10 visa-free international trips from India you can go on if flights are back on March 1
Are you tired of being cooped up in your home, what with Covid having thrown all your travel plans into the bin? Do you want to take a real vacation, perhaps breathe in some foreign air? A lot of countries also seem to think so; even the Indian Aviation Ministry.
The Aviation Ministry of India met with officials of the Health and Home ministries to discuss the status of scheduled international commercial flights. Regular international flights have remained suspended since March 2020, and the suspension ends on February 28. Reports say that this time around, the suspension may be lifted for good, allowing for pre-2020 normal international travel.
If commercial flights begin operations again, and if you are in a mood for a hassle-free international trip, here is a list of 10 destinations you can go to with just your passport, your bags and a flight ticket – and without immigration or visa processes:
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES DO NOT HAVE AIR BUBBLE ARRANGEMENTS WITH INDIA, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT TILL MARCH 1 TO SEE THE FLIGHT STATUS
1. BARBADOS
If you are looking for some Caribbean air with a sizeable budget for a destination halfway across the world, Barbados welcomes Indian passport holders without a visa. What more; you can stay in the island nation, which singer Rihanna calls home, for nearly 3 months all on your passport. (Psst: You can also get a Nomad Visa to work from Barbados, but that's another story... that you can read here.)
2. DOMINICA AND HAITI
Dominica and Haiti are both Caribbean island countries that allow visa-free entry to Indian passport holders.
3. THAILAND
If flying halfway across the world for a trip is too much for you, you can instead choose a closer to home destination – Thailand. However, it is not visa-free, but Indian passport holders are eligible for a visa on arrival. So, expect it to be a swift enough process. Thailand has already opened up for tourists from around the world from February 1, 2022. Thailand does hope to forge an air bubble agreement with India. (If you're planning a Thailand trip after April 2022, here's a bit of info you need to know.)
4. CAMBODIA
Are you in the mood for some Indiana Jones vibes? Then Cambodia offers visa on arrival for Indian passport holders. Perhaps you should also pack that explorer’s bag of yours!
5. INDONESIA
Indonesia also offers visa on arrival for Indian passport holders. Bali is definitely a tourist favourite place to be.
THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES HAVE AIR BUBBLE ARRANGEMENTS WITH INDIA
But what if the scheduled commercial flights don’t resume come March 1, 2022? Fret not, because we also have a list of countries you can still visit under the air bubble arrangements inked between the destination country and India:
6. SRI LANKA
Why wait for March 1? You can hop on a flight right now to Sri Lanka. The island nation offers visa on arrival for Indian passport holders.
7. NEPAL
Nepal offers visa-free entry to Indian passport holders. If you are looking for some peace in the high regions, Nepal may be for you.
8. BHUTAN
Bhutan also offers visa-free entry to Indian passport holders.
9. MALDIVES
The Maldives is among one of the Bollywood celebrity favourite destinations. And the exotic country offers visa-on-arrival to Indian passports holders.
10. SEYCHELLES
Seychelles will offer visa-free entry for Indian passports as well as the sun-kissed east African beaches.
While these countries may allow a visa-hassle-free entry, you should expect Covid protocols to be in place at most of these destinations. Chances are that you will be required to show either a fully vaccinated certificate or a negative RT PCR test or both to be allowed entry. There is also a possibility that you may have to undergo tests on arrival and your entry may be subject to you testing negative.
(NOTE: These are the visa regulations of the respective countries at the time of writing this article. They might change. Before you book your tickets, do go through the respective restrictions and regulations of your destination country.)