Visa Free Countries for India
The very first thought that crosses our mind while planning an international trip is applying for a visa. You spend a lot of hours on the internet, looking through the intricate processes of visa application for the country you want to visit but do you know that there are many countries where a visa is not essential for Indians? There are also a few other countries where you can avail a visa on arrival.
There are a total of 63 countries where Indians have the benefit of visa-free, e-Visa, or visa-on-arrival access. In terms of the freedom to travel, this positions the Indian passport at the 84th rank according to the Henley Passport Index (the global ranking of countries according to their citizen’s freedom to travel). Let’s check out the Visa Free Countries for India.
What are visas essentially?
It is important to know about visas before discussing about visa free countries for India. Visas are government-issued documents that grant permission to foreigners looking to visit the respective country. Visas are markers that state the period for which you will be allowed to remain in the foreign country, unlike passports that act as proof of your country of origin.
The different types of regulations are put forth by various countries when it comes to their visa process as mentioned below:
1. Visa-Free
It is one of the advantages that you can visit a country without having to obtain a visa. This is applicable if the country one is visiting has opened its borders to foreign nationals unilaterally, or if the two countries in question have an agreement for the same.
2. e-Visa
These are official documents issued by immigration officials of a country that grant visitors permission to enter it. These documents are an alternative to the regular paper-based visas that are issued by the embassy of a country.
3. Entry Permit
Entry Permits are issued by countries to permit visitors instead of visas. These are essentially the documents that allow foreigners to enter and stay in the country for a certain period legally.
4. Visa on Arrival
These documents are granted to a visitor at the port of entry. The complete process of issuing the visa is initiated and completed by the government authorities at the port of entry.
Best Immigration Consultants in India are here to help you out if you are still confused about which type of visa is suitable for you.
List of Visa Free Countries for Indian Citizens
Several countries are there which do not require a visa for Indians, where you can travel without undergoing a visa application process. All of these visa free countries for India are listed below:
Nepal
Bhutan
Jamaica
Indonesia
Seychelles (Permit on arrival)
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 Grenadines (For up to 30 days)
Montserrat (For up to 180 days)
El Salvador
Macau
Turks and Caicos (For up to 90 days)
List of Visa on Arrival Countries for Citizens of India
To obtain a visa on arrival usually, the visitor’s passport is examined by immigration officials. They also collect the stipulated visa payments and subsequently issue the visa. The visitor’s biometrics are also collected by a few countries as a part of their on-arrival visa issuance procedure.
Usually, the on-arrival visa is issued at major points of entry to the country, like airports or large ports. Therefore, you should look up the information about where the visa will be issued when you arrive in the country. Knowing about these countries is as important as visa free countries for India.
The countries providing on-arrival visa facilities to Indians are mentioned below:
Thailand
Maldives
Laos
Mauritius
Hong Kong (Need to do pre-arrival registration)
Fiji
Palau
Macedonia
Saint Lucia
Ethiopia
Mauritania
Tuvalu
Comoros
Guinea Bissau
Togo
Guyana
Angola
Cabo Verde
Barbados
Cook Islands
Iran
Kiribati
Samoa
Nigeria
Tunisia
Suriname
Kenya
Somalia
Kenya
Somalia
Rwanda
Zimbabwe
Jordan
List of Countries Providing Entry Permits/ e-Visa to Indian Citizens
In 2014, with about 40 eligible countries, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) facility became operational for Indian citizens. In 2015, the list of eligible countries was next revised and expanded to 113. As mentioned earlier, entry permits are issued by a few countries like the UAE to their visitors instead of visas.
List of other countries that offer entry permits and e-Visa to Indians is mentioned below:
Sri Lanka
Malaysia
Myanmar
Turkey
Zambia
Tanzania
Ivory Coast
Madagascar
Uganda
Georgia
Bahrain
Sao Tome and Principe
Gabon
Moldova
Djibouti
East Timor
Vietnam
Let’s hope that you now have a clear picture about visa free countries for India in 2023. If you’re still confused about how to Choose An Immigration Consultant, Oasis Resource Management is here to help you out in every way possible.