Countries you can travel visa-free and things to remember when on the go
Latest update by the Ministry of State for External Affairs says you can travel to 16 countries without the visa
Fasten your seat belts. You are about to take a tour of countries visa-free. 16 countries are now allowing visa-free travel from India to promote tourism in their countries. There is a different kind of thrill in travelling overseas, hearing an alien language, traversing unexplored roads, meeting unfamiliar faces that has an adrenalin rush attached to it. But all the fun is suddenly gone when you have to comply with hundreds of formalities and stand in queue for hours for a visa interview and so on.
There are various kinds of visas, the most common kind being the tourist visa. There are also in-transit visas with which you can get passage to another country and then there is a business visa.
Latest update by the Ministry of State for External Affairs says you can travel to 16 countries without the visa. There is no additional cost for your tenure of stay or extended stay up to a limit when you are travelling to a country that entertains visa-free tourism from your country. Visa-free travel lets you make impromptu plans to another country. These countries are
Barbados
Bhutan
Grenada
Haiti
Dominica
Mauritius
Maldives
Niue Island
Nepal
Montserrat
Senegal
Samoa
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Serbia
Trinidad and Tobago
Hong Kon Sar
Now 43 countries provide visa-on arrival facilities and 36 countries have e-visa facility for Indian passport holders. Iran, Myanmar, Indonesia are among the countries that provide visa-on-arrival while Sri Lanka, Malaysia and New Zealand among others are the countries where you can avail e-visa facility.
Things to remember when you are travelling visa-free
Even when you are travelling to a country that does not require a visa, you still have to pass through an immigration control facility, so that authorities can check your passport for validity.
Visa-on-arrival counter and immigration control counter are not the same. The one who gives you visa is not the one who allows the visitor to cross the border.
You have to be cautious that you do not overdue you stay. Even with visa-free travel, countries have a stay policy for visitors like in Barbados you can stay visa-free for maximum 90 days.
Even while travelling visa-free, you will need to provide evidence of return tickets, sufficient funds and hotel reservations. For visa on arrival, you will need to pay a processing fee.
