The Indian passport holders can get visa-free entry to as many as 16 countries around the world, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said there are 43 countries which provide visa-on-arrival facility and there are 36 countries which provide e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders. 

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"There are 16 countries which provide visa-free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders," Muraleedharan said. 

What are the 16 countries? 

Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Hong Kong SAR, the Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Nepal, Niue Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Serbia and Trinidad and Tobago, provide visa free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders, according to the information provided by the minister. 

Iran, Indonesia and Myanmar were among the 43 countries which provide visa-on-arrival facility to Indian ordinary passport holders. Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Malaysia are among the are 36 countries which provide e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders, according to the information provided by the minister. 

He further added that the government is trying 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.  

While issuance of visa and visa related process is the sovereign and unilateral decision of the respective country, the matter regarding easier and liberalised visa policy for Indian nationals is taken up regularly in bilateral meetings and forums with foreign countries, he said. 

However, with the current pandemic situation, international travel in most countries is at halt. But, you can definitely plan a vacation to one of these countries when travel resumes.