As I was applying for my Japan visa from the Netherlands, I walked into the Japanese embassy bracing for round two of a familiar headache. Just a week earlier, I’d just completed my South Korea visa application: a process filled with forms, bank statements, payslips, a two-week wait that felt much longer. Naturally, I assumed applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands would be just as stressful.

It wasn’t.

If you’ve already read about my South Korea visa experience, you’ll know exactly what I was bracing for. If not, the good news here is that the Japan visa application involved less waiting, a lower visa fee, some of my supporting documents being returned immediately, and less anxiety overall.

That said, don’t let the smoother process fool you. Applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands still requires careful preparation, the right documents, and attention to detail. In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how I applied, what documents I submitted, how much it cost, and what you can expect if you’re applying from the Netherlands.

 

How the Japan Visa Application In the Netherlands Differs From South Korea’s Process

One of the biggest differences I noticed while applying for my Japan visa here in the Netherlands was the cost. Japan exempts several nationalities including citizens of South Korea, the United States, Canada, and most EU member states from paying visa fees. For everyone else, myself included as a Nigerian passport holder, I paid a flat visa fee of €18.00. Although It’s also worth noting that Japan increased its visa fees from 1 July 2026, so it’s a good idea to check the current fees  before submitting your Japan visa application.

The documentation requirements were slightly more demanding than South Korea’s. While applying for my Japan visa from the Netherlands, I had to submit a dummy flight reservation and hotel bookings alongside my travel itinerary documents that weren’t required for my South Korea visa application.

 

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Requirements for your Japan Visa From The Netherlands

Here’s what I put together for my application:

• Valid passport with at least 6 months validity remaining
• Completed visa application form
• One recent passport photo (4.5cm x 4.5cm, white background)
• Valid Residence Permit
• Dummy or reserved flight itinerary (not paid for in advance)
• Hotel booking confirmation matching your travel dates, and name.
• Day-by-day travel itinerary
• Proof of funds (bank statements, 3 to 6 months) OR Proof of Employment (contract and 3 months of pay slips).

I brought both proof of funds and employment details, just to be safe, but it turns out you only need one or the other. My employment contract and pay slips were handed back to me on the spot. You can find the detailed list of requirements by visa type here.

For my flight, I booked a reservation through dummyflight.com, it’s a site built specifically for this purpose, since the embassy requires that you don’t pay for your flights before your visa is approved.

For visa applications, everything is in the details: you need something official-looking to submit, but you don’t want to spend money on a flight you might not end up needing. For hotels, I booked based on my actual itinerary through Booking.com, since most bookings there can be cancelled free of charge.

Something I’d stress here is that your itinerary needs to match your bookings exactly. If your submitted itinerary says you’re in Osaka on a certain date, but your hotel booking says Tokyo, that mismatch can hold up your application, so double check that everything lines up before you submit.

 

Submitting My Japan Visa Application

I submitted my documents for the Japan visa application in person. The Japanese Embassy doesn’t accept mail-in applications, although you can authorize a proxy to apply on your behalf if you’re unable to go yourself.

For anyone applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands, applications at the embassy in The Hague are accepted only between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m., while passport collections take place between 1:30 and 4:00 p.m.

The good news is that I didn’t need to book an appointment in advance. If you’re applying for a Japan visa, you can simply arrive during the application window with all your required documents.

Getting into the embassy felt more like airport security than a typical office visit. Security held onto my ID at the entrance, I stored my electronics and handbag in a locker, and stepped through a security scanner before getting my ID back and proceeding to the visa application office.

There’s nothing to do while you wait except people-watch, so come mentally prepared if you’re someone who likes to scroll on your phone while waiting in line.

The actual application process was fast,I didn’t realize getting a Japan Visa from the Netherlands would be that seamless. It took less than 30 minutes, and I wonder if it is the same in other countries.

I spoke to a staff member through a glass window, handed over my documents, and she disappeared to the back office for a few minutes before returning with a collection slip. She told me to come back any time from the week.

One detail that really stood out was the payment process. When applying for a Japan visa, you only pay the visa fee if your application is approved and you’re collecting your passport. If your application is refused, you don’t pay anything. It may seem like a small detail, but it’s quite different from many other embassies that charge the fee upfront regardless of the outcome.

 

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Why I’m Glad I Over-Prepared for My Japan Visa Application

After reviewing my documents in the back-office, the embassy staff returned my payslips and employment contract, explaining that they weren’t needed. I couldn’t tell whether they’d already made copies or simply didn’t require those documents, but either way, it made me wonder if I’d over-prepared for my Japan visa application.

In the end, I don’t think I had.

Something happened that made me realize that the process of applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands is very efficient.

A couple of people ahead of me were told that their visa application documents were incomplete and that they’d need to return with additional paperwork before their application could even be accepted.

Watching that happen made me grateful that I’d brought every document I thought I might need, even if some of them turned out to be unnecessary. Having to return would have cost me time that I didn’t have, plus having to take time off on a weekday.

So my advice is simple: when applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands, it’s always better to bring more supporting documents than you think you’ll need. The worst that can happen is that the embassy hands a few documents back to you. The best outcome is that you avoid making a second trip because something important was missing.

 

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Collecting My Visa

Unlike Korea, there’s no online portal or tracking link to check your Japan visa application status while you wait, so the week between submitting and collecting was a bit of a blind spot.

That uncertainty didn’t bother me much, mostly because they’d already communicated the expected wait time, and it was short. A week goes by fast when you’re not refreshing a status page every few hours.

I returned during the collection window, already familiar with the process this time. I handed in my ID, locked my electronics and keys away without needing directions, made my way to the processing room, and waited about ten minutes before being called up to the desk.

I paid in cash, since that’s the ONLY accepted payment method, and made sure to bring exact change just in case they didn’t have any on hand. They did, but you can already guess that I’d rather over-prepare. My visa cost €18 for a single entry visa, though it’s worth checking current fees before you apply.

In exchange for payment, I received my passport back with a visa sticker inside. I was elated!. With so many countries now moving to digital e-visa systems these days, there’s something so satisfying about getting an actual sticker in my passport, like tangible proof of the whole process.

 

Looking Back on the experience of applying for My Japan Visa From the Netherlands

Looking back, applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands was much less stressful than I had expected. I went into the process feeling anxious because I needed my visa before I could confidently book the rest of my trip, and visa applications generally have a reputation for being slow and unpredictable.

Instead, Japan’s visa process was far more efficiently than I anticipated.

The short turnaround between submitting my visa application and collecting my passport, the clear guidance not to pay for flights in advance, and the fact that you only pay the visa fee if your visa is approved, all made the process feel like it is a system that is considerate of applicants.

Even though the documentation requirements were a little more detailed than those for my South Korea visa, the overall experience was straightforward and well organized.

 

By the time I walked out with that collection slip in hand, I already had a good feeling about the trip ahead.

 

If you’re preparing to apply for your own Japan visa from the Netherlands and feeling the same nerves I had, my biggest piece of advice is to prepare thoroughly.

Bring every document listed by the embassy, make sure your itinerary matches your flight and hotel reservations exactly, and double-check every form before you submit it. In my experience, gathering the paperwork was the hardest part. Once that was done, the in-person application process was quick and smooth.

 

I hope sharing my experience applying for a Japan visa from the Netherlands helps make your own application a little less overwhelming. With careful preparation and complete documentation, the process can be much easier than you might expect.

If you’re planning to combine Japan with a trip to South Korea, be sure to read my complete guide on how I applied for my South Korea visa from the Netherlands. In a future post, I will compare my experience traveling both countries and share what was different about each.

Enjoy your holiday.

— Nma