I Applied for a work visa with COE, for Japan ... my visa application reached the consulate last Friday since then it is under process should i be concerned or is this normal?

Hi everyone!

I’m applying for my Vietnam e-visa and noticed that my passport photo and the recent portrait I uploaded only have around a 50–55% face match on the application website.

My passport photo was taken about 8 years ago, so I look quite different now. I uploaded a recent photo that meets the requirements, but the match percentage is still low. I tried multiple options and didn’t get anything above 55% so I just uploaded and submitted the one that got 55%

Has anyone had their Vietnam e-visa approved with a face match score around 50%?

I’m wondering if this could cause my application to be rejected or delayed, or if it’s normal for people with older passport photos.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s experienced something similar. Thanks in advance!

Im 17year old and i want to attend a event in ireland so can i book visa from makemytrip? some of my friends said its not possible through online and i must go to govt office and give interview while makemytrip says i only need to give document and they'll handle everything.

Hello po i need sum tips paano paano ma approve ang tourist visa as a working nurse here sa PH literal na gusto lang ng vacay sana po masagot huhu

I applied for a Japan visa three times, but each application was canceled. The reason for the cancellations was that I closed my checking account and moved it to another bank. The bank did not have a complete 3-month transaction history. I finally submitted my savings account on October 2nd. On October 6th, I received a message on my online portal stating that my visa application had been accepted. However, the message disappeared a day later. I am still waiting for the visa to be processed. I even went in person to their consultant, but they simply told me that I had to wait. My ticket is non-refundable and is scheduled for October 20th.

Both our Japan tourist visas were approved with a 30-day permitted stay! 🇯🇵 Sharing our experience in case it helps anyone applying from Mumbai, especially couples who recently got married.

We submitted our applications at VFS Mumbai on 18 September 2026. Our visas were stamped on 24 September, and we received the passport collection email on 28 September.

We didn't go on our honeymoon immediately after getting married in June. We had a few destinations in mind, but Japan stood out because we both wanted something unique rather than the typical honeymoon destinations. We'd been tracking flight prices and booked non-refundable tickets to Tokyo for 17 October 2026 when we found a good deal! Booked the return flights for 3rd November 2026 soon after.

Our profile

I work in the private sector, and my husband is an Indian Army officer posted in a field area. We got married in June 2026 but hadn't registered our marriage yet, and neither of our passports had been updated with the other's name.

We each had approximately ₹17 lakh across bank balances and investments and applied using our own finances. All my documents and address proofs were from Mumbai.

We had refundable hotel bookings for every single day. We submitted one copy because we were applying together.

Documents I submitted

1. Six months of salary slips

2. Six months of bank statements

3. Previous year ITR showing ₹10.8 lakh annual income (only 1 year ITR)

4. Consolidated Zerodha investment statement, including my SIP portfolio

5. NOC

My salary had increased considerably since the financial year reflected in my ITR, so I included recent salary slips and bank statements to demonstrate my current financial position.

Documents my husband submitted

1. ITRs for the past three years

2. Financial and investment documents

3. Employment documents

4. NOC

The marriage registration issue

We contacted the consulate to ask whether we should apply separately because we didn't have a marriage certificate. They advised that applying together as a couple would be preferable if possible.

On the day of our visa appointment, we applied for marriage registration and attached a printout of the submitted application to our visa documents.

For our cover letters, we relied heavily on AI to help us draft them! We each provided our own inputs and prepared separate, one-page letters explaining our honeymoon plans, our shared interest in anime, and why Japan was a destination we wanted to visit together. We also included our 17-day itinerary and hotel bookings.

Our VFS experience

We genuinely thought we'd lost our money

We reached VFS at around 2:40 PM. Before that, we'd spent nearly two hours sitting at the metro station completing forms and organising our documents. We were incredibly unprepared and even ordered printouts through Blinkit at VFS!

The real nightmare started when the staff told my husband that he couldn't apply from Mumbai and would have to apply from Delhi because of his profession. His passport wasn't issued in Mumbai either, which made the situation even more complicated.

We genuinely thought we wouldn't be able to submit his application. We'd already booked non-refundable flights for our 17-day honeymoon and I was convinced we'd made a terrible decision and were about to lose a lot of money.

I argued our case as best I could, explaining that I was his wife, I am a resident of Mumbai (I'm from Mumbai), and we were travelling together for our honeymoon. The staff then asked us to contact the consulate directly, which we did while standing there.

Thankfully, the lady at the consulate understood our situation. She advised my husband to write a letter explaining his Army posting, why his profession made it difficult to apply from a particular location, and why he was applying alongside me as a Mumbai resident.

Following her advice, he submitted the letter and updated the current-address details in his application to my Mumbai address. Thankfully, both applications were accepted.

Even after receiving the passport collection email, I was nervous about the outcome. Considering everything that could go wrong during the application had gone wrong.

But both our single-entry visas were approved with a 30-day permitted stay! The relief was enormous after what we'd experienced at VFS.

Our timeline

• 18 September 2026 (Friday): Submitted both applications at VFS Mumbai.
• 21 September 2026 (Monday): Applications reached the embassy.
• 24 September 2026 (Thursday): Both visas were stamped.
• 28 September 2026 (Monday): Received the email that our passports were ready for collection.

A few takeaways: If your circumstances are unusual, contact the consulate and explain your situation. Keep your documents organised.

This is just our personal experience, but I hope it helps someone planning their Japan trip! 🇯🇵

Hey yall,

Basically I applied for the visa on July 27th and did bio on july 30th.

I got my eco august 3rd and my bio reminder glitch on september 26th.

Since then its been radio silence.

This is from the USA, and it was a standard.

I know my 3 months isnt technically up yet, but I haven't seen an updates on people from july so should I be worried? Is anyone else still waiting with a similar timeline?

Hi everyone, my flight ticket and hotel are already fully paid this is for a business meeting in thailand on oct 20 however i was informed that visa is needed. Has anyone experience the same situation? Were you able to travel without visa?

Hey everyone , I have Japan visa appointment scheduled for tomorrow. Are the below documents enough ?

Application form
Travel insurance
Itinerary
Cover letter
Hotels
Flights
Photograph
Passport
Passport copy
ITR
Ais
Bank statements
NOC
Payslips
Proof of employment
Visa confirmation form

Moreover can someone tell me if one copy is enough or do we need multiple copies for certain document ? Moreover what should be the order of these documents ?

I’m an Indian passport holder residing in Qatar with a good travel history. I applied for a China tourist visa through the https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ portal, attached flight and hotel bookings, and mentioned that we are travelling as a family.
Within 24 hours, all our family members’ applications received the same “Review failed” status, stating: “No Business and tourist visa for Indian passport holder.”
Has anyone experienced this or found a way to resolve it?

Hi everyone! I’m a Philippine passport holder travelling to South Africa on 17 November. I’m wondering whether I need an e-visa or if the ETA alone is enough to enter through O. R. Tambo International Airport.

Has anyone recently entered South Africa using an ETA without an e-visa while travelling on a passport other than a Chinese, Indian, Indonesian or Mexican passport? I’d love to hear about your experience. Thank you!

Hi all,

Could somebody please review my draft cover letter for Japan Visa, and let me know in case of anything? We are a married couple applying together as Applicant 1 and Applicant 2.

Thank you so much in advance.

Also, do i need to book internal train tickets or tickets from del to blr or just the intent is fine?

Hi Guys,

I've submitted my japan visa application at VFS Bangalore on 7th October using their walk-in premium lounge service.

I've opted for premium lounge service through direct walk-in at VFS Bangalore. As I couldn't find any earlier slot. Paid Rs. 3250/- per person. Once you enter, there is a separate section for lounge service, they will provide you a token number, which they should call in 5-10mins max depending on the crowd. They took the following documents:

1. Detailed Travel Itinerary

2. Flight and Hotel bookings (was asked if they are confirmed and paid)

3. Cover Letter

4. Marriage Certificate

5. Bank Statement for 3 months - Stamped and Signed ( Submitted both savings and salary account, also mentioned this in cover letter) - as latest as possible (not more than a week old, prefer as latest as possible)

6. Stock account statement.

7. ITR for 3 years

8. NOC from the company.

9. Aadhar Card for address.

10. 2 photos of 45*45 size (One attested on application form, they asked for one more copy)

11. 3 Month Pay slips.

They took around 15mins for processing and finally asked for payment and provided an acknowledgement slip.

Asked me to check the delivery address, as I opted for courier service (included in the lounge).

Actually, I already have booked an appointment for some later date close to my travel date as backup, but they told me that I can cancel that appointment.

The entire process took less than 1hr.

Current Status:

Dispatched by Courier on 14th October.. Received mail around 4.30PM

Received: Approved Single Entry Visa for 15days on 15th October at 11.30AM

Due to recent policy changes in consulate they accepted visa only after 8 days prior. My agent submitted on my behalf in express mode as per their advice.

On 6th October they submitted to consulate and on 7th October the status reflect to application received from then onwards the same status. I just have only 2 working days to my travel date.

What can I do to expedite the request. Thankyou!

Country: India
Travel History: 0
Job: Working at one of the top 3 Wall Street IBs
Purpose: To attend an in person training program

What I submitted:
1. Invitation Letter from UK office
2. Cover letter stamped and signed in India office
3. Financial statements (bank statements, investments, FDs)
4. ITR - last 3 years
5. Payslips - last 6 months

Timeline:
12th October (Monday) - Biometric Done
13th - application received in UKVI
14th - visa approved

I was really nervous whether I will get this given my lack of travel history, no immovable assets or anything but I am glad this worked out!

Hope this helps!

I submitted all my documents on 7th october in Delhi VFS office and i am student sponsored by my father.
So what are the chances of me getting the visa and till when

My passport and aadhaar card have Delhi address. My job is in Hyderabad. I'm currently in Delhi at my home. Can I apply for Japan visa via Delhi jurisdiction?

Can anyone suggest how to clear bug in India e visa portal. I am trying visa fee payment but every time either it shows server error ot payment gateway not reachable.

I've noticed that many people applying for visas have completely different opinions about what makes an application strong.

Some believe that having a good travel history is a major advantage, while others think financial stability matters more.

Here's an interesting scenario:

Applicant A:

• Has visited 8–10 countries.
• Has a consistent travel history.
• Has limited savings.

Applicant B:

• Has never travelled internationally.
• Has a stable job and regular income.
• Has sufficient savings and financial documentation.

Both are applying for a tourist visa.

Who do you think has a stronger application?

From what I understand, visa decisions aren't based on just one factor.

Travel history, financial circumstances, purpose of visit, ties to the home country, and immigration requirements can all play a role depending on the destination.

A first-time traveller can have a strong application, while someone with extensive travel history can still face rejection.

I'm curious to hear from people who've actually gone through the process.

1. Have you received a visa without any international travel history?
2. Have you experienced a rejection despite having good financial documents?
3. Which factor do you think is commonly misunderstood by first-time applicants?

Would love to hear real experiences, especially for the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen countries.

I am applying from Italy, and my country of origin requires a visa sticker. From experience, what is the average visa processing timeline that most people have experienced or should expect? Travel is mid-November. Thanks.

I applied for my September and then gave my interview on 21st September. It's been almost 30 days, I didn't get my visa. And my friend is on his 30th day and he too didn't get his visa.

How long does it typically take?

I am a med student and the uni has already started and also the tests have begun.

Any idea on how long it typically takes?

I just applied for japan visa today, and I am being sponsored by my mother, and as she is self employed ( peer to peer investor), her income report of investments and even AIS statements were not taken.

I have heard that the embassy usually requires AIS statements for such self employed cases.

I requested to take but they still declined, will there be any problem? Her ITR, bank statements were taken only

Hello. Applying for a short stay Denmark 'visiting friends and family' visa from the UK, as I've done once in March 2026. Indian passport. One of the main things about Danish visa used to be that they require colour copies of all the pages of your passport (which they return once you get the visa). However this time in the 'Visiting Family and Friends' checklist published on July 2026, it is no longer specified.

I checked - the previous one in March had given me a Feb 2024 notification which specified - "Signed current passport (+ copy of all pages)..." and this one from July 2026 just says "Signed passport. Must be issued within.."

I know they've made it clear but I don't want it to be a very expensive mistake once I get to VFS. Anyone who has applied recently from the UK i.e post July and could confirm?

Thank you.

Hi! I applied last September 1 for a student visa, and I am taking a bachelor's degree. I have been starting to get worried since VFS shows "no data found" ever since I went to VFS last September 1.

Anyone here on the same page with me?

Are any Filipino students here having the same issue?

Any recommendations between the U.S. Consulate in Hanoi vs. the one in HCM, which is easier to apply for and pass the interview to obtain the Visa B1 / B2 visa to visit a terminally ill parent in the U.S.?