short visits to a working spouse use other categories, such as MULTIPLE 7 at Delhi. **To join a family member living in Japan, an Indian spouse or child normally needs a long-term visa based on a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) obtained in Japan, then applies at a VFS Japan Visa Application Centre. The Embassy of Japan charges Indian nationals INR 500 from 1 July 2026, plus an INR 800 VFS service charge.** ## Article The process has two stages: the COE in Japan, and the visa in India. Details below come from the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi, the Consulates General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), the Immigration Services Agency and VFS Global, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. ### Which Japanese visa fits your family situation? Start by separating moving to Japan from visiting. The VFS centres in India list different categories for each. Your situationCategory listed by VFS / the EmbassyKey paperMoving to live with a spouse or parent who works in JapanLong Term Stay with COE (Mumbai and Kolkata also list 'Family Members of the Indians with Japanese Employment Visa')Certificate of EligibilitySpouse or child of a J-Find visa holderJ-Find dependantCOE, or proof of kinship and a copy of the main applicant's residence card or passportRepeated short visits to a spouse or parent employed in JapanMULTIPLE 7 (Delhi VFS)MULTIPLE 7 checklistOne short visit to relativesVisiting Relatives/Friends; Chennai also lists a Short Term Relative Visit single-entry visa for 15, 30 or 90 daysInvitation letter and proof of kinshipThis post focuses on the first two rows, where the family member will live in Japan. ### How does the Certificate of Eligibility step work? The COE is issued in Japan by the immigration authorities, not by VFS or the Embassy in India. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan gives a standard processing period of 1 to 3 months, and there is no fee for the COE. - VFS accepts the COE as an original, a copy or an e-COE printout (Delhi checklist). - MOFA notes that a COE does not guarantee the visa will be issued. - Applying for a long-term visa without a COE is possible, but MOFA says examination can then take from a couple of weeks to several months. Because the COE is the document the visa officer relies on, plan the VFS submission for after it has been issued, and keep a copy of every page. ### What documents do Indian dependants submit at VFS? The Bengaluru long-term checklist has a dedicated dependants section. It asks for: - The Certificate of Eligibility. - An invitation letter. - A copy of the spouse's residence card and passport. - A marriage certificate for a spouse, or a birth certificate for a child. - Residence proof if your passport was issued outside Karnataka. Mumbai's long-term checklist (CL-07, November 2025) adds the general items: passport and old passports, a copy of the first and last page, the signed application form with a 2 x 2 inch photo, a covering letter stating the purpose of visit, and the original COE with one copy. Across all centres, photocopies go on A4 paper, documents other than the passport are not returned, and the Embassy may ask for an interview or more papers. ### How much does it cost and how long does it take? Japan's visa fee depends on nationality and entry type, not purpose. From 1 July 2026 Indian nationals pay INR 500 for a single or multiple visa, and the VFS service charge of INR 800 per application is extra and non-refundable. Courier return is an optional INR 550. Once the COE is in hand, VFS publishes these indicative times for the visa stage: OfficeIndicative visa processingEmbassy of Japan, New DelhiMinimum 5 working daysConsulate General, Mumbai10 processing days (Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa: 12)Consulate General, ChennaiMinimum 3 working daysConsulate General, KolkataMinimum 5 working daysConsulate General, BengaluruMinimum 6 working daysAdd the 1 to 3 months for the COE in Japan when you plan a moving date. ### Where in India should your family member apply? Each Japanese office decides applications only from residents of its jurisdiction. Bengaluru covers Karnataka; Chennai covers Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Puducherry; Kolkata covers West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha; Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu; the Embassy in New Delhi covers the remaining states and union territories, including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and the north-east. Appointment rules differ: no prior appointment at New Delhi and the other Delhi-jurisdiction centres; prior appointment at Chennai, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Cochin, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Bengaluru; and from 19 October 2026, appointment only at Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa. Indians living outside India apply to the Japanese mission in their country of residence, not in India. ### Can a dependant later qualify for permanent residence? Permanent residence is granted in Japan, not applied for from India. Under the Immigration Services Agency guidelines revised on 24 February 2026, the general rule is 10 years or more of continuous residence in Japan, including at least 5 years on a working or residence-based status. Spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents have a shorter route: after 3 years of marriage and 1 year in Japan. Good conduct and properly paid taxes, pension and health insurance premiums are also required. For all Japanese visa categories and centres, see our Japan visa guide for Indians. The current fee table is on the Embassy of Japan visa page. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares covering letters, travel itineraries, hotel bookings and flight reservations for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). These are most useful for the short-visit categories; a long-term dependant file rests on the COE. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us via the contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does a Certificate of Eligibility guarantee the Japan dependant visa? No. MOFA states that a COE does not guarantee visa issuance. The Embassy or consulate still examines the visa application and may ask for an interview or more documents. #### Can my spouse apply in India if we currently live in the UAE? No. MOFA says Indians living outside India apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate for their country of residence, not to a mission in India. #### What happens if a Japan dependant visa is refused? MOFA does not give the specific reason for a refusal. A new application for the same purpose is not accepted within six months, except where circumstances have changed significantly and travel is needed on humanitarian grounds. #### Is the Japan visa fee different for a long-term dependant visa? No. Indian nationals pay INR 500 for a single or multiple visa from 1 July 2026, whatever the purpose, plus the INR 800 VFS service charge. The COE itself carries no fee. ## FAQ ### Does a Certificate of Eligibility guarantee the Japan dependant visa? No. MOFA states that a COE does not guarantee visa issuance. The Embassy or consulate still examines the visa application and may ask for an interview or more documents. ### Can my spouse apply in India if we currently live in the UAE? No. MOFA says Indians living outside India apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate for their country of residence, not to a mission in India. ### What happens if a Japan dependant visa is refused? MOFA does not give the specific reason for a refusal. A new application for the same purpose is not accepted within six months, except where circumstances have changed significantly and travel is needed on humanitarian grounds. ### Is the Japan visa fee different for a long-term dependant visa? No. Indian nationals pay INR 500 for a single or multiple visa from 1 July 2026, whatever the purpose, plus the INR 800 VFS service charge. The COE itself carries no fee. ## Sources 1. [Long-term stay checklist (work, student, dependants)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/japan/india/bengaluru/pdf/updated-long-term-checklist.pdf) — VFS Global (Japan, Bengaluru) 2. [Certificate of Eligibility application (standard processing 1-3 months, no fee)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-1.html) — Immigration Services Agency of Japan 3. [Visa (fees from 1 July 2026, submission through VFS)](https://www.in.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/Visa.html) — Embassy of Japan in India 4. [Guidelines for permission for permanent residence (revised 24 Feb 2026)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyukan_nyukan50.html) — Immigration Services Agency of Japan