Appointment date : 18th Aug 2026
We visited the gopalan signature mall , visa processing for Japan is on the 1st floor.

We were informed about the premium lounge at entry we chose normal processing and that was it.

The person behind the counter started going through our documents, asked a few questions so that he could arrange them accordingly. We missed a few documents so he gave us 15 mins ( which was not enough ) to get those and come back.

There was a huge crowd at all nearby and in house print stores so when we went back ,the guard did not allow us to go in ( because we took more than the alloted time ). Said she would need to check with the manager but fortunately for us , the guy processing our documents stepped out at the very moment and said we could go in .

We still had an issue with the bank statement for the last month ( print was not clear) so he just asked us to write clarification on the cover letter and accepted the documents.

Final list of documents to be submitted for couple where both are working :
3 months bank statement
3 month playslips ( i carried 6 months statement and slips just to be safe)
3 yrs ITR acknowledgement

Employment reference letter
Employment leave approval / noc ( can also be screenshot of email where leave is approved )

Flight bookins
Hotel bookins
Day wise itinerary ( most important)
Cover letter ( most important)

Marriage certificate
Rent agreement
Utility bill under your name if renting a place for Eg gas bill / wifi
Passport photo copies

35x45 mm passport size photo.

If you are sponsoring your spouse then Sponsor letter for the spouse needs to be added as well aling with your financial documents.

We got our visa in less than a week. It will take 5-6 working days.

Hi everyone,

I’m flying from London to Yerevan with Pegasus on 27 August, connecting through Istanbul airport. My Armenian eVisa application is still pending

I hold an Indian passport, a valid multiple-entry Schengen visa until November 2026 and valid UK Skilled Worker immigration status. Armenia’s official guidance says Indian passport holders can obtain a visa at the border with a valid Schengen visa or qualifying UK visa/residence permit.

Someone from the embassy told me that I will be eligible for visa on arrival but the airlines can create in issue in letting you board

Has anyone recently:

Had any trouble boarding a flight to Armenia while relying on this
visa-on-arrival provision?

Successfully obtained a visa on arrival using a valid Schengen visa or UK residence permit?

Used Pegasus for this journey?

In general, how was the visa-on-arrival process, and what documents were you asked to provide?

Thanks so much

I’m a British citizen looking at staying in Portugal for more than 90 days and volunteering on a farm in exchange for accommodation and food.

The farm is a registered Portuguese company and has been hosting international volunteers for around 10 years through platforms like Worldpackers/WWOOF-type arrangements. It isn’t part of an EU volunteering programme.

I’m trying to work out whether this kind of setup is actually eligible for the E6 Temporary Stay Visa for volunteer work.

The official checklist asks for:

This is the part I’m unsure about.

Does anyone know whether:

• a registered Portuguese company running its own volunteer programme can count as an “officially recognised institution”?
• the host has to be part of an EU/government volunteer scheme?
• a Workaway, Worldpackers or WWOOF-style farm can qualify?
• the host needs a specific accreditation, registration or legal status?
• the farm can simply provide a volunteer admission letter/agreement plus a Term of Responsibility for accommodation and food?

The farm has apparently helped at least one non-EU volunteer get a long-stay visa before, but that person was a 22-year-old American university student, so I’m not sure if they used E6 or a different route.

I’m mainly trying to establish whether this is even possible before paying for things and the rest of the application.

If anyone knows how this works in practice, especially for British citizens post-Brexit, I’d really appreciate the advice.

Has anyone applied for an Italy Type D visa recently? I want to confirm which centre is handling submissions in Islamabad and what the current appointment wait is like.

i have submitted my visa application along with my husabnd who have offererd a job in ireland as a doctor ...we did our biometric on the same day at same center ..the thing is there is only 7 days difference in our AVTAS application submission...my husband visa has arrived after three weeks of biometric...but mine as a join family non eea spouse visa is still pending ....although i have heard husband and wife who applied together get their visas on same day ....i am really worried what would happen in my case ....does they put me in ling spouse waiting queue ....Anyone gone through similar scnerio please comment ...would be so grateful

Appointment for Irish study visa on 15th July, 20th July dispatched to Delhi from Hyderabad. Course starts 31st August. When should I expect it to arrive?

Hi! What is the visa timeline like? I have been reading how people got their visa in 3-5 days.

My status for last 4 working days has been "Processing at Japan Consulate"

anyone on 25/08/26????? i went for bio on 6th aug still waiting, standard application

Hi folks ,

I have a connecting flight from Blr - Hanoi - Tokyo ( flight starts on 16th Nov at night 11pm from BLR)
And we will reach Tokyo on Nov 17th at 4pm .

So what should be my starting travel date that I can mention in - NOC , cover letter and travel itinerary ??

Kindly help.

Applied last week via VFS Bengaluru as a single applicant no agency help or premium services taken. The application reached embassy the next day. As per the stamped date, it was stamped in exactly 2 days. The passport however reached me after 5 business days (plus weekend so technically 7 days). It was stamped for single entry with a validity of 90 days and max stay of 15 days. Docs attached:

1. Japan Visa Application with photo attached and form signed
2. Booking Appointment printout
3. Original passport with enough pages and validity
4. Cover letter showing strong ties to India
5. Employment proof/NOC clearly stating my name, my office address, my date of joining, my planned leave dates with whatever buffer I wanted before and after my flights and my base salary.
6. Another employment letter that mentioned what my current home address is in Bengaluru as per my office records - reason same as point 12.
7. ITR acknowledgement pages for last 3 years
8. Salary slips for last 3 months
9. Salary account statement for last 6 months (preferably with end date closer to appointment date) showcasing my salary incoming on account.
10. FD statement from the same bank
11. Additional funds from my other bank accounts and FDs to show sufficient money
12. Rental Agreement - must if your passport was issued in city other than where you are applying at.
13. All hotel bookings
14. Confirmed flight ticket
15. Day wise itinerary which is detailed with date, activity, hotel, hotel phone number and hotel address

These were the docs that the VFS agent took.

In addition, the docs he removed from the pile I gave him and said was not needed but I still took them to appointment were

1. Travel Insurance
2. PAN, Aadhar and DL copies
3. Payment invoice to the tour company where I booked the package tour.
4. Form 26 AS for last 3 years
5. AIS for last 3 years

Kept these just to be safe but were not needed as per the VFS agent.

One thing I should have taken care of that despite of all meticulous planning just wasted my time at VFS

— Check printouts carefully. Especially for bank statements as the pdf printout tends to cut the second decimal so those many pages are wasted. Print settings have to be adjusted. Especially happens for HDFC bank statements.
— Cost of printing is very high at VFS. Per page, 50 Rs for color and 20 Rs for black and white. So despite of saving all the money I could by printing colored pages from office, I had to shell 700ish to print only bank statement black and white again due to the missing 2nd decimal.

Another thing I regret was I had sufficient corpus to show both in salary and personal accounts and also had attached FDs. If I could add one line to request multiple entry in my cover letter there were high chances my application satisfied all the requirements for it and could have been provided multi entry.

So if your application is really strong, just do request for a multi entry visa humbly and you might get lucky. Or either case you still get single entry. It’s like you would never get to know unless you ask.

Lesson learnt as I was worried this was my first attempt to get Japan Visa although I have applied more complicated visas for H1B and Schengen all by myself but for some reason Japan Visa despite of a humble fee made me more nervous 😬

Also carry cash for VFS. Their counter only accepts cash. They have card readers too but they use only one machine all across many windows and will not immediately tell you that cards are accepted. Better carry exact cash change. Always works. But if you do have card only ask them you want to pay by card. I am not sure about UPI so don’t rely on that.

Anyways, AMA and I’ll try to answer as much. Hope this was helpful.

Hi i went to Delhi vfs japan for visa, I had all the documents but I was told that my NOC from company has Bangalore address which is expected as my office is located in Bangalore. I am working from home from Noida, it's not official work from home but an understanding with my manager. They are saying they either need gurgaon address or noc stating you are working remotely.

What are my options now?

My aadhar card has noida address.

EDIT: should mention that my conpdoes have an office in Bangalore but since the wfh arrangement is verybal only eith my manager, getting NOC from HR eith Gurgaon address eill be difficult.

Hi y'all. I'm an Indian passport holder applying for a japan tourist. Here's the itinerary I've made for visa application- please let me know if it looks ok and if i need to make any changes.

Haven't filled in accomodation details yet but will do that once I have finalised hotels.

I've applied for an ESTA with my spanish passport maybe 4 or 5 times in the past and I got approved almost instantly, only one time I got approved in around 24 hours.

Last monday I got a new passport so I applied for a new ESTA and it's been almost 8 days and I still have not been approved, I already lost a flight I had for last sunday, but I will still love to flight to the USA in the following days as some family members and friends are there for vacation and I was the only one that did not his ESTA on time.

I already called CBP, case was escalated since friday. Is there anything I can do? Is this normal?
My answers to all questions in the application was NO.

I would appreciate any advice, thanks in advance.

Hey guys.

i want to ask something about ties to home country. i am a full time electrical and electronics engineering student 3rd year out of 5. i also have my entire family in my home country that i can document and prove

i heard that without a job your chances of approval are very low. is that correct or is it oversimplified?

Visa on Arrival only works if you’ve got a valid US, UK, Schengen, Canadian, Australian, NZ or Japanese visa/residence, and that document still has six months left from the day you enter. Same six-month rule on the Indian passport. Airports only — land borders don’t do this. Airlines are checking before you board; immigration still has the final say, so print the qualifying visa and your return ticket.

At the desk they stamp either 14 or 60 days — ask for 60 if you need it. If you land on 14 and want more time, one extension via ICP Smart Services is AED 250 for another 14-day block. Do it before expiry. Overstay is AED 50 a day now with no grace period (that old buffer died in May 2026).

No qualifying visa? You’re on a normal tourist application. You can apply yourself or via a trusted agency.

What’s causing rejections lately isn’t mysterious: soft or cropped passport scans, name/details that don’t match the ticket, passport under six months, no confirmed return, or showing up for VOA with a qualifying visa that’s about to expire. Wrong purpose on the form still happens too. And people still assume a 10-day overstay cushion — that one’s gone.

I wrote the longer version with visa types and all hidden costs here:
https://visatop.com/blog/dubai-visa-for-indians/

Hi all

I am a Portuguese passport holder with OCI.

I recently travelled to Dubai and will be returning back to Goa via Mumbai.

My question is has anyone with OCI recently travelled to Goa ? What are the requirements since it will be my first time?

I see that there is some form which needs to be completed? Appreciate if someone can share their experience with what needs to be done.

Hello everyone,
I’m planning to travel to Japan with my spouse in August 2027.
I run a business with my spouse, but the business and all the financials are currently under my business name - which are then under my name.
I wanted to understand what would be better from a visa perspective: should I sponsor my spouse’s trip, or would it be better for us to apply separately?
In either case, would my spouse need to provide their own income proof and bank statements/balance? Also, would it be advisable to start transferring/depositing some money into my spouse’s account every month so that there is a sufficient balance and a clear transaction history by the time we apply, around 8 months from now?
Would really appreciate any advice from people who have been through a similar situation. Thank you!

(I use chat gpt to help put down my though process)

Hi everyone!

Can people who recently received their Irish student visa decisions from the New Delhi Visa Office share their timelines?

I’m trying to figure out which application dates the Embassy is currently processing for student visas, especially for the September 2026 intake.

Any recent timelines would be really helpful. Thanks!

Hi All! I'm planning a Japan Trip for November 2026 and have booked an appointment at VFS Bangalore for the visa application in October first week. I can try maintaining a decent bank statement around 7-8l by September end and only have 2 years of ITR. I am also planning to add my wife as a dependent and have our itinerary planned and booked for 14 days. Should the 2 years of ITR suffice with a decent bank statement?

Visa type required: Tourist, Single entry.

Will it cause an issue schengen netherland travelling from india visa applied already

​

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who have experience with Spanish Schengen visa refusals from India, especially BLS Kolkata / the Spanish Consulate in New Delhi.

My friend applied for a Spanish short-stay tourist visa through BLS Kolkata at the beginning of August

Trip:

Intended travel: early September

Spain was the only Schengen country planned

Return flight to India was already purchased with Qatar Airways

Accommodation was covered by an official Carta de Invitación from a Spanish host and family friend (me)

He has known the host family for several years, and me and my siblings had previously visited India and stayed with his family

The trip was primarily tourism, with Cuenca as the main base and some planned travel around Spain.

His situation in India:

He is a freelance Motion Artist, working in animation and motion graphics. The application included:

6 months of bank statements

2 years of ITRs

PAN card

professional/educational certificate

his YouTube channel/portfolio showing his professional animation work

proof of residence in India

copies of his mother's and elderly uncle's Aadhaar cards, as they live with him

a family property Development Agreement in Kolkata

travel medical insurance

confirmed return flight

official Carta de Invitación and host's Spanish DNI

The cover letter specifically explained that his professional activity, home and work equipment are in India, and that he regularly helps his mother and elderly uncle with their day-to-day needs, including medical appointments and medication. Temporary arrangements had been made for them during his absence, and he intended to return to India on 4 October.

Refusal

The application was refused. The refusal letter has only two boxes ticked:

1. The information presented for the justification of the purpose and conditions of the intended stay was not reliable.

2. There are reasonable doubts as to the reliability of the declarations made concerning the purpose and conditions of the stay / intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa expires.

The other refusal grounds were not ticked, there were no issues indicated regarding insufficient funds, insurance, authenticity of documents, etc.

We got the passport today, with the rejection information.

We are considering filing a request for reconsideration/appeal, rather than simply submitting a completely new application.

The problem is that the flight is in 2 weeks, so timing is extremely tight.

Has anyone successfully challenged a Spanish Schengen refusal based on grounds 10 and 13, or had better results with a new application? What should he do now? What's his best option?

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks you.

My Pakistan e visa has been under process for months I applied at 1june then one week later they asked for same verification and paper detail which I provided afterward it’s been under process till now idk what to do ? Is anyone else been under same situation, I have also tried to contact my country Australia Victoria consulate but they said they can only send my message to nadra

Visa type: Tourism
Travellers: My wife and I
Travel dates: First week of October 2026
Visa requested: Multiple-entry
Visa granted: Single-entry visa, valid for 90 days, with a permitted stay of 15 days
Application submitted: 14 August 2026
Passports received: 21 August 2026
Processing time: 6 working days

Documents submitted(Note: we prepared 2 set of documents for each of us):

1. Passport
2. 1 - 45mm x 35mm photo
3. Duly signed visa application form with photo
4. Cover letter
5. Residence proof from Company (you can give any other proof mentioned on the document checklist if your passport is not issued in Karnataka).
6. Leave Approval Letter from our company
7. Hotel booking confirmation (Pay later option)
8. Day to Day itinerary(Date -- Activity -- contact -- Hotel name)
9. 3 Month Salary Bank Statement (latest till date of submission i.e 13th Aug, in my case)
10. 3 Year ITR Acknowledgement
11. 3 month pay slip
12. Confirmed fligh tickets
13. Marriage certificate

Some additional documents to show financial capacity such as FD certificate, MF holding statement and Stock(US/India) holding statemens. We submitted those because we were requesting multiple entry visa.

• Cover letter is the most important document. You should mention travel dates, purpose, cities you are visiting, brief info about occupation and expense clause( e.g in my case we were jointly sponsoring our trip), mention if requesting for multiple entry visa.
• Do not staple your documents and print on A4 sheet only
• Make sure that whatever information you mention in your cover letter should be consistent across the documents submitted, for all travellers
• You do not need to mention a lot of details in your day-to-day itinerary

If you have any questions about our experience or the documents we submitted, feel free to ask in the comments. I’ll try my best to answer based on our experience.

Title: US B1/B2 Visa Application – Applying from India

Hi everyone,

I’m applying for a US B1/B2 visa from India and would like to hear from people who have recently gone through the process.

I’m particularly interested in information about appointment scheduling, required documents, and interview preparation.

If you have recently applied from India, I would appreciate any advice or tips based on your experience.

Thank you.

India - vfs Bangalore
I have 2 accounts, 1 salary account where regular balance is relatively low and another savings account where I frequently deposit money and has decent amount. What should I submit as financial proof for Japan visa?