New visa rule for Japan applicants from southern India

• Japan ends walk-in visa applications for southern India, mandating prior online appointment booking.
• Applicants in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Puducherry must schedule submission slots.
• New system aims to streamline processing and manage rising Japan travel demand.

The Japanese government established a new visa application requirement for southern Indian applicants. The Japanese government will end walk-in visa application procedures for its Visa Application Centres in major cities on March 2 2026.

The South Indian applicants from multiple key locations must book their visa appointment through online channels before they can present their paperwork at the center.

Under this updated system, cities such as Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Puducherry, and Bengaluru will require travellers to reserve specific time slots in advance through the official VFS Global portal.

The online registration process requires applicants to provide their personal details before they can view available appointment times, which makes it necessary to arrange their submission time in advance.

The appointment requirement applies to all categories of visa applications, including tourist, business, and student visas.

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The visa application process will become more efficient through the new system which eliminates walk-in submission. The Indian visa application center must improve its capacity to handle peak travel times because of increasing application numbers.

The Japanese visa application process has been simplified through improved operations because of the increased number of Indian visitors to Japan.

Applicants need to gather complete necessary documents which include their current passport and their completed application forms and photographs and travel itinerary and financial proof before they can schedule their appointment.

The system requires customers to plan their travel schedule because they need to book their appointments at least one month before their desired time.

The new Japanese visa rule changes the visa application process for Indian travelers because they must now complete online appointment booking as the initial requirement for their visa applications in multiple Southern Indian cities.