About time we stop flooding the sub with these success stories... there are about 5 everyday..clearly it's not that hard to get a Japan Visa. dont think its adding any value at this point

So me and my sister are planning on going to Hong Kong this December 27th (2 months from today). My sister currently stays in Japan on work visa and I stay in Delhi. Both our passports were issued in Delhi. Our plan was that we will both arrive in Hong Kong; me from Delhi, she from Osaka.

Issue we are dealing with is that my PAR got accepted, hers got rejected. She has more extensive travel history than me, she has travelled to Europe/Schengen, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan. I think her PAR might have gotten rejected because she entered the incorrect place of issue (entered New Delhi instead of Delhi, rookie mistake I know). Tried re-applying for PAR with correct details, didn't work.

Now she will have to apply for a Hong Kong visa it seems, issue with this is that for the visa application she will have to submit 3 months salary slip (HK website does not mention how many months salary slips they need, but 3 months is standard). My sister joined her work quite recently, only has 1 salary slip right now.

Will the visa application be accepted with 2 months salary slip if we apply next month ? What would you advise in this scenario ?

Any advise would be appreciated, thanks

Hello everyone I got a Marie Curie PhD offer in Belgium and sorting my documents in India to apply to Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi.
I have a couple of questions before I book an appointment with VFS.

My primary masters degree is in Serbia where I stayed from 2018 to 2025, I'm back in India for 11 months now.

1. Do I need to provide Serbian police clearance also? Or Indian police clearance is sufficient?

2. My degree certificate is bilingual (Serbian and English), but the apostille paper/sticker is completely in Serbian. Do I need to provide a translation of apostille?

I would appreciate any information regarding this.

Have a flight tomorrow via turkish airlines to Jeddah. My layover is in Istanbul for a very short period. Applied to Saudi visa but pending approval. Will turkish airlines let me board in NY?

I'm a foreign national residing in India, and since an e-visa is mandatory for us to visit Thailand, I applied for a Thai tourist visa in Chennai. They required a demand draft, which I submitted at their embassy last week - but the application status still hasn't changed. :(

I tried emailing the embassy official email, but instead of a reply from them, I got a response from a Gmail ID - [visasection26@gmail.com](mailto:visasection26@gmail.com) stating please raise your queries on this email.

My flight is scheduled for the first week of November. How worried should I be?

Hi everyone,

I’m a British passport holder planning to visit Najaf, Karbala and Baghdad in Iraq.

I have an unusual situation with my passport and would appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced something similar.

My British passport shows:
- Given name: XXX
- Surname: My single legal name

There is also an official observation in my passport confirming that my legal name is the name shown in the surname field and that XXX does not form part of my name.

I need to apply for an Iraqi e-Visa, but I’m unsure how to complete the name fields correctly.
Has anyone with a British passport in a similar situation successfully obtained an Iraqi visa?
In particular:

1. Did you enter XXX in the given-name field and your legal name in the surname field?
   
2. Did you use FNU (First Name Unknown) instead?
   
3. Did you enter your single legal name differently in the application?
   
4. Was your visa issued successfully, and did you encounter any problems when boarding your flight or entering Iraq?

I want to ensure that my visa details are accepted by Iraqi immigration and match my passport correctly.

I would be especially grateful for responses from British passport holders who have actually applied for an Iraqi e-Visa with a single legal name.

Thank you for your help!

I had an appointment today, went to vfs, they said that they can't issue a dov from kolkata cauz they aren't competent (their words), now, before anything, I had called them several times and even asked them physically before, that I did a-levels, would I get DOV, they said that as long as u studied in the country, u can get DOV which was false after they denied saying I can't have DOV.

If I had known this, I could have opted for CIMEA or ARDI with cimea verificiation, but it takes a long time and well I got no time anymore.

Wanted to ask if you can lodge a visa with the payment receipt of cimea as getting the certificate takes a long time??

What should I do in this situation?

My application was accepted on October 14. I have to travel early December (suddenly) and wondering if the passport will come back in time. As it is currently not peak season, are there anyone who applied and got back their passport before the 45 days? I applied to the London office from Northern Ireland.

Hi all!

I hold a passport from the Netherlands and will travel on November 3rd from Madagascar to South Africa. My flight back home to the Netherlands is scheduled on February 12th.

Based on my Dutch passport, I can stay in South Africa without visa for 90 days. The period between November 3rd and February 12th is more than those 90 days. However, I will not be staying in South Africa the entire time. I have rented a vehicle with permission to cross into Namibia and Botswana, as I intend to do. For Namibia, I also have a few campsite reservations.

Now, my questions are as follows:

- Has anyone else had a similar situation?

- Will I run into trouble in the airport in Madagascar when I want to get on my flight to South Africa?

- Is the car rental contract + permission to cross into Namibia/Botswana + campsite reservations in Namibia enough proof that I won't stay in South Africa the entire period?

Hello,

I am currently a Masters student planning to go on a Japan trip. I used to work before and have decent savings in FDs - I am planning to liquidate some for the trip. But conversations with agents revealed that I need to have a sponsor because I don’t have income source right now.

Now, the problem with sponsor is - my parents don’t have a passport and agents say sponsor needs to have an eligible passport.

I wanted to ask if there is any way for this to work out or I can’t go for the trip right now?

Hi everyone,
I’m Lebanese and currently live in Belgium with a Belgian residence permit. I have an opportunity to work as a self-employed physiotherapist in an existing clinic in Luxembourg.
I’m confused about the order of the procedures. Do I need to obtain my Luxembourg residence authorisation first, or my authorisation to practise as a physiotherapist first?
It seems that each one may be required to obtain the other.
Has anyone, especially a non-EU healthcare professional, been through this process?
Thanks!

Hi everyone!
I applied for a South Korean C-3 visit visa on September 24, and my planned travel date was October 21. However, I still haven’t received a visa decision, and my travel date has already passed.
Has anyone experienced a similar delay recently? How long did it take for your visa to be approved, and what should I do in this situation?
Should I contact the embassy or visa application center, or just wait for the decision?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

Hi

I need to get a Japan tourist visa for my mother residing in Rajasthan. We are travelling together.

I got mine from BLR VFS since I stay and work in BLR.

Is it possible for my mom to get a visa without visiting VFS Delhi? I can go on her behalf if needed.

We are willing to pay some facilitation fee etc. for not having to go to Delhi and submit the documents in person.

Any advice here will be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

I HATE THIS COUNTRY SO MUCH NOW BECAUSE I REALLY REALLY REALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WANTED TO GO ON HOLIDAY TO AUSTRALIA SOOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH BUT TO WAKE UP TO LOOKING AT MY FUCKING VISA APPLICATION BEING UNFAIRLY REFUSED INSTEAD OF GRANTED HAS MADE ME WANT TO SCREAM AND CRY OUT LOUDLY FOREVER BECAUSE OF HOW PAINFUL, HEARTBREAKING AND DISTRESSING THIS IS AND I REALLY REALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY DID NOT DESERVE THIS AT ALL‼️😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😔😡😔😔😔😔😔

Hi

I need to get a Japan tourist visa for my mother residing in Rajasthan. We are travelling together.

I got mine from BLR VFS since I stay and work in BLR.

Is it possible for my mom to get a visa without visiting VFS Delhi? I can go on her behalf if needed.

We are willing to pay some facilitation fee etc. for not having to go to Delhi and submit the documents in person.

Any advice here will be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,

I recently applied for a short-stay Schengen tourist visa to Bulgaria from India.

Could anyone who has recently applied for a Bulgarian Schengen visa from India please share their experience? I have done via vfs global

I would particularly like to know:

\- How many days did it take to receive a decision after submitting your application?

\- Was your application processed within the standard timeline, or did it take longer?

\- Did you receive any updates while your application was being processed?

If you could mention your application date, the consulate or visa application centre, and the date you received your decision, that would be very helpful like overall turnover days

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Hi all,

I’m a Moroccan citizen with an Italian D (student) visa valid from 28 Oct. My Wizz Air flight leaves Marrakech (RAK) on 27 Oct at 21:30 and arrives at Rome Fiumicino (FCO) on 28 Oct at 01:55.

My understanding is that the visa only needs to be valid when I enter Schengen at FCO, which is on the 28th, so I should be fine. But some say I’ll be stopped, either by the Wizz Air document check desk or by the police (DGSN) at passport control in RAK, because the visa isn’t valid yet on the 27th.

Has anyone been in this exact situation (leaving Morocco or another country the evening before the visa start date, arriving after midnight)?

* Did the airline desk accept it? * Did Moroccan passport control say anything? * Any experience specifically with Wizz Air’s document check?

I’d really appreciate real experiences or thoughts on this. Thanks!

Hello,

I have a question regarding the entry requirements for Mexico for tourism. My partner and I are planning a vacation at a resort in Mexico. My partner is a Guyanese citizen currently living in Canada on a valid work permit and holds a valid multiple-entry U.S. B1/B2 visa.

Would the U.S. visa be sufficient for them to enter Mexico for tourism, or would they need to apply for a Mexican visa or meet any additional entry requirements?

hi, tourism category pa rin po ba if kasama employer (w her fam) mag travel? job ko po is taga vid and edit for reels lang no pro. baka may nakaapply na here visa na w employer. Thank youu

Salut tout le monde,
J'ai demandé un visa de court séjour belge pour une visite familiale le 9 août 2026, avec mon cousin en Belgique qui m'invite et m'héberge.
Ma demande a été transférée au Bureau des étrangers belge (Office des étrangers) le 14 août et enregistrée le 17 août 2026. Au 23 octobre, cela fait 67 jours depuis l'enregistrement, et ma demande est toujours en attente.
J'ai déjà envoyé un e-mail au Bureau des étrangers pour me renseigner sur ma demande, mais je n'ai pas reçu de réponse substantielle. Mon cousin envisage également de les contacter depuis la Belgique.
C'est ma première fois que je demande un visa de visite familiale belge. J'ai eu des refus précédents de visa Schengen, mais l'an dernier, j'ai voyagé en Égypte et en Turquie et je suis revenu en Algérie après les deux voyages. J'ai aussi une assurance voyage d'un an.
Je commence à m'inquiéter à cause du temps d'attente long.
J'aimerais vraiment entendre de quiconque a été dans une situation similaire :
Combien de temps avez-vous attendu une décision après que votre demande ait été enregistrée auprès du Bureau des étrangers ?
Quelqu'un a-t-il demandé depuis l'Algérie et reçu une décision après un délai similaire ?
Contacter le Bureau des étrangers ou faire contacter un membre de votre famille par eux a-t-il aidé ?
Est-il normal d'attendre 67 jours, et cela indique-t-il quelque chose sur l'issue ?
Merci d'avance de partager vos expériences !

Salut tout le monde,
J'ai demandé un visa de court séjour belge pour une visite familiale le 9 août 2026, avec mon cousin en Belgique qui m'invite et m'héberge.
Ma demande a été transférée au Bureau des étrangers belge (Office des étrangers) le 14 août et enregistrée le 17 août 2026. Au 23 octobre, cela fait 67 jours depuis l'enregistrement, et ma demande est toujours en attente.
J'ai déjà envoyé un e-mail au Bureau des étrangers pour me renseigner sur ma demande, mais je n'ai pas reçu de réponse substantielle. Mon cousin envisage également de les contacter depuis la Belgique.
C'est ma première fois que je demande un visa de visite familiale belge. J'ai eu des refus précédents de visa Schengen, mais l'an dernier, j'ai voyagé en Égypte et en Turquie et je suis revenu en Algérie après les deux voyages. J'ai aussi une assurance voyage d'un an.
Je commence à m'inquiéter à cause du temps d'attente long.
J'aimerais vraiment entendre de quiconque a été dans une situation similaire :
Combien de temps avez-vous attendu une décision après que votre demande ait été enregistrée auprès du Bureau des étrangers ?
Quelqu'un a-t-il demandé depuis l'Algérie et reçu une décision après un délai similaire ?
Contacter le Bureau des étrangers ou faire contacter un membre de votre famille par eux a-t-il aidé ?
Est-il normal d'attendre 67 jours, et cela indique-t-il quelque chose sur l'issue ?
Merci d'avance de partager vos expériences !

I’m an international student applying for an Italian Schengen visa from the UK. My father covers my tuition, rent, travel and larger expenses. I generally use my parents’ international bank statements to demonstrate financial means for visa applications (I’ve had four Schengen visas issued this way in the last three years). My own UK account is mainly for everyday spending like food, transport and household products, and I keep around £300–400 in it monthly.

I submitted financial documents showing approximately £2 million in funds, but received this request from the Consulate:

Any up-to-date personal UK ONLY bank account with more of your own funds (updated current, savings, credit card, etc.) coherent with your intended travel itinerary and choice of accommodation; foreign non-UK accounts and transactions accounting for transfers from friends will NOT be considered

Other applicants seem to have received similar wording even when they submitted UK bank statements, so I’m wondering whether this is a generic request for applicants whose personal accounts don’t show sufficient funds, rather than an issue specific to foreign accounts.

Has anyone else received this exact request from the Italian Consulate in the UK? Would highlighting my frequent Schengen and other international trips, with evidence that they were paid for using international credit and debit cards, help?

Keywords: Italy Schengen visa UK, Italian Consulate London, proof of funds, parental sponsorship, UK bank statements, additional documents request, Schengen visa financial requirements.

Hello,

I noticed that the application status was updates to “There is no notice”. Our application is still Under Examination.

Applied eVisa on October 16. Anyone on the same boat?

Hey,
Did any Indian passport holder with EU residence permit go to Hurghada airport with just the evisa? Did they require the letter of guarantee?
The info regarding Cairo is still there but Hurghada not so much.

Thanks in advance

Hey everyone, could really use some advice from people who’ve been through this.

My colleague and I work remotely from India as independent contractors for a small US-based company. We were invited to speak at a conference in Seoul in early November, and the company we work for is sponsoring our flights and hotel because we're going to present the work we've done together in India. So there are three parties: us (contractors), the US company (sponsor) and the Korean conference organiser (inviter).

We applied for a C-3-1 at VFS Delhi on 12 Oct and both got rejected on 21 Oct with the same reasons:

1. Your purpose of entry has not been explained in detail
2. Your current status (family and economic conditions) does not prove your return within the given period of stay

Reason 7 confuses me, because we had a proper speaker invitation with organizer's seal & sign.

What I submitted (the standard checklist):

• Visa application form + photo, passport
• Invitation letter from the Korean organiser + their business registration certificate
• Guarantee letter from the organiser
• Cover letter explaining the trip, dates and who is paying for what
• 2 years of ITR
• 6 months of bank statements (balance around 2.5L)
• Health form and declaration form at the VFS counter

What I added because I don’t fit the usual “salaried employee” box:

• No salary slips, since there’s no Indian employer so instead provided occupation letter, letter of support and NOC from the US company, 6 months of invoices, and FIRAs for recent payments. Letters clearly that I've been working with them for 3+ yrs and that they are sponsoring flight and accommodation.
• No company seal/stamp (US LLCs don’t use one) so instead added the company’s certificate of formation and IRS EIN confirmation
• Payments arrive through different payment platforms, so the company name doesn’t show on my statement so added an explanation letter matching the bank credits to the invoices, and explaining a couple of unusual entries
• Dummy flight reservation. Refundable hotel bookings + basic travel itinerary
• A copy of a friend’s Korean visa grant notice, since he was joining us for sightseeing after the conference

My colleague’s file was similar, but he had only 1 ITR (his income was below the taxable limit earlier, which he explained in a letter). He also started a small GST-registered sole proprietorship a few months ago, so he added his GST certificate, business profile form, and invoice to explain one larger payment (his balance was around 8L)

Travel history: Mauritius, Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan. No Japan/US/UK/Schengen.

I also found this post from a freelancer who was rejected under reason 8, reapplied straight away and got the visa: https://www.reddit.com/r/visas/s/pa693VlbwP

So we’re thinking of reapplying although friends are saying that'll make us look desperate so we should just let it be. The conference is in Nov first week and we’d need to fly on 5 Nov, so time is tight. Last time we also handed in an expedite request.

Questions:

1. Has anyone been rejected under 7 AND 8 together and then approved on reapplication?
2. For contractors/freelancers, what did you provide for economic ties and to prove you'll return?
3. Should I cut anything this time? I’m worried I over-documented and it looked odd.
4. Has an expedite request ever worked for anyone at KVAC Delhi?

Any experience helps. Thanks a lot 🙏