Japan Work Visa Fees for Indians (2026, in Rupees)

Japan sets its visa fee for Indians directly in rupees, and it is small. The larger costs are time and paperwork. This page lists every official charge in rupees and who pays it, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For routes and requirements, see our Japan visa page for Indians.

What does a Japan work visa cost an Indian in 2026?

A Japanese work visa is a long-term stay visa issued on the strength of a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). These are the charges along the way:

The VFS charge is levied over and above the visa fee, and it applies even to applicants who are exempt from the visa fee.

Who pays for the Certificate of Eligibility, and how long does it take?

Nobody pays a government fee for it. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan lists no fee for a COE application. Your Japanese employer, or another proxy in Japan, applies at a regional immigration office, and the standard processing period is 1 to 3 months.

Two cautions from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). A COE does not guarantee that the visa will be issued. And applying without a COE is possible, but it requires a large amount of verification documents and can take several months.

Does the fee change for engineers, J-Find or other work statuses?

No. Japan's visa fee depends on nationality and type of entry, not on purpose. The VFS fee table for long-term stays with a COE shows INR 500 for Indian nationals, whether you are an engineer, researcher or language-school student.

MOFA's working visa covers these statuses, all at the same fee for Indians: Professor, Artist, Religious activities, Journalist, Business manager, Legal/Accounting services, Medical services, Researcher, Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services and Nursing care. The J-Find visa for recent graduates of eligible top-ranked universities also falls under the same INR 500 work-visa fee, although it needs personal savings of approximately 200,000 yen, and the eligible-university list as of January 2026 includes no university in India.

What will your spouse and children pay?

Dependants file their own applications at VFS. Delhi lists a MULTIPLE 7 category for the spouse or children of an individual with an Employment Visa in Japan, and the Mumbai and Kolkata centres list a category for family members of Indians with a Japanese Employment Visa. Bengaluru's checklist for dependants asks for a COE, an invitation letter, the spouse's residence card and passport copy, and a marriage or birth certificate.

The other-nationals fee rose sharply on 1 July 2026, from INR 1750 single and INR 3450 multiple. If your spouse holds a foreign passport and applies in India, budget for the new figure.

How do you pay, and what is refunded if you are refused?

Payment methods differ by centre in the Delhi jurisdiction: New Delhi takes cash and card in INR, while the Gurugram, Chandigarh and Lucknow drop-off offices require separate demand drafts in favour of "VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd." Applicants using the Blue Dart collection centres in Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Dehradun, Ludhiana and Guwahati pay a courier demand draft of INR 1050.

VFS states that the visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved. The INR 800 service charge is non-refundable. MOFA does not give the specific reason for a refusal, and it does not accept a new application for the same purpose within six months of a refusal, except where circumstances have changed significantly and travel is needed on humanitarian grounds.

How long does the visa stage take after the COE?

Once your COE arrives, the VFS visa stage follows the same indicative times as other Japanese visas:

• Embassy of Japan, New Delhi: minimum 5 working days.
• Consulate-General, Mumbai: 10 processing days (Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa: 12).
• Consulate-General, Chennai: minimum 3 working days.
• Consulate-General, Kolkata: minimum 5 working days.
• Consulate-General, Bengaluru: minimum 6 working days.

A work visa can be granted with a period of stay of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months, as decided for your status.

Costs and mistakes people forget

• Applying at the wrong office. Each Japanese mission decides applications only from residents of its jurisdiction; if your passport was issued elsewhere, carry address proof.
• Incomplete experience proof. Delhi's COE checklist asks for experience and educational certificates for a work visa; Mumbai's asks for an experience certificate, CV and a copy of the contract with the Japanese employer.
• Missing the April 2026 rule. From 15 April 2026, Engineer/Specialist applications with a Category 3 or 4 employer need a declaration about the employer's representative and, for language-based work, proof of CEFR B2 ability (JLPT N2 or above for Japanese).
• Turning up without an appointment in Mumbai. From 19 October 2026, VFS takes Japan applications at Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa only by prior appointment.

If you are travelling to Japan for interviews or a short business visit before your work visa, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Japan COE free for Indian workers?

Yes. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan lists no fee for a Certificate of Eligibility application. Your employer or another proxy in Japan applies for it, and the standard processing period is 1 to 3 months.

Is there a minimum salary for a Japan work visa?

For the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, pay must be at least equal to what a Japanese national would receive for the same work. The official criteria express pay as parity with Japanese workers rather than a published yen minimum, and they contain no age requirement.

How many visas did Japan issue to Indians in 2025?

MOFA reports 265,882 Japanese visas issued to Indian nationals in calendar year 2025, across all visa types and missions. India was the 4th-highest nationality.

Does a multiple-entry Japan work visa cost more?

No. The Embassy of Japan charges Indian nationals INR 500 for a single or multiple visa from 1 July 2026. The INR 800 VFS service charge is added per application either way.