I submitted my passport on 31st July and additional documents a week later, but my visa is still under process at the consulate. My travel date is fast approaching with less than a week left. VFS has been of no help, and asked me to submit an expedition letter. Has anything like this happened to anyone else? What are the usual processing times for the visa? Will I receive it before the travel dates?

Travel history: one previous international trip with an e-visa.

Hello all. i want to apply for a UK visitor visa in october of this year to travel in january

context: i have my own hotel bookings and itinerary for the 10 days. im going as a tourist and im going as a fully sponsored, by my father, applicant.

however, i have a girlfriend in the UK. i have been researching on whether or not i should declare her but im seeing that the application form does not even ask for a girlfriend. they ask for civil partnership, married, fiancee, unmarried partner etc. my girlfriend qualifies for none of these.

in addition to that, itinerary my is that of a pure tourist cuz i really will be sightseeing around the UK. and its realistic for a single person too.

my question is should i declare my girlfriend abruptly? shes not hosting, shes not funding nor is she sponsoring me and the form doesnt even ask bout "friends in the UK" or general romantic interests.

i do not have family in the UK either.

I am an American and my husband is a Greek citizen. We got married here in New York City. I plan on moving to Greece with him. Should I apply for my visa thru family reunification here in New York before I go or should I travel to Greece with no visa under the 90 day tourist visit and apply for family reunification when I arrive in Greece? I have an appt with the Greek embassy/consulate in New York in October but I was hoping to get more information before then. Can anyone give any advice or help with this process? It would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

Hey everyone! 👋 Wanted to share my recent B1/B2 visa experience to help others preparing for their interview. Here is a complete breakdown of my experience, key takeaways, and the exact questions asked.

Quick Profile Context:

• Visa Type: B1/B2 (Business / Corporate travel)
• Location: New Delhi US Consulate

📄 Biometrics (VAC): Documents & Rules

Documents to carry: 🗂️

1. Latest passport and all old passports 🛂
2. Appointment confirmation page 📄
3. DS-160 confirmation page 📝

Do’s & Don’ts for Biometrics:

• Folder: Carry all your documents in a transparent document folder 📁.
• Timing: Try to arrive early (about 1 hour early is fine; they usually allow entry) ⏰.
• Electronics & Gadgets: Absolutely no electronics allowed (phones, smartwatches, fitness bands, wireless earbuds, or electronic car key fobs) 📵.
• Metals: Avoid carrying metallic items like keys or big metal buckles, though security may occasionally permit minor items 🔑.

🏛️ Interview Day: Step-by-Step Security & Flow

1. Outer Security Check: Joined the main queue outside the Embassy. Security frisks every individual 👮‍♂️. No electronics permitted (though basic analog watches with metal straps were allowed ⌚).
   • Tip: Men can carry standard wallets (cash/cards) 👛. Women can carry small purses (subject to security discretion) 👜.
   • Tip: Empty water bottles are allowed inside 💧.
2. Passport Sticker Verification: Security scans the sticker placed on the back of your passport during the Biometrics appointment 🏷️.
3. Airport-Style Security Check: Allowed inside the main gate in batches of 5 for a second, thorough airport-style scanning check ✈️.
4. Waiting Area (Open Campus): Waited under a glass shelter in a queue of 15 people 🪑. There are washrooms and drinking water stations here.
   • Tip: Bring a water bottle! 🍾 There were no paper cups, and most people were drinking directly from their hands. Expect the longest wait here (around 1 hour) ⏳.
5. Fingerprint Verification & Lineup: Allowed inside the main building 15 at a time 🏢. Passports are verified again, fingerprints are re-checked at a counter 🖐️, and then you join the queue for the interview windows 🪟.

🎙️ The Interview Experience

>Context: The interviewer I got had rejected 3 families and 4 individuals right before my turn 😬. He was asking rapid-fire, tough questions and cutting people off midway through answers—clearly testing how candidates handle pressure 📈. I made sure to stay calm, open, and confident 🧘‍♂️.

Questions Asked:

• Why are you visiting the US? ✈️
• Why are you needed at your employer HQ? Can't you get your work done over conference calls online? 💻
• What are your current roles & responsibilities? 👔
• What is your total work experience? Tell me about your past career/roles and how long you've been at your current employer. 🏢
• Is anyone else from your organization traveling with you? 👥

After I answered the last question while keeping my composure despite being interrupted a few times, he smiled and said:

>"I like your patience and honesty. Okay, Visa Approved!" 🎉🥳
(He retained my passport and I received the passport in 4 days over courier).

💼 Documents I Brought vs. What Was Asked

What I Carried: 📚

• Current passport & all old passports 🛂
• DS-160 & Appointment Confirmation 📄
• Official Invite Letter & Cover Letter from employer ✉️
• Financials: Bank statements (3 months) 🏦, Payslips (3 months) 💵, ITR (3 years) 📑, Form 16 (3 years) 🧾
• Additional Supporting Docs: PF statement, Stock/ULIP investment statements 📊, Degree certificates 🎓, Government IDs, Credit/Debit cards 💳

What Was Actually Asked For:

• Only my latest passport. 🛂 The interviewer did not ask to see a single document from my file!

Note for business applicants: Even though my document folder wasn't opened, I noticed several other interviewers asking business visa applicants specifically for their company invitation letters. Always carry your full set of supporting documents just in case! 🎒

💡 Key Takeaway

Stay calm, don't let rapid-fire questions or interruptions make you nervous 🧠, keep your answers crisp and honest ✨, and stay patient throughout the process!

Good luck to everyone preparing for their interviews! 🍀 Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below 👇

Is there anyone who has applied for the Irish student visa from India between the 24th-30th of June ? Isn’t it taking too much time for the Visa to arrive? The courses start from next week and still there is no update on the visa.

Hi friends. This link here : https://assets.ctfassets.net/xxg4p8gt3sg6/5jZ826YAOjOtWgD47WFvVV/5c1ef1a9916f3b4bf3ea907680f36a37/MULTIPLE-4-_Indian-Nationals-with-sufficient-financial-capacity_.pdf

does not mention the docs required like flight / hotel bookings / itinerary. Am I referring to a wrong link? Planning to apply via Delhi VFS.

I'm applying for a Japan tourist visa from India and had a question about the itinerary.

If I submit a 40 day itinerary instead of a 30 day one, does it increase the chances of getting a multiple entry visa? My thinking is that Japan often issues a 1 month single entry visa, so I'm avoiding a 30 day itinerary in case it influences the decision.

Would you recommend submitting a 40 day itinerary, or is it better to keep it closer to my actual travel plans? Has anyone from India received a multiple entry visa with a longer itinerary?

Hey everyone!

My wife and I recently received our stamped passports back with approved Japanese Tourist Visas via VFS Bengaluru! 🥳

Since putting together a visa file—especially when managing onward itineraries and dependent spouse sponsorship—can feel overwhelming with conflicting advice online, I wanted to share a comprehensive breakdown of our application setup, processing timeline, and key lessons learned.

👤 1. Applicant Profile Overview

• 🗓️ Travel Dates: Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026 (Japan) followed by Oct 16 – Oct 20 (Hong Kong)
• 💼 Primary Applicant: Employed in IT (Senior Engineering Manager), 15+ years experience
• 🌐 Travel History: Strong prior international history including Schengen (France, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal), Mauritius, and an active US B1/B2 Visa
• 🏠 Co-Applicant (Spouse): Full-time Homemaker (100% sponsored by primary applicant)
• ✅ Visa Granted: Single Entry Tourist Visa | ⏳ Validity: 90 Days (Aug 12, 2026 – Nov 12, 2026) | 📌 Stay Duration: 15 Days

⏳ 2. Complete Processing Timeline (VFS Bengaluru)

• 🗓️ Aug 10, 2026 (Mon): Submitted documents at VFS Bengaluru (Gopalan Innovation Mall). Evening notification confirmed dispatch to the central processing desk.
• 🏛️ Aug 11, 2026 (Tue): File arrived at the Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru. Tracking status updated to under process.
• ⏳ Aug 12–13, 2026: Under process at the Consulate.
• 🏔️ Aug 14, 2026 (Fri): Official Consular Holiday. Consulate was closed for Mountain Day (Yama no Hi - Observed).
• 🇮🇳 Aug 15–16, 2026: Non-working weekend + Indian Independence Day.
• 🚚 Aug 17, 2026 (Mon): Dispatch notification received around 6:00 PM ("Processed application has been dispatched via courier"). Live tracking updated on Blue Dart around 10:30 PM 📦.
• 📬 Aug 18, 2026 (Tue): Delivered via Blue Dart courier 🛵. Both passports verified with stamped visa stickers! ✈️

⚡ Total Consular Processing Time: Exactly 4 active working days (excluding holidays and weekends).

📑 3. Document Organization & Application Setup

>👔 Primary Applicant File

• 🛂 Passport: Original passport plus clear photocopies of the bio pages (first and last)
• 📝 Visa Application Form: Fully completed and signed with photograph glued as per specifications (35mm x 45mm, white background)
• 🏢 Employment Proof: Official Leave Approval / NOC on company letterhead stating approved travel dates and return-to-work date, plus last 3 months salary slips
• 🏦 Financial Records: 4 months original bank statements (stamped and signed by the bank), last 3 years ITR-V acknowledgements, along with auxiliary asset summaries (PF statement, Demat stock holdings, US equity portfolio, and ULIP policies)
• ✈️ Travel Itinerary Proofs: Flight booking prints (BLR to TYO, KIX to HKG, HKG to BLR) using verifiable hold tickets/PNRs. Confirmed Pay-at-Hotel reservations via standard booking portals for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kansai Airport. Detailed day-by-day table outlining daily activities, base cities, and hotel details
• ✉️ Cover Letter: Detailed narrative explaining travel purpose, flight sequence, financial standing, and employment continuity

>👗 Co-Applicant File (Spouse / Homemaker)

• 📝 Application Form: Occupation marked clearly as Homemaker
• 🤝 Sponsorship Letter: Signed by primary applicant confirming 100% financial coverage for all travel and accommodation costs
• ✍️ Non-Working Declaration: Signed letter confirming non-working status and intent to return strictly as per itinerary. Idea was to clearly highlight that the spouse was a full time homemaker
• 📜 Proof of Kinship: Marriage Certificate copy plus primary applicant listed as spouse on her passport bio page

💡 4. Key Takeaways for Future Applicants

>A. How VFS Handles Joint Family Dossiers 📂

When applying as a couple or family, VFS officers will review the stack and return duplicate financial prints from the co-applicant's pile. Do not be concerned. VFS merges the two applications into a single Joint Family Dossier. The primary applicant's folder acts as the master financial record, while the spouse's folder holds their personal form, passport, marriage proof, sponsorship letter, and declaration letter.

>B. Single Entry "Validity" vs. "Stay Duration" 🗓️

Japanese visas display two distinct metrics that cause frequent confusion:

• 🪟 Period of Validity / Entry Window: In our case, Aug 12 to Nov 12 (90 Days). This is the window within which you must pass through Japanese port-of-entry immigration.
• ⏱️ Duration of Stay: Granted for 15 Days. In Japanese immigration practice, your actual 15-day stay allowance begins on the day after you land (landing day is counted as Day 0).

>C. Single Entry vs. Multiple Entry Outcomes 🎯

Even with an extensive travel history to G7 nations and strong financial documentation, Japanese Consulates regularly grant a Single-Entry Tourist Visa for first-time visits to Japan. Establishing a clean travel record on your first visit makes acquiring a 3-year or 5-year multiple-entry visa on future applications much smoother!

>🌸 Super excited to get started on our trip to Tokyo 🗼, Kyoto ⛩️, and Osaka 🏯! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below! 👇

Has anyone received a new UAE visa — tourist, dependent/family, student, employment, etc. — since around April 2026?

I am trying to apply dependent visa for my wife, so I want to decide whether visa can be issued before travelling this soon.

I've heard conflicting information about whether new applications from Bangladeshi nationals are currently being processed, so I'm looking for recent first-hand experiences rather than rumours.

If you were approved, could you mention the visa type, emirate and approximate month of approval? No personal details needed.

A friend has been coming to Thailand for the past 15 years, each time 2/3 weeks and two to three times a year. Never over stayed and never extended.

However, stayed for two months once, march and April 2026 - and back now for another two months. So this time (today) he got stopped, questioned, asked about showing enough funds, return ticket, etc. The reason was because of this being the second time asking 2 months stay. Although he had everything, the additional officers that came in to assist in a decision were joking that Pattaya (as that is the first stop), need the client now… so boy and gals, sort your Visas!

I personally believe instead of given free visa to 90+ nationalities, the country need long term staying to apply for a visa, those fees could be put to a good use.

Recently me and wife applied for a tourist visa for Japan. Submitted our documents at VFS and within 3 working days received a message, our passports were ready for collection.

Amazing turn around time and lowest visa cost of ₹500 per person.

\#japantouristvisa

I wanted to know whether I can submit the visa documents on behalf of my girlfriend without her visiting the VFX office? Does it require some kind of letter of authorization from her? If yes, can you please provide some kind of format to go by?
Also, we are travelling together, and certain hotel bookings are solely under my name (although the number of guests is mentioned as 2). Will that be an issue?

Hey guys where are you on visa decisions for ireland i have also applied on june 30th - File reached embassy on july 3rd
Really anxious about the visa decision
can i know is there anyone around my dates who have received their decisions today or probably in last 2 weeks?

I am currently living in cyprus and want to apply for a france shenghen visa. is the below correct or not?

“If your Cyprus residence permit expires on 1 November, your French visa can only be valid until 1 November”

I recently had 2 france visas with a validity of 6 months when i applied from my home country, but now having a residence permit is making it stressful. any idea?

I had applied for a multiple entry tourist visa from vfs bangalore location but got single entry.

Submitted at VFS: 10th Aug

Reached Consulate: 11th Aug

Processed: 17th Aug

Delivered: 18th Aug

I thought I would get multiple entry but then checked here on Reddit that they don’t usually grant multiple entry for first time travellers. I had some good balance in savings, few international travel history and mentioned a pretty valid reason too in the cover letter but I guess will have to wait for next time.

Has anyone received multiple entry visa from them?

hi all, those who have applied visa on last week July and 1st week Au, have y’all got any update on your visa?

25F.
freelancer.
travelled to two SEA countries before.
two visa rejections (usa and schengen)
most of my liquid savings are in crypto. bank balance: 4lacs/ 4k usd.
my mexican boyfriend will be my host.
dyou guys think it will get accepted?
what else can i do to make my aplication more solid?

Hi guys ,

I just needed some assurance since I am confused how much bank balance is required for japan visa ,I will also be sponsoring my wife.

I currently have around 2.55L in my salary account .

My salary is around 1.75L

I also cam attach mutual fund /stocks if needed as I mostly invest everything from salary ,hence do not maintain high balance.

The trip will be for 12 days.

Also one more thing is I am applying through an agent with dummy tickets and itenary .

Please help and guide if needed,Thnks!

Hey everyone!

Just got my passport back with an approved Japan Tourist Visa (Short-Term Stay) processing through VFS Gurgaon (Embassy of Japan).

Since I had a few micro-hiccups during my application process (and figured out the workarounds thanks to this community), I wanted to post my complete timeline, exact document stack, and key learnings to help out anyone currently applying.

📅 Timeline

• Aug 6, 2026: Submitted physical application at VFS Gurgaon counter.
• Aug 7, 2026: Application forwarded to Japan Operation Center / Embassy of Japan.
• Aug 12, 2026: Visa processed, stamped, and passport returned! (Total time: ~5–6 working days).

📄 Exact Document Stack Submitted (In Order)

1. Original Passport
2. Visa Application Form (2 pages, filled in block letters, single white-background 2x2 photo glued—not stapled—on page 1).
3. Cover Letter (Addressed to The Visa Officer, Embassy of Japan, New Delhi).
4. Schedule of Stay / Itinerary Table (Clean 1-page daily schedule specifying entry flight, daily day-trips, and hotel contact info).
5. Flight Reservation (Initial flight reservation/hold details matching the Schedule of Stay dates - They were Emirates hold the price (72 hours so they got expired as soon as my application reached the embassy so NO THEY DO NOT ASK CONFIRMED FLIGHT BOOKINGS).
6. Hotel Confirmation Voucher (Fully verifiable booking PDF with reference number, hotel address, and contact number) - Used Accor Pay at Hotel
7. Bank Statements (Last 6 months, original with physical bank seal and sign).
8. Income Tax Returns (ITR-V) (Last 3 years acknowledgment).
9. Employment Proof:
   • NOC from employer.
   • Last 3 months' salary slips.
10. Passport Photocopies (Bio pages - First & Last page).

💡 Key Takeaways & Lessons Learned

1. Cover Letter Essentials: Keep it brief! You don't need to put the full hotel address in the cover letter text—just state your main base hotel name, travel dates, and purpose of travel. Save the full address/phone for the Application Form & Itinerary Table.
2. Flight Holds / PNR Expiry: My initial unpaid Emirates flight hold expired and got canceled midway through embassy processing (as system holds normally do after 24–72h). Don't panic! The embassy is aware that un-ticketed hold reservations drop off. As long as your initial submitted itinerary dates line up with your hotel bookings, they process it smoothly. If they need active tickets, they simply request updated files via email.
3. Payment at VFS Gurgaon: If you don't have a cheque book for a Demand Draft, Please arrange one. at VFS Delhi they accept Cash but since Gurgaon is like a dropbox you have to have DD (800 VFS Fees + 500 Japan Visa Fees + Optional 500 Courier Fees)
4. Schedule of Stay Alignment: Ensure your Schedule of Stay table fits on 1 page and check for typos/formatting bugs before printing to PDF. Double-check hyphens or line breaks so text doesn't wrap weirdly into the wrong columns.

Happy to answer any questions in the comments about document prep, cover letters, or VFS Delhi submission! Ask Me Anything! 🇯🇵✈️