Visa Free Countries for India (2023 Edition)

Visa free countries for India are those countries that Indians or Indian passport holders can visit without a visa. Presently, there are 26 such countries in the world. Instead of processing a visa beforehand, holders of Indian passports can visit some of these counties and get a visa on arrival. In other visa-free countries, an eVisa is issued upon arrival. In contrast, in other countries all the immigrant has to show is a means of national identification (i.e. national ID document) without a passport.

India, officially known as the Republic of India is a South Asian country, the second-most populous country, and the seventh-largest country by land mass. As of 2022, India’s economy was estimated at $3.46 trillion (International Monetary Fund (IMF)) with purchasing power parity (PPP) of around $11.6 trillion. By market exchange rates, India has the fifth-largest economy. These economic indices indicate that India is a vast and fast-growing country which makes many people troop into the country yearly for many things – business, investment, recreation, study, adventure, etc. However, many Indians also troop out of the country in search of greener pastures in other countries.

The VisaGuide Passport Index in March 2023, ranked the Indian passport 154th in the world implying that Indians and Indian passport holders would be welcome in many parts of the world given their low-ranking index. In this article, I show the full list of Visa free countries for India, the documents required for processing travel, and a step-by-step guide on how to go about it.

Visa Free Countries for India

List of Visa Free Countries for India

Below are the 26 Visa free countries and territories that Indian passport holders can travel visa-free in 2023:

  1. Albania
  2. Barbados
  3. Bhutan
  4. British Virgin Islands
  5. Cook Islands
  6. Dominica
  7. El Salvador
  8. Fiji
  9. Grenada
  10. Haiti
  11. Indonesia
  12. Jamaica
  13. Macau
  14. Mauritius
  15. Micronesia
  16. Montserrat
  17. Nepal
  18. Niue
  19. Oman
  20. Qatar
  21. Senegal
  22. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  23. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  24. Trinidad and Tobago
  25. Tunisia
  26. Vanuatu

Eligibility

For admittance into visa free countries for India applicants must:

  1. Have a valid Indian passport which must have been procured at least six months before traveling to the destination country. The exemption, for now, is Bhutan and Nepal which Indian travelers can visit without a passport or visa but rather with only a means of national identity as an Indian citizen.
  2. Purchase the destination country’s stipulated travel health insurance.

Countries that Issue Indian Citizens and Indian Passport Holders eVisa

Indian passport holders can also visit 26 countries without a traditional visa or with an eVisa. eVisa is similar to a traditional visa only it is t processed and gotten online and not at a visa application canter like the Immigration or customs office. Once approved, an applicant is notified by email with a copy of the eVisa attached which should be printed out and presented (if required) at the border.

These countries that issue eVisa to Indian passport holders are:

  1. Angola
  2. Antigua and Barbuda
  3. Azerbaijan
  4. Bahrain
  5. Benin
  6. Colombia
  7. Djibouti
  8. Ethiopia
  9. Georgia
  10. Kenya
  11. Kuwait
  12. Kyrgyzstan
  13. Lesotho
  14. Malaysia
  15. Moldova
  16. Morocco
  17. São Tomé and Príncipe
  18. Singapore
  19. Suriname
  20. Taiwan
  21. Tajikistan
  22. Türkiye
  23. Uganda
  24. Uzbekistan
  25. Vietnam
  26. Zambia

Countries that Issue Indian Passport Holders a Visa on Arrival

31 countries issue Indian citizens a visa on arrival in their country. This means that applicants do not have to undergo the stress of applying for access before leaving their country.

The countries are:

  1. Bolivia
  2. Botswana
  3. Burundi
  4. Cambodia
  5. Cabo Verde
  6. Comoros
  7. Gabon
  8. Guinea-Bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Jordan
  11. Laos
  12. Madagascar
  13. Maldives
  14. Marshall Islands
  15. Mauritania
  16. Mozambique
  17. Myanmar
  18. Palau
  19. Rwanda
  20. Samoa
  21. Seychelles
  22. Sierra Leone
  23. Somalia
  24. Sri Lanka
  25. Saint Lucia
  26. Tanzania
  27. Thailand
  28. Timor-Leste
  29. Togo
  30. Tuvalu
  31. Zimbabwe

Documents Required for the Application

Regardless that the Visa free countries for India do not require heavy documentation by applicants there is still a bit of paperwork and processing to do. In most cases, applicants are required to have the following:

  1. Valid Indian passport showing Indian nationality.
  2. The health insurance that the destination country stipulates.

For countries that honor eVisa, in addition to the above more documentation may be required:

  1. Proof of paid visa fee.
  2. Proof of booked accommodation.
  3. Detailed travel itinerary that shows all the places you want to visit.
  4. Proof of booked return ticket for the flight home.
  5. Letter of invitation (if applicable)

For countries that require applying for and obtaining a visa beforehand, in addition to the above, the applicant may be required to present the following documents: documents.

  1. A filled visa application form.
  2. Civil status documents (marriage papers, certificates of birth, etc.).
  3. Passport size photograph of applicant dated not older than six months.
  4. Proof that you have sufficient funds to cover your visit
  5. Travel health insurance covers your entire period of stay.

Conclusion

There is no lengthy application for visa free countries for India. No need to book an appointment at the visa center or immigration office except for countries that demand eVisa. In any case, get the required documents ready especially your passport and travel insurance. Book your travel ticket and get ready to embark on your journey. The good thing is that you can move to another visa-free country for India when you exhaust your stay in your present country.

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