Japan visa from India: What not to do, according to a traveller whose application was rejected twice |

An Indian traveller lost over ₹1 lakh on a planned Japan trip after their tourist visa was rejected twice, despite meticulous preparation and a strong profile. The lack of explanation for the rejections, even when a co-traveller with the same itinerary was approved, highlights a concerningly opaque system. This experience serves as a stark warning for future applicants.

Applying for a visa can be a dicey task at times. Even after doing everything by the book, you might still not get through due to one reason or the other. Likewise, applying for a Japan visa is also a straightforward process, and we have come across many accounts who shared that they got their visa approved without any hassle, there are also a handful of candidates who got their visa rejected.Here, we take a closer look at an Indian traveller’s online account of losing over INR 1 lakh on a planned December 2025 Japan trip, despite claiming that his tourist visa application was ‘perfect.’He goes on to explain on reddit how their visa application to Japan was rejected not once, but twice, without any written explanation, email, or refusal slip, even as one of their co-travellers received approval for the same itinerary.Read on to understand things you should remember while applying for a visa.

Everything was done by the book, and still rejected

According to the him, he followed the official checklist issued by VFS Global and the Japan Embassy in India, which explicitly asks for confirmed flight tickets and accommodation bookings for the entire stay.Trusting these instructions, he went ahead and booked fully paid, largely non-refundable international flights and hotels across Tokyo, Osaka, Takayama and Shirakawa-go. The total spend crossed INR 1,00,000.His visa was rejected. One of the most jarring aspects is the lack of any formal communication. Japan’s visa process does not provide rejection reasons, missing-document notes, or clarification channels. Applicants simply receive their passport back with no visa stamp and no explanation.For a country known for efficiency, this was shocking, the post reads.

Group application confusion

The traveller was part of a group of four. One friend applied earlier, individually, and received a visa. The remaining three applied together later and were all rejected, despite submitting identical documents, itineraries, flights, hotels and financial proofs.The post alleges that VFS staff insisted the applicants submit as a group and refused to accept individual applications, only to later imply that one applicant in the group may have caused the rejection.The traveller argues this creates a dangerous situation where:Applicants are forced to apply togetherOne person’s perceived ‘risk’ can lead to collective rejectionNo one is told what went wrong Read more: People travelling to Japan, don’t do these 5 things

Strong financial and professional profile still didn’t help

The applicant says they submitted:

After the first rejection, the traveller contacted the embassy directly and was reportedly told not to reapply within six months. According to the official, any application submitted within that period is automatically flagged by the system and returned without being reviewed by an officer.The traveller still reapplied due to the money already spent, and received their passport back, unchanged, confirming what they had been warned.The financial loss included non-refundable flights, partially refundable hotels, attraction tickets and internal travel. While the applicant admits booking non-refundable flights was a mistake, they argue the current system, which demands confirmed bookings, puts applicants in a high-risk situation. Read more: 5 countries Indian passport holders can visit with a Japan visa

A warning for future applicants

The post ends with clear advice to other Indians planning a Japan trip:

As Japan remains one of the most aspirational destinations for Indian travellers, the post has resonated widely online — highlighting how opaque visa systems can turn dream holidays into costly disappointments, even for well-prepared applicants.Disclaimer: The above article is based on a Reddit post and Times of India has not verified the veracity of the claim