Top 24 Visa free countries for Indians

Alisha Khan
[Published 23 Aug, 2022 | 12:33 PM]
About Author - 15 min read

The very first thing that springs to mind when preparing for a vacation abroad is applying for a visa. Prepare to spend hours online poring over the convoluted visa application procedures for the nation you want to visit. But, did you know that there are several countries where a visa is not required for Indians? In a few other places as well, you can obtain a visa upon arrival.

As of January 2020, there are the top 24 nations in the world where Indians can travel without a visa, with a visa upon arrival, or with an electronic visa. This positions the Indian passport at the 84th level, in terms of the freedom to travel, according to the Henley Passport Index (the global ranking of countries according to their citizen's freedom of travel). But what do nations that don't require visas for Indians mean? Once more, what do entry permit and visa on arrival mean? We'll look at these definitions now.

Visa Types available to Indian citizens

They are official papers that are issued by governments to allow outsiders to travel to their respective countries. Visas are identification cards that specify the length of time you are permitted to stay in the foreign nation, in a contrast to passports which serve as documentation of your country of origin. The visa application process is now governed by a variety of laws from different nations. The table below provides an illustration of the same:

1. Visa-Free:  The advantage of not needing a visa to enter a nation is known as visa-free travel. This is relevant if the two concerned nations have an agreement to that effect or if the nation one is visiting has unilaterally opened its borders to foreign nationals.

2. Visa on arrival: Also referred to as an on-arrival visa, this is a document that is issued to a traveler at the port of entry. Government officials at the port of entry start and finish the full visa-issuing process.

3. E-Visas: In essence, e-Visas are official paperwork that a nation's immigration official issues online to allow travelers entry. These serve as an alternative to conventional paper-based visas granted by embassies.

4. Entry Permit: In place of visas, several nations provide entry permits to visitors. These entry permits are legal documents that grant visitors the right to enter and remain in the nation for a specific amount of time.

In 2022, holders of Indian passports can travel visa-free to 24 other countries. No visa is needed in advance or upon arrival. The particular qualifications for admittance, however, could differ from one nation to another. Indian citizens do not need a visa in advance (i.e., before leaving) or a visa upon arrival to travel to these nations. Here is a list of 24 nations where Indian nationals can travel visa-free:

OCEANIA:

• Cook Islands
• Fiji
• Micronesia
• Niue

MIDDLE EAST:

• Oman
• Qatar

EUROPE:

• Albania
• Serbia

CARIBBEAN:

• Barbados
• The British Virgin Islands
• Dominica
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• Montserrat
• St.Kiits and Nevia
• Trinidad and Tobago

ASIA:

• Bhutan
• Indonesia
• Macao
• Nepal

AMERICAS:

• El Salvador
  

AFRICA:

• Mauritius
• Senegal
• Seychelles

To Conclude:

Indian citizens will not need a visa of any kind, meaning they won't need one at all. To visit a tourist destination that is one of the nations that do not require Indian citizens to obtain a visa before traveling, an electronic visa (e-visa), or a visa upon arrival, you do not need to do either.

It's important to distinguish between nations that allow Indians to obtain visas on arrival and nations that do not. You won't ever need a visit visa of any kind to enter a country that doesn't require one for Indian citizens. However, if you obtain a visa on arrival, you must have it stamped at the port of entry once you have arrived as an Indian tourist.