The government has been making certain efforts to increase the number of countries that provide visa-free travel, visa on arrival and e-visa facility so as to further ease international travel for Indians making it all the more affordable.
The Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday, that about 16 countries provide visa-free entry to Indian passport holders.
Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs said, ” 43 countries provide visa-on-arrival facility, 36 countries provide e-visa facility and 16 countries which provide visa-free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders.”
Muraleedharan said that the issuance of visa is the solitary decision of a particular country and the matter regarding liberalisation of visa-related policies is being taken up in many meetings and forums.
The 16 countries providing visa-free entry to Indian passport holders are:-
1)Barbados
2)Bhutan
3) Dominica
4) Granada
5) Haiti
6) Hong Kong SAR
7) the Maldives
8) Mauritius
9) Montserrat
10) Nepal
11) Niue Island
12) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
13) Samoa
14) Senegal
15) Serbia and Trinidad
16) Tobago
Among the 43 countries providing visa-on-arrival facility to Indian ordinary password, holders are Iran, Indonesia and Myanmar.
Among the 36 countries providing e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders are Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Malaysia.