Japan is one of those countries many people want to visit at least once. The appeal is not that difficult to understand, orderly cities, efficient transport, distinctive culture, and the seasonal pull of cherry blossoms that turn entire neighbourhoods pink for a few short weeks. This destination has also started gaining traction as an upcoming destination for Indian travelers over the recent years, particularly among couples looking to plan an extended holiday.At the same time, Japan also comes with a certain reputation when it comes to its visas. The fact is, acquiring a visa is not a complicated task, but it is a strict procedure. Small discrepancies, such as misplaced dates, unclear paperwork, etc., are thought to be enough to initiate a setback in the procedure.This was the background in which a Chennai-based couple began preparing for their Japan trip. As per their reddit post, a country that depends heavily on tourism, all it needs is a good profile. As his user account, iham_2032, explains, He also adds that by the time they got to the visa portion of the process, most of his travel plans were already set into place. Flights were already arranged in advance, overnight accommodations were arranged in various cities to be toured, and work permissions to take time off from work were already granted from their places of employment. There was no easy way to back out.
Both of them were Indian Passport Holders and employed professionals in their individual capacities. They had jointly applied for the Visa, whose application was done through the VFS in Chennai on the 12th of January 2026 as a married couple. Even though the ambiguity over the application for the Visa had been streamlined into an online variant, the other processes appeared to have been somewhat smoother than one would have expected.In a week, visas were stamped. Without even losing a day in between, though the Japanese Consulate was closed for days due to Pongal holidays, their passports were returned by courier on January 20. No follow-up questions, no additional document requests, no interviews.Read more: Which country in the world has 3 capital cities?On the day of submission, the experience at VFS Chennai was equally uneventful. The centre was relatively quiet, with more visa agents than travellers. Document verification and payment took around 10 to 15 minutes. The staff were polite and clear, and nothing beyond the standard checklist was asked for.Although the husband officially sponsored his wife, they chose to submit financial documents for both applicants. Bank statements, salary slips, and ITRs from both sides were included to present a stronger and more balanced application. Their aim was simple: avoid any possibility of uneven scrutiny between the two files.
That decision later became a point of discussion in the comments on their Reddit post. When asked whether couples need to clearly divide expenses or specify who pays for what, the applicant explained that Japan’s visa process does not require such detailed breakdowns. What matters more is overall financial stability and consistency. If both spouses have sufficient funds, they can be shown as self-sponsoring. If one sponsors the other, attaching documents from both applicants helps strengthen the case.As for the fees, it came to INR 1,800 per person, which is INR 450 visa fee, INR 800 VFS service charges, and INR 550 for courier services. The document stack, however, was anything but light.They submitted their passports, along with photocopies of the first and last pages, filled Japan visa application form downloaded from the VFS website, and the official VFS document checklist.A detailed covering letter was included with the application. In the covering letter, the purpose of travel, dates of travel, places where one intended to travel, and job particulars are mentioned. A clear guarantee of return to the country had also been given. To build confidence with the authorities, the applicant mentioned that he also mentioned the international tours taken by us in the covering letter. While mentioning the tours, the applicant emphasized that they had followed the regulations and had not over-stayed.
Photographs were another detail that required attention. VFS requirements differ by city, and VFS Chennai prefers a square photo, so we submitted 45mm x 45mm (2×2 inches) passport-size photographs.For travel proof, they attached non-refundable flight tickets, booked well in advance since they were travelling during peak season. While refundable or dummy tickets are generally acceptable, Japan’s tourist visa process is considered relatively smooth if the applicant profile is strong.Alongside this were hotel and Airbnb bookings for every city, with dates that matched the itinerary exactly—no overlaps, no gaps.The itinerary itself was kept intentionally simple: a one-page, day-wise plan, listing places to be visited and accommodation addresses. They used the sample itinerary template from the VFS website and edited it to fit their route, avoiding unnecessary detail.Read more: First major snowfall of the season sweeps Himachal Pradesh, blankets Shimla, Manali and Lahaul-Spiti; IMD issues Orange AlertFinancial documents formed the thickest part of the file. They submitted six months’ bank statements, salary slips for the last three months, and ITR filings for the past three years. Both of them included leave approval letters from their employers, email approvals and system-generated leave confirmations were accepted. On paper, everything checked out. All fees had been paid, and all other necessary paperwork and forms were in order. All items had been included in the checklist and completed accordingly.Their experience provides a guideline for all those planning a similar trip in the future. It also affirms the case that the tourist visa intake in Japan still works well for those whose plans are clear and whose documents are well prepared.
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