Half of what Indian travellers read about visa fees this year describes someone else's passport. Here is the scoreboard as of 19 August 2026, every line checked against the issuing authority: two destinations at zero, one real increase, one proposal, and one global rise that Indians were quietly left out of.
In this guide2 sections
| Changed | Checked | Direction | Destination | What Indians pay now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Unchanged for Indians while others rose to ₹8,650 / ₹17,350 | Japan | ₹500 (single or multiple) |
| 8 April 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Up from £127 | United Kingdom | £135 Standard Visitor |
| Rate ₹98/$1 since 25 May 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Fee flat; rupee cost up with the consular rate | United States | $185 MRV |
| 11 June 2024 | 19 Aug 2026 | Unchanged since | Schengen Area | €90 |
| 25 May 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Down to zero | Sri Lanka | Free tourist ETA, 30 days |
| Ends 31 December 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Zero, with an expiry date | Malaysia | Free — visa exemption |
| 30-day cap approved, not gazetted | 19 Aug 2026 | Zero; stay length under review | Thailand | Free — visa exemption, 60 days |
| Rise proposed 12 August 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Proposal: Rp750,000 online / Rp1m airport | Indonesia (Bali) | Rp500,000 visa on arrival |
| No change in 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Flat | Vietnam | $25 single-entry e-visa |
| No change in 2026 | 19 Aug 2026 | Flat; free with a valid US, UK or Schengen visa | Georgia | About $35 e-visa all-in |
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · Source: VisaGyan, compiled from official sources: Embassy of Japan in India, GOV.UK, US Mission India, EU, Sri Lanka and Malaysia immigration (19 Aug 2026)
The three patterns worth seeing#
Southeast Asia is competing on price, and the price is zero. Sri Lanka made its tourist ETA free on 25 May, Malaysia's exemption runs to the end of the year, Thailand's exemption holds while the 30-day cap waits on the Royal Gazette. Three of the cheapest destinations for an Indian passport now cost nothing at the consulate — and the whole cost sits in flights and stay.
The West is drifting the other way, slowly. The UK moved the Standard Visitor visa to £135 in April. The US kept $185 but changed the rupee arithmetic in May: at ₹98 to the dollar the MRV fee costs more rupees for the same visa. Schengen has been at €90 since June 2024.
Reciprocity beats headlines. Japan raised fees worldwide on 1 July, and the coverage in Indian media reported the increase faithfully — without noticing that the Embassy's own page lists ₹500 for Indian nationals against ₹8,650 for everyone else applying in India. That is not a discount anyone advertises; it exists because of a bilateral facilitation arrangement, and it is why the Japan fee story reads differently here.
What the table does not include#
Service fees. Every free ETA and every ₹500 government fee still comes with a VFS or BLS charge where the route runs through a centre, and those are set by the contractor, not the government. The gap between the two is where most "the visa cost me more than you said" complaints come from — the three-column breakdown for the US route is in US visa fees from India, and the full comparison across destinations in visa fees for Indians in 2026.
We update this table as each figure moves; the date in the last column is when we last checked it against the source.
VisaGyan is an independent journal, not affiliated with any government or visa centre. Verify the fee with the issuing authority before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
- Which visa fees went up for Indians in 2026?
- The UK Standard Visitor visa rose to £135 on 8 April 2026. The US MRV fee stayed at $185, but the rupee cost rose when the US Mission moved its consular rate from ₹96 to ₹98 per dollar on 25 May 2026. Indonesia has proposed a rise for visa on arrival with no date set.
- Which destinations are free for Indian passport holders right now?
- Sri Lanka (free 30-day tourist ETA since 25 May 2026), Malaysia (visa exemption until 31 December 2026) and Thailand (visa exemption, currently 60 days). Free means no visa fee — passport validity, onward tickets and arrival cards are still checked.
- Did Japan''s visa fee rise apply to Indians?
- No. Japan revised its fee schedule on 1 July 2026, and at its missions in India other nationalities now pay ₹8,650 for single entry and ₹17,350 for multiple entry, while Indian nationals continue to pay ₹500.