After two years of travel restrictions, Indians are ready to hit the road again. Most countries have now removed travel restrictions, breaking the shackles of the travelers who are now allowed to have their adventures.
Experts suggest that after suffering unprecedented losses during the pandemic, the tourism industry is set to flourish again and even better than in the pre-pandemic period as more and more people are eager to leave their homes to which they were confined for almost two years now.
Indian travelers are generally favored by domestic holidays; however, recent trends show a rise in Indians choosing international holiday packages over domestic ones. Nevertheless, as cool as it sounds to go on an international holiday, all the advance visa documentation, visits to visa consultants, and prior months' planning can be tiresome for some people.
But, hold your horses. Do you know that there are countries that you can travel to without going through any prior visa documentation? Yes, unbelievable as it may sound, but as an Indian, you can visit countries like the Maldives, Mauritius, and Thailand (the 8th most visited destination globally, according to World Tourism Ranking) without any prior visa documentation. I know, right? What are you waiting for? Pack your bag and be ready to have that hassle-free exotic experience.
Before diving deeply into the countries where an Indian can travel visa-free or on visa-on-arrival. Let's understand what a visa is, the types of visas and why we need a travel visa for international holidays.
What Is A Visa?
A Visa is a formal document that allows the possessor to enter a foreign nation legally. The visa is commonly stamped or glued into the possessor's passport. There are many kinds of visas, each of which provides the holder with different rights in the host nation.
Different Kinds of Visas:
Each country generally has a multitude of visas with various names. The most common visas are divided based on purpose and mode of issuance.
Visas based on purpose include transit visas, short-stay visas such as private visas, business visas, medical visas, etc., extended stays visas such as student visas, worker visas, asylum visas, residence visas, immigrant visas, and official visas.
Visas based on the mode of issuance include on-arrival-visa, e-visa, etc.
Generally, visa applications are made and collected from an embassy, consultant, or other diplomatic mission.
Why Do We Need A Visa To Travel?
Visa becomes necessary if you want to travel to a nation that does not have a visa policy with your homeland. Many countries have visa agreements and procedures that allow their citizens to travel freely between them without a visa. For example, India and Maldives do not need prior permits to travel to each other's countries, only valid travel documents to get a visa on arrival. However, Indians need to get previous visas documentation to travel to America since no visa agreement exists between the two nations.
So, before planning an international trip, surf the net to know which countries India has visa-free travel or visa-on-arrival policy. You can learn about India's visa travel-related information on the Ministry of external affairs web page or check out some passport indexes such as the Henley passport index.
Henley Passport Index ranks all the countries based on the number of destinations their bearers can access without a prior visa.
According to this Index, India is the 83rd most powerful passport. Indians can now visit 60 foreign destinations visa-free.
List Of Countries To Travel To Without Visa From India:
Countries |
Type of visa/ Time Period |
Angola |
pre-visa on arrival/ 90 days |
Armenia |
e-Visa/120 days |
Azerbaijan |
e-Visa/30 days |
Bahrain |
visa on arrival / e-Visa/30 days |
Barbados |
visa-free/90 days |
Bhutan |
visa-free/14 days |
Bolivia |
visa on arrival / e-Visa/90 days |
Burundi |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Cambodia |
e-Visa/30 days |
Cape Verde |
visa on arrival (EASE) |
Comoros |
visa on arrival/45 days |
Congo (Dem. Rep.) |
e-Visa/90 days |
Djibouti |
e-Visa |
Dominica |
visa-free/180 days |
El Salvador |
visa-free/90 days |
Ethiopia |
visa on arrival / eVisa |
Fiji |
visa-free/120 days |
Gabon |
visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days |
Gambia |
visa-free/90 days |
Grenada |
visa-free/90 days |
Guinea |
e-Visa/90 days |
Guinea-Bissau |
visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days |
Haiti |
visa-free/90 days |
Indonesia |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Iran |
e-Visa/30 days |
Jamaica |
visa-free |
Jordan |
visa on arrival |
Kenya |
e-Visa/90 days |
Lesotho |
e-Visa/14 days |
Madagascar |
visa on arrival / eVisa/90 days |
Malawi |
e-Visa/90 days |
Malaysia |
e-Visa/30 days |
Maldives |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Mauritania |
visa on arrival |
Mauritius |
visa-free/90 days |
Nepal |
visa-free |
Nigeria |
pre-visa on arrival |
Palau |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Palestinian Territories |
visa-free |
Papua New Guinea |
e-Visa/30 days |
Qatar |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Rwanda |
visa on arrival / eVisa/30 days |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
visa-free/90 days |
Saint Lucia |
visa on arrival/42 days |
Samoa |
visa on arrival/60 days |
Senegal |
visa-free/90 days |
Serbia |
visa-free/30 days |
Seychelles |
tourist registration/90 days |
Sierra Leone |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Somalia |
visa on arrival/30 days |
South Sudan |
e-Visa |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
visa-free/30 days |
Suriname |
e-Tourist card/90 days |
Tanzania |
visa on arrival / e-Visa |
Thailand |
visa on arrival / e-Visa/15 days |
Timor-Leste |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Togo |
visa on arrival/7 days |
Trinidad and Tobago |
visa-free/90 days |
Tunisia |
visa-free/90 days |
Tuvalu |
visa on arrival/30 days |
Uganda |
eVisa |
Uzbekistan |
e-Visa/30 days |
Vietnam |
e-Visa/30 days |
Zimbabwe |
visa on arrival/90 days |
Shocked to see so many beautiful countries on the list? Happens. We are all the same.
Since there are so many countries in the above list, it must be unclear to decide upon the country you want to travel to for your international holiday.
Let us ease that down for you. Here is the list of the top four countries from the above list you should definitely visit.
1. Thailand
A budget-friendly destination with cheap hotels to cheap accommodation throughout the country. Thailand is famous for its delicious food, incredible nightlife, colorful markets, ancient culture, pristine beaches, and Buddhist temples.
It appeals to all kinds of travelers, whether they are some bohemian chic or someone who is simply craving some barefoot luxury. Thailand provides a lot of selections for every budget and taste. As an Indian, you can get a visa on arrival in Thailand with a maximum of 15 days' stay.
2. Bhutan
Known as the "land of Thunder Dragon," Bhutan is no ordinary destination; it has been one of the most loved countries by travelers. Be it its enigmatic mountains or colorful culture, Bhutan has always attracted tourists worldwide. A nation of rolling hills and charming culture always radiates the charm that cannot be missed.
Friendly and welcoming people, dense forests, mammoth mountains, and exclusive cuisine always give you a delightful experience. Bhutan is a destination to experience and feel. It evokes a sense of emotion that holds on to its transparency to keep you hooked. Bhutan is surprising, and its traditions are visible.
You must visit this place to discover yourself in the midst of nowhere else to find calmness. As an Indian, you can travel to Bhutan Visa-free.
3. The Maldives
The Maldives is an archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean known for its luxurious water villas. A tropical haven of pristine white sand beaches, the Maldives is located in the south of Sri Lanka and is ideal for a honeymoon, adventure, or leisure holiday. As an Indian, you are allowed for visa-on-arrival facility with a maximum stay of 30 days.
4. Mauritius
Travel to Mauritius on a visa-on-arrival facility with a whopping maximum stay of 90 days. It is said that Mauritius came out of the handbook of the Gods. It is famous for its sparkling cerulean waters, calm white shores, omnipresent palms, and huge mountains that frame the land with exquisite wonder.
There is no wonder that people travel from across the world to experience the delicate magic of Mauritius. This country is home to some of the world's finest water sports and exclusive cuisine. Mauritius tourism is a beautiful blend of heritage, traditions, culture, and nature.
In case you're looking for a quick getaway but are afraid that you won’t get to have a good time because of the lack of visa, then these are the places for you to enjoy and make a lifetime of good memories!
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