r/InternationalTravelIN

Hi everyone,
I’m planning a 10-day trip to Japan and wanted to check if my financials look sufficient for the tourist visa.
Current bank balance: ~₹3 lakh

Salary: ₹1.5 lakh/month

In early April, I received a deposit of ₹2.5 lakh from a relative (one-time transfer)

I’m a bit concerned whether that recent deposit could be an issue or raise questions during visa processing.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Is ₹3 lakh generally enough for a 10-day trip, and will the recent deposit be a red flag?

And in past I have travelled in Middle East would it help me to get a 5 year visa ?

Would really appreciate any insights or experiences!
Thanks in advance 🙏

The japan travel subreddits keep recommending Ubigi but I wanted to explore options that other indian travellers would recommend as well? I can see a large number of options on Klook but I'm not sure how reliable any of those would be.

My trip will be 15 days long and i anticipate I'll need maybe 20GB. Traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and also spending a few days in smaller towns around these cities so would need to use Google maps heavily.

I'm not averse to using Ubigi or any other provider but I wanted to explore and see if there were better options that people could recommend based on their experiences.

I wanted to share my experience with Japan tourist visa application process from India. I hail from Kerala and stay in Pune for work. While my wife stays in Kerala. We wanted to visit Japan during the first 2 weeks of June.

Application jurisdiction:

I consider myself so lucky for having the thought to call VFS helpline and enquire about which VFS to apply from. Even though my passport, aadhar and other official IDs list my address in Kerala (and I was initially planning to apply through VFS Cochin during my vacation), I should apply under the Japan Consulate jurisdiction where I am staying for the past 6 months. Hence we decided to apply for myself in VFS Pune under Mumbai Consulate and for my wife in VFS Cochin under Chennai Consulate.

There are workarounds possible to apply for both under the same jurisdiction. We did not want to pursue any shortcuts.

VFS Pune application:

Visa slots were easy to get. I applied in VFS Pune with following documents:

1. 2in x 2in photo as per specification in VFS website
2. Visa checklist downloaded from site. Passport photocopy, Cover letter, Travel iterinary.
3. Travel tickets (booked and confirmed), Hotel booking confirmations
4. 3 year ITR and 3 month bank statements. And share holdings statement
5. Leave NOC from company

VFS Pune timeline:

1. Applied on 17 Apr 2026 (Fri)
2. Reached Mumbai consulate on 20 Apr 2026. Entered processing stage on 21 Apr 2026.
3. Processed and dispatched (read visa approved) from consulate on 4 May 2026.

I received a single entry 15-day visa for my 13-day trip iterinary after 9 working days of my application reaching Mumbai consulate. The VFS Pune staff strongly advised against attaching unnecessary documents, and did not let me keep payslips, booking payment confirmations, travel insurance, company appointment letter. The whole application process at VFS Pune was over within 30 mins.

VFS Cochin application:

We booked an application for my wife here on 5 May 2026. While my visa was approved (Japan returns application fees if they reject you), it was under transit and hence I could not attach my visa photocopy. I mentioned my visa application number in her cover letter, addded that it was processed by Mumbai consulate, and emphasized we were travelling together.

In VFS Pune, there is no premium lounge facility. While VFS Cochin has one and they allow next day appointment booking only on Premium lounge. Hence, I decided to book appointment on 5 May 2026 (Tue) instead of 4 May 2026 (Mon).

My wife applied with the following documents:

1. 2in x 2in photo as per specification in VFS website
2. Visa checklist downloaded from site. Passport photocopy, Cover letter, Travel iterinary.
3. Travel tickets (booked and confirmed), Hotel booking confirmations and payment confirmations. (Note: Travel tickets of both wife and me were accepted by the VFS Cochin staff. Booking payment confirmations were not accepted in VFS Pune)
4. Travel insurance for both
5. Sponsorship letter. Sponsor's passport photocopy (You are supposed to attach all your co-traveller's passport photocopy).
6. Marriage certificate
7. 3 year ITR, 3 month bank statements, last 3 month payslips and Leave NOC from employer : all belonging to the sponsor.
8. Wife's CMA (India) registration card and last year marksheet. (To prove she is a self-studying student).

VFS Cochin timeline:

1. Applied on 5 May 2026 (Tue)
2. Reached Chennai consulate on 8 May 2026 (Fri). I suspect the delay was because of Golden week holidays?
3. Entered processing stage in Chennai consulate on 8 May 2026. Awaiting updates.
4. EDIT: Visa processed and in transit from Chennai consulate on 12 May 2026.

VFS Cochin spent more than 40 minutes grilling my wife about her travel reason, her current status (self-studying student). They checked and accepted all the documents we offered unlike VFS Pune.

Please help with the gadgets and electric appliances for a six month stay. Any suggestion other than this is also welcome. Thanks

Foods, mixer grinder and please suggest trolleys

Hi, I'm planning to take a 7 night trip to Malaysia.

5 nights I'll book in Kuala lampur.

My kl stay I'll be booking via Mariott bonvoy 4 night + 1 night free. For 2 other nights where should I go in Malaysia. Preferably without booking expensive flights.

I'm traveling with wife and 2 kids - 7 years and 2 years old.

What is the visa process, things to do in Malaysia which are easy to do with family, is there any good shopping spots, where to eat pure vegetarian food, how much should I pay for flight tickets and right time to book them. I have regalia gold credit card. Should I get another card to make flight bookings and abroad spends. I feel HSBC travel one might be good but I haven't done enough research. How to travel locally?

Hi, as the title says, I'm trying to book a visa appointment slot via vfs global for 3 of us who will be visiting Luxembourg from Kolkata this July. The website says that all appointment slots are filled. I just wanted to know if it's possible to get an information on when will the slots open up for at least 3 people?

Now that Japan tickets are so expensive, what are the alternate destinations one should look at? For November

Drop your drafted itinerary in the comments below. I will review your plan and give you feedback to help sort out your schedule and travel routes.

I wanted to share my travel iterinary for two people from Mumbai, India to Japan, and solicit comments and feedback. I wanted to avoid the golden route (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka) and focus on some outliers along with Tokyo for my first trip to Japan.

I have not researched much about activities to do in Tokyo yet, and would invite suggestions. For the other cities, I have tried to keep it balanced.

DATE	ACTIVITY PLAN
Day 1, Wednesday	Mumbai → Tokyo   Depart BOM 19:30 → NRT 07:40 .   Travel to Ueno in Keisei skyliner, check in at Hotel. Explore Ueno and do some shopping
Day 2	Morning: Check out from Hotel. Leave for Matsumoto at 7:05 am by bus from Busta Shinjuku.   Afternoon and Evening: Visit Matsumoto castle. Stroll through Nakamachi Dori. Check in to Hotel.
Day 3	Trip to Kamikochi valley by round-trip bus. Stop at Taito Pond, and start trekking from there till the Kamikochi bus station.
Day 4	Morning and Afternoon: Check out from Hotel. Travel via bus to Takayama, spend half day with local sightseeing.   Evening: Take JR Hida train from Takayama to Toyama. Check in to Hotel.
Day 5	Morning: Visit Toyama castle. Visit Toyama city local history museum. Afternoon:  Visit Hie shrine.   Evening: Visit Toyama city hall observation centre.
Day 6	Morning: Visit Toyama glass museum. Check out from Hotel.   Afternoon: Travel to Kanazawa by train   Evening: Visit Higashi Chaya district. Check in to Hotel
Day 7	Morning: Visit Kenrouken garden. Visit Kanazawa castle, Nomura samurai house. Afternoon and Evening: Explore samurai district. Visit Ninja weapons museum and Myoryuji

Day 8	Morning and Afternoon: Checkout from Hotel. Travel to Fukui by train. Visit Eiheiji temple   Evening: Visit Maruoka castle. Explore nearby area. Check in to Hotel.
Day 9	Morning: Travel to Fukui prefectural dinosaur museum by train. Afternoon: Visit Heisenji Hakusan shrine.   Evening: Return to Fukui by train/bus.
Day 10	Morning: Checkout from Hotel. Visit Tojinbo cliffs by train. Explore nearby areas.   Afternoon: Visit Awara onsen town. Board shinkansen to Tokyo from Awaraonsen station on 15:32.   Evening: Explore Ginza. Check in to Hotel.
Day 11	Morning: Visit Hamarikyu Gardens,   Afternoon and Evening:  Teamlab planets, then visit Asakusa for Senso-ji Temple and near-by attractions. .
Day 12	Morning: Visit Shinjuku, Tokyo Metropolitan Government building observatory.   Afternoon and Evening: Shibuya Crossing + Takeshita St. Do some shopping.
Day 15, Monday	Checkout from Hotel in Ueno & travel to Tokyo Narita international airport.   Depart NRT 11:15 → 17:50 BOM

The newer dates are out and the prices for Mumbai have rocketed 🥲
From 45K to 70K

This is a weird yet concerning situation. I have two international trips planned, and somehow visas for both are stamped on adjacent pages.

What's weirder is that they are stamped towards the starting of the passport, the next few pages are filled with older expired visas.

As such, there is no place for an entry stamp near the visa stamp itself, the next available place is 6-7 pages down the passport.

I wanted to understand if this is a cause for concern, as this is a mistake from the consulate side. Or is it generally fine?

I moved to a new house last week and somehow misplaced my passport during the shift. I have a visa appointment coming up next week, but I’ll probably have to postpone it now.

I know the first step is filing a complaint at my nearest police station, but after that how difficult is the process of getting a new passport issued in Pune? How long does it usually take?

If anyone here has gone through the lost passport + reissue process recently in Pune, please share your experience and timeline. Would really appreciate any tips as well.

Select your flight on emirates.com -> Select pay in full -> Select pay at Emirates store (This is an option to pay later at a physical emirates store) As soon as you do this, a valid PNR will be generated that:

1. Can be searched on emirates site and shows your trip details - looks legit

2. PNR is valid for 71 hours after which it will be cancelled

Hi, I am planning a 5 day vacation to Singapore from 26th May to 31st May with my mom. I will be sponsoring the trip.

I have previous travel history to schengen. My mother has none.

I live in bangalore, my mother lives in pune. Both are passports are issued in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Questions:

1. any challenges in visa qualification? Or any thing to keep in mind before applying?

2. are the timelines suitable? We can apply at best on Monday 11th may. What are the current processing times given summer vacation rush.

3. Where should we apply from? Pune or Blr? Or can we apply seperately? Also any visa agent recommendations?

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a trip to Almaty (Kazakhstan) in the second week of June and I’d really appreciate some advice from those who’ve been there:

1. Which area is best to stay in Almaty so we can easily explore the city without spending too much time commuting? Ideally somewhere central, walkable, and convenient for tours.
2. How did you book your day trips (like Shymbulak, Charyn Canyon, Kolsai/Kaindy Lakes, etc.)?
3. Is it okay to book tours once we arrive in Almaty, or is it better to book everything in advance?

I’ve also seen a few mentions of kazguidedtours.com. Has anyone here used them? What was your experience like? Would you recommend them or suggest other tour providers? Also wondering how far in advance tours usually need to be booked, can we do it 1-2 days before once we arrive, or do things fill up quickly (especially in June)?

We’re planning a mix of city exploring and nature trips, so trying to keep things flexible but also don’t want to miss out if things get fully booked. Any tips, recommendations, or things you wish you knew before going would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Guys I have a 5 month validity of my passport and my company is sending me a business trip for 2 weeks to cyprus.

I checked the mandatory validity of the expiry of the passport must be 3 months before I depart back to India

Or it should be 6 months?

Note - using chatgpt to write in better way

Just came back from my first Europe trip covering France and Switzerland, and I want to share a real, no-BS breakdown because I was completely new to Schengen travel and had no clue where to start.

1. Schengen Visa – More complicated than it looks

The visa process is where most first-timers mess up. It’s not just documents — it’s how you present them.

My agent helped me with:

Proper itinerary planning (day-wise, not vague)

Cover letter structure

Flight + hotel reservations aligned with visa logic

Financial documentation guidance

Without that, I would’ve probably either delayed or risked rejection. If you're doing it solo, be ready to spend serious time understanding requirements.

---

2. Planning the Trip – Where I saved money

I didn’t blindly book everything through the agent. I tested him.

I asked for a complete price breakdown:

Flights

Hotels (city-wise)

Intercity transport

Activities / day tours

Visa charges

Then I cross-checked everything on platforms like Booking, Skyscanner, GetYourGuide.

Reality check: Some things were cheaper online. But surprisingly, a lot of things he gave me were actually cheaper:

Flights (through consolidator deals)

Certain hotels (B2B contracted rates)

Some tours and entry tickets

So I didn’t go all-in blindly. I booked:

What he was cheaper at → through him

What I found cheaper → myself

That hybrid approach saved me a good amount.

---

3. The real advantage – Support during the trip

This is where agents actually earn their value.

During the trip:

Had a minor confusion with train timing → resolved instantly

Needed last-minute changes in plans → got guidance

Had clarity on logistics without wasting time researching

If you’re traveling first time internationally, this matters more than you think.

---

4. Mistake most people make

People either:

Book everything DIY and get overwhelmed

OR

Book everything through big companies and overpay

Both are lazy approaches.

---

5. My blunt advice

Don’t assume all agents are useless — most are average, but a skilled one is a leverage

Don’t trust blindly — ask for detailed costing

Compare everything yourself — takes time, but worth it

Use agent strategically, not emotionally

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6. One more thing (important)

Avoid big travel companies for this kind of trip.

From what I’ve seen and heard:

They care more about volume than experience

You’ll mostly deal with sales teams, not operators

During the trip → you’re on your own or stuck with bots

That’s fine for simple trips, not for something like Europe where logistics matter.

---

Final takeaway

If you're planning Europe on a budget:

Get a good agent

Extract value from him (pricing + planning + support)

Don’t depend 100% — be smart and compare

That combination worked best for me.

If anyone needs any kind of help or information Happy to help

also let me know anyone wants contact details for my travel agent he also deserves a recommendation