World Tourism Day is celebrated every year on September 27 led by UNWTO. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the global community of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution the sector can make in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, in line with UNWTO’s overarching focus on skills, education and jobs throughout the year, World Tourism Day will be a celebration on the topic ‘Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all’.
If you’re looking forward to an international holiday, you can now skip the long winded process to apply and procure a visa by selecting your destination from a list of countries that allow Indian passport holders the option to obtain a visa on arrival. According to the Global Passport Index, the Indian passport is ranked 64th in the list of most powerful passports in 2019.
Normally, the process for applying for a visa includes an interview at the particular consulate followed by lengthy documentation. This long process, however, does not eliminate the possibility of your visa being rejected. Here’s a list of countries that offer a visa on arrival for ordinary Indian passport holders. While most of the countries on this list offer visa on arrival facility to Indian passport holders, certain counties may require a permit, e Visa or an invitation letter for entry.
| Country | Visa requirement | Additional remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Belarus | Visa not required for stay up to 5 days | |
| Bhutan | Visa not required | Indian nationals have to register themselves at the time of visit to Bhutan |
| Cambodia | Tourist visa on arrival | Duration: Normally for 30 days, extendable for another 30 days. Available at both airports and all border check posts. A fee of USD 35 has to be paid in US currency |
| Cape Verde | Visa on arrival | |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | |
| Dominica | Visa not required | Up to 6 months |
| Egypt | Group tourist visa on arrival | Visa is required to visit Egypt. However, for tourist groups from India, local authorised tour operators can arrange visa on arrival. The process takes a week to 10 working days. |
| El Salvador | Visa not required | Up to 90 days |
| Ethiopia | Visa on arrival | |
| Fiji | Visa not required | Up to 4 months |
| Grenada | Visa not required | Up to 3 months |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa on arrival | Up to 90 days |
| Guyana | Visa on arrival | Up to 30 days provided the visitor is holding a letter of invitation from sponsor or host, including contact details of sponsor, host or hotel along with 2 passport size photos |
| Haiti | Visa not required | Up to 3 months |
| Indonesia | Visa on arrival | Visa on arrival for tourism purposes for 30 days from select ports of entry. |
| Jamaica | Visa not required | |
| Jordan | Visa on arrival | Up to 2 weeks, visitors must hold USD 1000 |
| Laos | Visa on arrival | Visa on arrival for 30 days. Tourist visa is extendable by paying service fee of USD 3 plus taxing fee of USD 2.5 per day. Visa fee is USD 40. Passport must be valid for 6 months. |
| Macau | Visa not required | Up to 30 days |
| Madagascar | Visa on arrival | Up to 30 days free of charge |
| Maldives | Visa on arrival | Up to 90 days |
| Mauritius | Visa not required | Maximum 60 days subject to furnishing return air ticket. It can be extended by a few days as per necessity by passport and immigration office. |
| Micronesia | Visa not required | Up to 30 days |
| Mozambique | Visa on arrival | |
| Nepal | Freedom of movement | Indian citizens may live and work freely in Nepal under the terms of the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship |
| Palau | Visa on arrival | Up to 30 days |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa not required | 30 days entry permit is given on arrival. For business or study, prior visa is needed |
| Saint Lucia | Visa on arrival | Up to 6 weeks |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa not required | Up to 1 month |
| Samoa | Entry permit on arrival | Up to 60 days |
| Senegal | Visa not required | Up to 90 days |
| Seychelles | Visitors permit on arrival | Up to 1 month. The visitor's passport must be valid for 6 months and return and onward ticket must be shown. Proof of sufficient funds for period of stay and hotel accommodation is necessary to furnish |
| Tanzania | Visa on arrival | Visa on arrival is not valid for work visas. 90 days single entry fee is USD 50. Business visa fee is USD 250 with invitation letter from sponsor. Transit visa fee for 14 days is USD 30. Available at designated entry points |
| Thailand | Visa on arrival | Up to 15 days. Visa fee of 1000 Thai Baht needs to paid in Thai currency. Visa on arrival has to be obtained at the first point of entry/landing and not the final destination |
| Timor-Leste | Visa on arrival | Up to 30 days |
| Togo | Visa on arrival | Up to 7 days |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa not required | Up to 90 days, except in cases of employment/work |
| Tuvalu | Visa on arrival | Up to 1 month |
| Uganda | Visa on arrival | Immigration officials are the final authority on decisions taken regarding the duration and restrictions |
| Vanuatu | Visa not required | Up to 30 days |
The following countries allow Indian passport holders to enter using the facility of electronic visas or e-Visa:
| Country | Remarks |
|---|---|
| Australia | |
| Azerbaijan | |
| Bahrain | Up to 14 days |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Up to 3 months; eVisa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport. |
| Gabon | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. |
| Georgia | Up to 90 days. Visa not required for holders of valid visa or residence permit issued by USA, UK, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, South Korea, Schengen and GCC countries. |
| Kenya | Up to 3 months |
| Myanmar | 28 days. E-Visa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Tawor Mandalay airports.e-Visa - Visa Type /Fees /Duration: Tourist/USD 50/28 days; Business/USD 70/70 days For more details, visit: http//www.mip.gov.mm |
| Qatar | Visa on arrival, valid for a stay of one month in Qatar |
| Rwanda | |
| Russian Federation | Far Eastern Federal District and the Kaliningrad Region and not allowed to enter other regions of the Russian Federation.(valid for 30 days and maximum period of stay should not exceed 8 days) |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Holders of a visa issued by the United States or a Schengen area member state do not require a visa for stay up to 15 days. |
| Sri Lanka | Up to 30 days |
| Uzbekistan | |
| Vietnam | |
| Zambia | |
| Zimbabwe |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from public and external sources as on 29 August, 2019 and the CPV Division or the Ministry of External Affairs will not be responsible for its accuracy. Indian nationals intending to travel abroad are kindly advised to cross-check this information with the Foreign Embassy/Consulate in India or Indian Embassy/Consulate abroad among others.
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