PLANET TRAVELLOR

All about Visa Free Countries for Indian Citizens

When it comes to planning an international trip, the very first thought that crosses our mind is applying for a visa. Cue spending hours on the internet, looking through the intricate processes of visa application for the country you want to visit.

But, did you know that there are several countries where a visa is not required for Indians? And a few others where you can avail a visa on arrival? Yes, that’s right!
As of January 2020, there are a total of 63 countries in the world where Indians have the advantage of visa-free or visa on arrival or e-Visa access.

According to the Henley Passport Index (the global ranking of countries according to their citizen’s freedom of travel), this places the Indian passport at the 84th rank, in terms of the freedom to travel.
But, what do visa-free countries for Indians mean? Again, what does visa on arrival signify? Take a look!

What are the Different Types of Visas

You Can Avail?

They are documents that are issued by a government that grants permission to foreigners looking to visit the respective country. Unlike passports that act as proof of your country of origin, visas are markers that state the time period for which you will be allowed to remain in the foreign country.

Now, various countries have put forth different types of regulations when it comes to their visa process. Following is a table illustrating the same:

Visa-free

Visa-free travel is the benefit where you can visit a country without having to obtain a visa. This is applicable if the two countries in question have an agreement for the same, or if the country one is visiting has opened its borders to foreign nationals unilaterally.

Visa on Arrival

Also known as an on-arrival visa, these are granted to a visitor at the port of entry. The entire process of issuing the visa is initiated and completed at the port of entry government authorities.

e-Visa

E-Visas are, in essence, official documents issued online by a country’s immigration official that grant visitors with permission to enter it. These are an alternative to the regular paper-based visas that are issued by a country’s embassy.

Entry Permit

Countries issue entry permits to their visitors in lieu of visas. These entry permits are documents that allow foreigners to enter and stay in the country legally for a certain period of time.

Now, let us take a look at the type of visas offered to Indian passport holders by different countries around the world.

List of Countries where Visa is not Required for Indian Citizens

There are several countries where a visa is not required for Indians, and you can travel to without undergoing a visa application process. Following is a table illustrating the same:

Bhutan

Nepal

INDONESIA

Seychelles (permit on arrival)

Jamaica

Senegal

Serbia

Trinidad and Tobago

Haiti (for up to 90 days)

Micronesia

Ecuador

Dominica

Vanuatu

Svalbard

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Grenada (for up to 90 days)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (for up to 30 days)

Montserrat (for up to 180 days)

Turks and Caicos (for up to 90 days)

El Salvador

Macau

Belize

List of Visa on Arrival Countries for Indian Citizens

Usually, to obtain a visa on arrival, the immigration officials examine the visitor’s passport, collect the stipulated visa payments and subsequently issue the visa.
Few countries also collect the visitor’s biometrics as a part of their on-arrival visa issuance procedure.
The on-arrival visa is usually issued at major points of entry to the country – like large ports and airports. You should, therefore, look up the information about where the visa will be issued when you arrive at the country.
The following table illustrates the list of countries offering on-arrival visa facilities to Indians.

Thailand

Maldives

Laos

Mauritius

Cambodia

Bolivia

Hong Kong (Need to do pre-arrival Registration)

Fiji

Palau

Macedonia

Saint Lucia

Ethiopia

Tuvalu

Mauritania

Comoros

Guinea Bissau

Guyana

Togo

Cabo Verde

Angola

Barbados

Cook Islands

Iran (apply online & obtain ‘Submission Notice’ before departure)

Kiribati

Nigeria (only pre-approved VOA)

Samoa

Suriname

Tunisia

Somalia

Kenya

Zimbabwe

Rwanda

Jordan

List of Countries Offering e-Visa/Entry Permit to Indian Citizens.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facility became operational for citizens of India in 2014, with about 40 eligible countries. The list of eligible countries was next revised and expanded to 113 in 2015.
Again, like we have mentioned before, few countries like the UAE, issue entry permits to their visitors in lieu of visas.
Below is a list of other countries that offer e-Visa and entry permits to Indians:

Malaysia (eNTRI Note)

Sri Lanka

Myanmar

Turkey (at the border of Europe and Asia)

Zambia

Tanzania

Madagascar (landing authorisation)

Ivory Coast

Uganda

Georgia (lying at the intersection of Europe and Asia)

Sao Tome and Principe

Bahrain

Moldova

Gabon

Djibouti

East Timor (Timor-Leste)

Vietnam

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