Where to Apply for a Japan Visa in India: All VFS Centres

VFS states that it plays no role in the decision; it receives your file and passes it to the mission for your area. The Embassy itself accepts only diplomatic or official visas and humanitarian cases. Details below are as published on the official sources (the Embassy, the four Consulates-General and VFS Global), checked on 15 October 2026. For documents and visa types, see our Japan visa guide for Indians.

Which Japan VFS centre serves your state?

VFS also lists a Jalandhar centre, currently marked temporarily closed. One inconsistency to know: the VFS appointment page names the Chennai consulate's area as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry, while the Consulate's own page also lists Kerala. Since Cochin is one of the Chennai-jurisdiction centres, Kerala residents normally submit there.

Do you need an appointment, or can you walk in?

It depends on the jurisdiction, and the rule changed recently.

• Delhi jurisdiction: the Embassy and VFS say no prior appointment is needed at New Delhi and the other Delhi-jurisdiction centres.
• Mumbai jurisdiction: the Consulate-General in Mumbai stopped accepting applications directly on 20 April 2026, so everything goes through VFS. From 19 October 2026, VFS accepts applications at Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Goa only by prior appointment; walk-ins end on that date, on the Consulate's instructions.
• Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru jurisdictions: a prior appointment is required at Chennai, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Cochin, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Bengaluru. Mysuru is the exception, with no appointment needed.

Book on the VFS Japan India appointment page.

What are drop-off offices and Blue Dart collection centres?

In the Delhi jurisdiction, you do not have to travel to New Delhi. VFS runs drop-off offices in Gurugram, Chandigarh and Lucknow, and Blue Dart collection centres in Agra, Amritsar, Jaipur, Dehradun, Ludhiana and Guwahati.

Payment rules differ by location. At New Delhi you pay in cash or by card in INR. The Gurugram, Chandigarh and Lucknow drop-off offices require separate demand drafts in favour of 'VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd.'. At the Blue Dart collection centres, the courier demand draft is INR 1050.

Can you apply at a centre outside your home state?

Each consulate decides applications only from residents of its jurisdiction. If your passport was issued somewhere else, you must show proof of your current address.

• Bengaluru: current residents of Karnataka; if the passport was issued outside Karnataka, bring a rental or lease agreement, sale deed, gas or electricity bill, or Aadhaar.
• Kolkata: passports issued in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar or Odisha, or residence proof in those states (Aadhaar, voter card, driving licence or rent agreement). If you work or study outside those four states, add a work-from-home or distance-study letter.
• Indians living abroad: apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate for your country of residence, not to a mission in India, according to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What does it cost, and how long does each office take?

Fees are the same everywhere. Indian nationals pay INR 500 for a single or multiple visa under the fees applying from 1 July 2026, plus an INR 800 VFS service fee per application. Optional courier return is INR 550. The transit visa was abolished from 1 July 2026.

The Embassy accepts short-term applications from 3 months before the travel date, while the Chennai and Kolkata VFS pages say not earlier than 89 days before travel.

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a centre

• Walking in at Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad or Goa after 19 October 2026 without an appointment.
• Submitting in a jurisdiction where you do not live, or without address proof when your passport is from another state.
• Carrying the wrong payment type to a drop-off office that needs a demand draft.
• Expecting an eVISA to work from a printout; the visa issuance notice must be shown on a mobile device with internet at the airport.

For questions, the Embassy runs a Japan Visa Information Hotline on +91-11-7181-6614 (24x7, English only). Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, day-by-day travel itineraries and cover letters for Japan visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit my Japan visa directly at the Embassy in New Delhi?

Generally no. The Embassy accepts only diplomatic or official visas and humanitarian cases. Everyone else applies through VFS Global, which forwards the file to the Embassy or the relevant Consulate-General.

Is a Japan eVISA applied for online without visiting VFS?

Not for residents of India. Indian nationals can receive a single-entry tourism eVISA, but the application is still submitted at a VFS Japan Visa Application Centre. Fully online applications are open only to residents of certain other countries.

Is the Japan visa fee refunded if my visa is refused?

VFS says the visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not approved. The INR 800 VFS service fee is non-refundable and is charged even to applicants exempted from visa fees.

How soon can I reapply after a Japan visa refusal?

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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.