16 nations give visa-free entry to Indian passport holders: Centre

NEW DELHI: Sixteen countries, including Nepal, Bhutan and Mauritius, provide visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, 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.

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

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.

The government has been making 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, Muraleedharan said.

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.