Japan visa requirements for Vietnamese citizens

Where to apply: designated agencies, by region

The Embassy of Japan in Viet Nam states that applications are received through the outsourcing agencies it designates and, for package tours, the designated travel companies; only spouses and children of Japanese nationals and a few official categories may apply at the consular window. Each agency sets its own service fee. Jurisdiction follows your province: the Hanoi embassy from Hà Tĩnh northwards; the Consulate-General in Da Nang (accepting short-term visas since 1 June 2024) for Đà Nẵng, Thừa Thiên Huế, Quảng Trị, Quảng Ngãi and Gia Lai; the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City from Đắk Lắk southwards. Applications may be made up to three months before entry.

The eVISA route is open only to Vietnamese residents joining a package tour organised by a designated travel company, who receive a 15-day electronic visa filed by the company. Independent travellers cannot use JAPAN eVISA from Viet Nam.

Fee and processing time

For applications accepted between 1 July 2026 and 31 March 2027 the Hanoi embassy lists VND 2,590,000 for a single-entry visa and VND 5,170,000 for a double or multiple visa (Indian nationals applying in Viet Nam: VND 140,000). Before the revision the single fee was VND 520,000. The fee is not refunded and nothing is charged if the visa is refused; the agency’s own fee is separate. Processing is a minimum of six working days in Hanoi (since 1 February 2024) and five in Ho Chi Minh City, counted from the day after acceptance; interviews, requests for more documents and referrals to Tokyo add weeks, and no visa is expedited except in humanitarian cases involving human life. Both missions name their peak seasons, late February to early April and late September to late October, and advise applying early then.

The self-funded tourism list ("du lịch tự túc")

The Hanoi embassy’s list of 17 January 2024, mirrored by Ho Chi Minh City, is short and the embassy asks you not to add documents it has not requested.

• Passport (original) with a copy of the data page.
• Application form with a 4.5 × 3.5 cm photo taken within six months, your full name written on the back; the signature must match the passport; an edited photo means the file is not accepted; nothing stapled.
• A certificate of employment stating your period of employment, salary and position, in English or Japanese, original.
• One proof of means: six months of salary-account statements (the embassy asks you to submit this "as much as possible" and to mark the salary credits in colour), a fixed-deposit certificate showing the deposit date, term and issue date, a savings book (original shown, bank-stamped copy submitted) or an income certificate issued by a state authority. If someone else pays, their identity documents and proof of the relationship.
• The airline’s or agent’s printed flight itinerary showing your name, dates, times and route; train tickets are accepted; the embassy recommends not buying the ticket before the visa is issued.
• A planned itinerary, day by day, with the entry and exit dates (flight numbers and airports if decided), "not just a city name like Tokyo or Kyoto but the specific places and the actual activities", and each accommodation’s name, address and telephone number.
• For groups: number every document per applicant, prove the relationship between travellers (civil certificates for relatives, clear photographs together for friends) and, for three or more applicants, add a relationship diagram.

What the embassy says it refuses

The embassy "handles strictly cases of untruthful applications" and refuses files with forged documents or false statements. It also says not to apply under "self-funded tourism" when the real purpose is visiting relatives, friends or a business: those are separate categories with their own lists. Since 2024 it adds a warning that photocopies processed with AI tools, or with broken fonts, may be treated as forgeries. A refusal cannot be followed by an application for the same purpose within six months, and no reason is given.

The Japan Tourist Visa Kit gives the Viet Nam chapter on one page, the itinerary filled in for 7, 10 and 14 days in the format the embassy describes, and the certificate of employment and sponsor letter as editable templates. For the general rules, see Japan tourist visa requirements.