The visa on arrival is the perfect option for travelers that love to explore foreign lands without the hassle of applying through a Visa Application Center (VAC) or Embassy/Consulate for a traditional visa. 33 countries across the world offer Visa on Arrival for Indians.
What is a Visa on Arrival?
If eligible for a visa on arrival for Indians, there is no requirement for physically visiting a Visa Application Center (VAC) or Embassy/Consulate before boarding the airplane for your destination. Simply fill up an online visa application form, pay the visitor visa fee, and take the printout of your visa approval.
Upon arrival in your destination country, the approval printout as well as your valid passport will have to be shown at the immigration counter on the port of entry. Following verification, your passport will be stamped with the visa sticker.
How many countries can Indians go to without a visa?
As per 2024 Henley Passport Index, there are a total of 59 countries that Indians can travel to without a prior visa. Some of these countries have no visa requirement for Indian tourists. Others offer Indians visa on arrival facility.
Here, we shall find out the various countries in the world that give the option of visa on arrival for Indian nationals.
How many countries offer visas on arrival to Indians?
Countries that give Visa on Arrival for Indians are, region-wise
|
Region |
Country |
|
In Asia |
|
|
In the Middle East |
|
|
In Americas |
Bolivia |
|
In Oceania |
|
|
In the Caribbean |
|
|
In Africa |
|
Let’s see the individual countries and their requirements to give Visa on Arrival to Indians.
- Bolivia
Indian nationals can get a visa on arrival - for 30 days - when they travel to Bolivia as tourists. However, getting a prior Bolivia tourist visa is recommended.
Places to visit in Bolivia: La Paz, Potosi, Oruro, Sorata, and Lake Titicaca.
- Botswana
Visa on arrival offered for Indian nationals. A Botswana tourist visa is for individuals that want to visit Botswana for holiday, sightseeing, recreational or social reasons, or for other short-term non-work purposes. The main reason for seeking a tourist visa for Botswana must be tourism. The VOA can be for single entry or multiple entry over a period of three months.
Cost: INR 6,290 (single entry)
Places to visit in Botswana: Gabane, Kasane, Kang, Suwati, and Goborone.
- Cambodia
Cambodia visa on arrival is available for Indian nationals. You can also apply for an e-visa for traveling to Cambodia from India for tourism. An offline application process for a Cambodian tourist visa is also available.
Places to visit in Cambodia: Koh Ker, Phnom Penh, Mondulkiri, Poipet, and Kep.
- Ethiopia
Indian nationals are eligible for the Ethiopian visa on arrival.
Places to visit in Ethiopia: Adigrat, Danakil Depression, Gheralta, Jinka, and Harar.
- Cape Verde Islands
Indian nationals will require a tourist visa for visiting Cape Verde islands. There are two options to make your stay legal and valid when you go to Cape Verde Islands on a vacation. Apply online for an e-visa or get your visa on arrival at the airport when you reach Cape Verde.
Indiational nationals can secure their visa on arrival in Cape Verde Islands from either of the three international airports - Sao Vicente International Airport, Santiago International Airport, or Sal International Airport.
Places to visit in Cape Verde Islands: Fogo, Praia, Mindelo, Tarrafal, and Porto Novo.
- Comoros Islands
Generally, a foreign national traveling to the Comoros Islands for tourism purposes does not have to apply for a visa in advance. A 45-days’ visa can be acquired upon arrival in the country, provided the traveler has all valid travel documents with them.
Places to visit in Comoros Islands: Mayotte, Mamoudzou, Moroni, Anjouan, and Fomboni.
- Gabon
Gabon offers an electronic visa facility, the ETA Electronic Travel Authorisation of Gabon. Do keep in mind that no fee payment is to be done online. The visa fee must be paid in Gabon after the e-visa sticker is delivered to you.
Gabon e-visas can be -
- From one to three months, single entry, costing EUR70.
- For six months, with multiple entries, costing EUR185.
As of now, Gabon e-visas are valid only for visiting Gabon by air via Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville.
Places to visit in Gabon: Libreville, Pongara, Franceville, Point Denis, and Lastoursville.
- Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau visa on arrival, allowing a maximum stay of 90 days, is available for Indian nationals traveling to the country for visit overseas.
Places to visit in Guinea-Bissau: Presidential Palace, Kanaga Africa Tours, Mercado Central, Bissau Main Market, and Mesquita Bissau.
- Indonesia
91 countries, including India, are eligible for an Indonesia visa-on-arrival. You can stay in Indonesia for 30 days. An Indonesia VOA can be extended for another 30 days. Keep in mind that you cannot convert to any other type of Indonesia visa.
Places to visit in Indonesia: Bandung, Yogyakarta, Medan, Banjarmasin, and Bukittinggi.
- Iran
Indian tourists can get their visa on arrival for tourism purposes at the following airports in Iran
- Tabriz,
- Shiraz,
- Mashhad,
- Mehrabad, and
- Imam Khomeini airport.
All the required documents must be taken along and an Iran visa on arrival applied for at an Iranian airport offering the facility.
Cost: INR 6,500 per passport.
Places to visit in Iran: Tehran, Dizin, Persepolis, Yazd, and Kerman.
- Jordan
Indian nationals can secure a Jordan tourist visa on arrival in the country. An online application form will have to be filled up before traveling to Jordan. A confirmation code will be sent via email after the completion and submission of the form. This code will have to be presented at the check-in desk on the airport of departure.
To apply at: www.gateway2jordan.gov.jo.
Cost: JOD 40
Places to visit in Jordan: Petra, Amman, Jerash, Dead Sea, and Aqaba.
- Laos
The visa on arrival option is available for an Indian national.
The Laos eVisa is available for 162 countries, India being one of them. The Laos eVisa allows travelers a single entry into Laos from any of the five ports of entry -
- Pakse International Airport,
- Wattay International Airport,
- Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I,
- Lao Thai Friendship Bridge II, and
- Luang Pranbang International Airport.
Places to visit in Laos: Huay Xai, Udomxai, Champasak, Thakhek, and Paksong.
- Madagascar
Regardless of the nationality, every foreign national that wishes to enter Madagascar will require a visa for entry. Indian nationals are eligible for the visa on arrival in Madagascar.
Places to visit in Madagascar: Nosy Boraha, Antananarivo, Avenue Of The Baobabs, Ranomafana National Park, and Ambohimanga.
- Maldives
Maldives tourist visa on arrival is available to all nationalities. As such, a foregn national traveling to Maldives for tourism will not require a pre-approval for a visa. However, the basic entry requirements will have to be met for immigration clearance upon arrival.
Places to visit in Maldives: Male, Maafushi, Utheemu, Feydhoo, and Fuvahmulah.
- Marshall Islands
The Visa On Arrival (VOA) facility is available for Indians traveling to the Marshall islands for tourism purposes.
Places to visit in Marshall Islands: Eneko, Majuro, Ebeye, Jabor, and Wotje.
- Mauritania
Indian nationals are not required to apply for a visa before traveling to Mauritania for tourism. Indians can get a Mauritania visa on arrival at the Nouakchott International Airport, provided, however, that they have all valid travel documents with them. Visas on arrival issued at the airport in Mauritania are for single entry, allowing a stay of up to 30 days.
Places to visit in Mauritania: Tichit, Kiffa, Terjit, Atar, and Chinguetti.
- Mozambique
Before traveling to Mozambique as tourists, Indian nationals can apply online for their electronic tourist visa, the Mozambique eVisa. Upon arrival, you will have to present your Indian passport along with a printout of the approved Mozambique visa to be granted entry.
A foreign national, irrespective of their nationality, will have to secure an entry visa before arrival, that is, before traveling to Mozambique for the purposes of tourism.
Mozambique tourist visa fees -
- Single Entry Visa: USD 160, up to 30 days within a 60-day period
- Multiple Entry Visa: USD 180, up to 30 days within a 60-day period
- Multiple Entry Visa: USD 210, up to 30 days within a 90-day period
A single entry visa permits a stay from a minimum of one day to one month, renewable in Mozambique as long as the visa is still valid at the time of requesting for an extension. With a multiple entry visa, the maximum length of stay per entry will be 30 days.Mozambique tourist visas must be used within two months from the date of the visa being granted.
Places to visit in Mozambique: Lukela, Vilankulo, Maputo, Pemba, and Xai-Xai.
- Myanmar
Myanmar tourist visa exempt countries are - Cambodia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, and the Philippines. An Indian national will have to get a Myanmar Tourist eVisa for traveling to the country. A maximum stay of 28 days allowed, within a validity of 90 days from the date of issuance. Only a single entry is allowed.
Myanmar tourist e-visas permit entry only via the following -
- Mandalay International Airport,
- Yangon International Airport,
- Tachileik Land Border Checkpoint,
- Nay Pyi Taw International Airport,
- Kawthaung Land Border Checkpoint, and
- Myawaddy Land Border Checkpoint.
Visa on arrival is valid for entering Myanmar through a seaport. Myanmar e-visa is not valid for seaport entry.Places to visit in Myanmar: Mount Popa, Kalaw, Dukkanthein, Snake Pagoda, and Nanpaya.
- Palau Islands
Indian nationals are eligible for the Palau Islands visa on arrival, allowing a maximum stay of up to 30 days in the country. Palau Islands VOA fees: USD 50. The VOA can be extended two times, with a USD 50 fee applicable per extension. An extension must be requested at least a week before the expiry of the present Palau Islands tourist visa on arrival.
Places to visit in Palau Islands: White Beach, Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge, Airai Bai, Kaigun Sho, and Thousand Man Cave.
- Rwanda
As per Rwanda’s new visa regime, Indian nationals are eligible to get a Rwanda tourist visa on arrival at the Kigali International Airport and all land borders. No visa fees are to be paid for a visit of 30 days. Visitors wishing to simultaneously visit the three countries - Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda - for tourism might apply for the East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) online. The EATV costs USD 100, with multiple entries, and valid for 90 days.
Places to visit in Rwanda: Kigali, Kibuye, Gisenyi, Kibungo, and Gishwati Forest National Park.
- Sierra Leone
Landing visa, or visa on arrival, available for Indian nationals traveling to Sierra Leone for tourism. All persons entering Sierra Leone must have a travel document or a valid passport with them. Sierra Leone visa on arrival is valid for entry anytime within an allotted three-month period, allowing stays of up to one month. An extension might be applied for from within the country after the initial entry.
Places to visit in Sierra Leone: Freetown, Tokeh, Bo Town, Bo Town, and Banana Island.
- Somalia
Visa on arrival available for Indian nationals traveling to Somalia for tourism. The Somalia tourist visa application can be made online.
Places to visit in Somalia: Mogadishu, Berbera, Kismayo, Laascaanood, and Garowe.
- Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka offers visa on arrival for most foreign nationals. You can pre-register for the Sri Lanka VOA by applying online. Sri Lanka also offers Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The ETA for Tourist purposes permits you to make two entries into Sri Lanka within a thirty-day duration.
Places to visit in Sri Lanka: Ella, Mirissa, Galle, Bentota, and Midigama.
- St. Lucia
Visa at the port of entry, also known as a visa on arrival, is available for an Indian national intending to go to St. Lucia as a tourist. The St. Lucia tourist visa application fees is - XCD 125.00 for single entry within a three-month period; and XCD190.00 for multiple entries over a one-year period. Here, XCD is the currency acronym for East Caribbean Dollar.
Places to visit in St. Lucia: Derek Walcott Square, Castries Market, Pitons, The Pitons, and Marigot Bay.
- Tanzania
As India is not on the list of countries whose nationals don’t require a visa to enter Tanzania, an Indian national traveling to Tanzania as a tourist will have to apply for a Tanzania e-visa at the Immigration Services Website (www.immigration.go.tz) and secure their visa on arrival in Tanzania.
Allowing single entry and with a validity of 90 days, the Tanzania tourist visa is granted to foreign nationals for the purposes of leisure, tourism, visit, medical treatment, holidaying, attending a conference, family visit, or for humanitarian and charity activities.
Places to visit in Tanzania: Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Kasulu, Moshi, and Zanzibar.
- Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand offers visa on arrival (VOA) entry to the passport holders of 18 countries - including India - and one special economic zone, Taiwan. The cost for the Thailand VOA is THB 2,000. THB stands for Thai Bhat.
The Thailand visa on arrival is only valid for 15 days, following which you will have to exit the country. The visa on arrival for Thailand is non-extendable.
Places to visit in Thailand: Krabi, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Lipe, and Trang.
- Timor Leste
Indian nationals might secure a single entry visa on arrival for Timor-Leste, allowing them a maximum stay of 30 days in the country. The Timor-Leste tourist visa might be extended for one one, for another 30 days’ period. Multiple entries are allowed for those traveling to Oecussi, a part of the country lying within Indonesia.
The Timor-Leste tourist visa is sought and granted at the port of entry, based on the visa fee payment earlier, and the production of a complete arrival card, and acceptable travel document. Tourist visa for Timor-Leste costs USD 30. An extension of the same will be worth USD40.
Places to visit in Timor Leste: Dili, Baucau, Maubisse, Marobo, and Same.
- Togo
Indians are eligible for the Togo visa on arrival. However, as the visas issued on arrival in Togo generally have a 7-day limitation, it is recommended to get a visa before you travel to Togo as tourists.
Non-ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) countries will need a Togo visa and their valid passport to be able to enter Togo. It is recommended that tourists wishing to visit Togo apply for their visa before traveling to the country. Togo entry visas are valid for up to 90 days. Express Togo visa facility, with a one-day processing, is also available at an additional cost.
Places to visitin Togo: Lome, Agbodrafo, Aneho, Sokode, and Koutammakou.
- Uganda
Uganda visa on arrival is available. Visitors also have the option of completing the online application to secure a Ugandan eVisa.
Any foreign national coming to Uganda for holiday, business, study, visit, tourism, or for medical care will be required to apply for and obtain a Uganda visa online.
If the visa application is approved, an approval letter will be sent to the applicant in the form of an email attachment. To be downloaded, the same will be required for entering Uganda.
A Uganda Ordinary/Tourist visa costs USD 50. You can also visit Uganda on an East Africa Tourist Visa that is for visiting the African countries of Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.
Places to visit in Uganda: Gulu, Kampala, Entebbe, Mbarara, and Lugazi.
- Zimbabwe
As per the Zimbabwe visa regime, India finds its place on Category B list of countries whose nationals don’t need to apply for a Zimbabwe tourist visa before traveling to the country, but must obtain a visa on arrival. The Zimbabwe e-visa can easily be applied online through the official Government of Zimbabwe e-visa website.
To be obtained within an average of seven days, an e-visa for Zimbabwe enables foreigners to apply for their Zimbabwe Visa Online. The visa on arrival might be issued to an applicant that may pay upon arrival at the port of entry. The Zimbabwe e-visa will be valid for three months from the date of issue.
Places to visit in Tanzania: Mutare, Harare, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, and Masvingo.
- Grenada
Visitors from most countries might secure a visa on arrival - that is, a visa at the Port of Entry - when visiting Grenada. This will be valid for a period of three months. A valid passport and a return ticket will be needed.
Places to visit in Grenada: Morne Rouge, Concord Falls, Carenage, Sunnyside Garden, and Quarantine Point. - Vanuatu
India is on the list of countries that are exempted from the requirement to get a prior visa to enter Vanuatu for tourism. Nationals of any of the exempted countries can obtain a visitor visa on arrival, provided they successfully meet the conditions for a Vanuatu visitor visa.
Places to visit in Vanuatu: Efate, Mele Cascades, Pentecost, Millennium Cave, and Epi. - Tunisia
Indian nationals can avail the visa on arrival facility to seek entry into the country.
Places to visit in Tunisia: Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, Bulla Regia, Djerba, and Hammamet.
In conclusion
Do keep in mind that while you can visit any of the 33 above-mentioned countries and secure a visa on arrival for Indians at the port of entry, it is advisable to apply for and get a tourist visa beforehand.
Other FAQs
1. How many countries can I travel to from India without a visa?
There are 59 countries in the world that Indians can travel to without a visa. 32 countries offer visa on arrival for Indians.
2. Why do I need a visa?
An official document, a visa allows the visa holder to legally enter a foreign country and remain within the country for a specified time. A visa might be affixed or stamped directly onto the passport of the individual, or linked digitally in certain cases.
3. Why do countries give visa on arrival?
With the aim of facilitating tourism and making the application process more streamlined, many countries offer the visa on arrival facility allowing you to travel to the country and get a visa at any of the specified ports of entry.
5. What is the difference between visa-free entry and Visa on Arrival?
Visa-free entry
- No visa needed to enter as a tourist.
- Required to carry valid passport for identification purposes.
Visa on Arrival
- A visa on arrival is still a visa.
- The main difference between a regular visa and a VOA is in terms of when to apply.
- If a country offers a VOA facility for your nationality, you can go there without a prior visa and apply for the same at the airport terminal.
6. Can I get a guaranteed visa on arrival for Indians?
A visa on arrival can be denied just like a regular visa application. Make sure that you -
- Are aware of the process involved,
- Are fully prepared,
- Have downloaded the application form and the related instructions in advance, and
- Have the required documentation with you before you board the plane.
7. What are the visa on arrival requirements?
While the Visa On Arrival facility is provided by many countries, the requirements vary from country to country. Also, always make sure your country is on the official list of the countries that are eligible for VOA. Not all countries are eligible.
8. What is Oceania?
The word Oceania is used for the 10,000+ islands - excluding the Japan archipelago, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia; and the islands of Aleutian, Kuril, and Ryukyu - that can be found in the Pacific Ocean.
Traditionally, Oceania has been divided into -
- Polynesia,
- Micronesia,
- Melanesia, and
- Australasia.
