In a bid to boost tourism in the island nation which has been battling persisting high inflation, unemployment, and a deteriorating economy post the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka has announced visa-free entry for Indian tourists under its pilot project from March 2024. As announced by the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, six other countries have been also added to the list from where tourists will be issued free visa entry including China, Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand.
“Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March,” he wrote in his X post.
While the announcement will open exciting possibilities for tourism in Sri Lanka, it will also provide a wider landscape for visa-free options for travellers in India. Notably, Sri Lanka is not the first country that has allowed free visa entry to Indian citizens. There are a number of countries where Indian citizens don’t require visas, while there are a few others where they are provided a visa on arrival.
Countries providing visa-free entry to Indians
According to the details shared by the passport index by Passport Index by Henley and Partners 2023, Indian passport holders can travel to around 57 countries without a visa. They can obtain an e-visa or entry authorisation. Given here is the list of the countries that can be on the bucket list for your next international vacation.
The list of countries that give free visas to Indian Passport Holders:
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Niue
- Palau Islands
- Samoa
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Iran
- Jordan
- Oman
- Qatar
- Barbados
- British Virgin Islands
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Laos
- Macao (SAR China)
- Maldives
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Bolivia
- El Salvador
- Burundi
- Cape Verde Islands
- Comoro Islands
- Djibouti
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Madagascar
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Zimbabwe
The latest addition of Sri Lanka has now taken the total number of countries to 58. Notably, as per the latest rankings, the strength of Indian passports climbed from the 87th position in 2022 to the 80th position in 2023.
With a few relevant documents like a valid passport, flight tickets, accommodation details, and sufficient foreign exchange, Indian travellers need to fill in an application form or registration form online and offline before entering the visa-free countries and further paying the applicable fees. Speaking of the stay duration in the visa-free countries, it ranges from one week to 3 months, varying from one country to another.
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