Headlines about Japan's five-fold visa fee rise have been circulating in Indian travel media since July. They are accurate — and they do not describe what an Indian passport holder pays. At the Embassy of Japan in India the fee from 1 July 2026 is ₹500 for single or multiple entry, against ₹8,650 and ₹17,350 for other nationalities at the same counters.
In this guide3 sections
What the embassy publishes#
The Embassy's visa page sets out the schedule under the heading "VISA fee (from 1 July 2026)":
- For Indian Nationals — single or multiple visa: 500 INR.
- For other nationals — single visa: 8,650 INR; multiple or double visa: 17,350 INR.
Both blocks carry the same two notes: the transit visa is abolished, and a VFS service fee is charged in addition.
Why Indians are outside the increase#
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revised its fee schedule effective 1 July 2026 — the guideline rates before that were about ¥3,000 for a single entry and ¥6,000 for a double or multiple entry. The Ministry's own note adds that "depending on the purpose of your visit and your nationality, fees may not be required or may be a different amount." India sits in that exception: the reduced rate is part of the long-running visa facilitation arrangement between the two countries, alongside the relaxed documentation rules for Indian students and the simplified multiple-entry route in place since 2019.
What this actually costs you#
₹500 is the government fee, not the total. VFS Global's service charge sits on top and is collected at submission, and applications for Indians go through VFS rather than the Embassy counter, with no prior appointment needed. eVISA has been available in India since April 2024 for eligible short-stay travellers — the cheaper, faster route for tourism.
For the full document list, the multiple-entry rules and what makes a Japan application fail, see our Japan visa guide for Indians and the rejected without a reason explainer. How this compares with the rest of the map is in visa fees for Indians in 2026.
VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with the Japanese government or VFS. Verify the current fee on the Embassy's page before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Japan visa cost for an Indian citizen in 2026?
- The Embassy of Japan in India lists the fee from 1 July 2026 as ₹500 for a single or a multiple-entry visa for Indian nationals. Other nationalities applying at the same missions pay ₹8,650 for single entry and ₹17,350 for multiple or double entry. A VFS service fee is charged on top in both cases.
- Did Japan increase visa fees in 2026?
- Yes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs revised its fee schedule on 1 July 2026; the old guideline figures were about ¥3,000 for single entry and ¥6,000 for multiple entry. The revision is what pushed the fee for other nationalities in India to ₹8,650 and ₹17,350, while the Indian-national rate stayed at ₹500.
- Is there still a transit visa for Japan?
- No. The Embassy of Japan in India states that the transit visa is abolished under the fee schedule effective 1 July 2026. If you change planes in Japan and leave the airside area, you need the relevant short-stay visa instead.