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Visa-Free Countries for Indians (2026): Where You Can Go Without a Visa, and What a Day Costs

Most lists of visa-free countries stop at the list. This one checks each rule against official sources as of 7 November 2026, including the changes since August, and adds what a cheap day in each country actually costs.

Photo: Samal Nadeeshan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.

Search for visa-free countries for Indians and you get long lists, some of them out of date: Thailand changed in September, Sri Lanka in May, and Malaysia's scheme ends in December unless it is extended. Very few lists say what you will spend once you land.

So this page does two things. It checks each rule against the Ministry of External Affairs list and newer official sources, and it adds the cheapest day we price in each country: a bed, food, local transport and entry fees for one person, before flights.

All 12, cheapest day first

The 7 visa-free countries

Photo: Sabina Bajracharya, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Nepal

No limitA day from ₹1,200

The easiest trip abroad for an Indian: no visa, no passport needed if you carry your original Voter ID, and an open land border. Pokhara has Annapurna views from the lake.

Cheapest place we price there: Pokhara, about ₹1,200 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Pokhara & the Annapurna Foothills pageFull place page →

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Greenmnm69 assumed (based on copyright clai, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Bhutan

Permit-basedA day from ₹1,900

No visa, but every night costs the Sustainable Development Fee of ₹1,200 for Indians, on top of the daily cost shown. The free entry permit covers Thimphu and Paro; other districts need a further permit.

Cheapest place we price there: Haa Valley, about ₹1,900 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Haa Valley pageFull place page →

Photo: Dr.S.Rajivraja, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Sri Lanka

30 daysA day from ₹1,200

Since 25 May 2026 the tourist ETA is free for Indians for 30 days, with double entry. You still apply online before you fly. The official page gives no end date for the free scheme, so check it again close to your trip.

Cheapest place we price there: Ella, about ₹1,200 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Ella & the Uva Highlands pageFull place page →

Photo: Johnwxh30 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Malaysia

30 daysA day from ₹1,500

Visa-free for 30 days, but only until 31 December 2026 unless Malaysia extends it again. Fill in the free MDAC arrival card before you land.

Cheapest place we price there: Taiping, about ₹1,500 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Taiping pageFull place page →

Photo: Kirkamon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Philippines

14 daysA day from ₹1,600

14 days visa-free, and it cannot be extended. If you hold a valid US, UK, Schengen, Japan, Australia, Canada or Singapore visa or residence permit, you get 30 days instead.

Cheapest place we price there: Batanes, about ₹1,600 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Batanes pageFull place page →

Photo: Khunkay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

6. Thailand

30 daysA day from ₹1,700

Cut from 60 days to 30 for arrivals from 15 September 2026. Older pages still say 60. The free TDAC arrival card is filled in online before you land.

Cheapest place we price there: Nan, about ₹1,700 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Nan pageFull place page →

Photo: TakingOver, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Kazakhstan

14 daysA day from ₹1,800

14 days visa-free per visit since 2022. A new online form, QazETA, is being rolled out and is reported to be voluntary until 30 June 2027.

Cheapest place we price there: Kolsai, about ₹1,800 a day on a shoestring, before flights.

Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes pageFull place page →

Visa on arrival: 5 more

You get the visa at the airport or border, but you pay a fee and need the usual documents. Most also offer an e-visa, which saves the queue.

Not visa-free, whatever you have read

• Vietnam: India is not on Vietnam's visa-exemption list. You need an e-visa, applied for online before you go. It is still one of the cheapest countries we price, from about ₹1,200 a day in Ha Giang Loop.
• Indonesia: India was proposed for Indonesia's visa-free list, but it had not been added as of September 2026 (news reports). Visa on arrival still applies.
• Oman: a free 14-day visa started on 3 August 2026, but only for countries Oman designates, and India has not been confirmed as one. Check before you book.
• Kyrgyzstan: MEA lists 7 days visa-free, but other sources say an e-visa is needed. Ask the Kyrgyz embassy in New Delhi before you travel.

If you already hold a US, UK or Schengen visa

A valid visa or residence permit from one of these countries opens several more doors. The details differ, so check each one:

Still need a visa

• Schengen Europe (Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Austria, Iceland and the rest, now with Bulgaria and Romania): a Schengen visa, €90 for adults.
• United States: a B1/B2 visa, US$185.
• New Zealand, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa: a visa in advance. South Africa's new online ETA replaces the sticker visa for many applicants but is not a waiver.
• Serbia: visa-free entry for Indians ended in 2023 and has not returned.
• Cape Verde: visa on arrival for Indians was suspended from 1 January 2026; apply at an embassy.

Cheap does not require visa-free. Our cheapest countries to visit ranking includes e-visa countries like Vietnam, Georgia and Laos, and our Thailand trip cost from India prices a full week item by item.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and how we priced this

• Visa-free, visa-on-arrival and e-visa lists: Ministry of External Affairs, Visa facility for Indian Nationals (Ordinary Passport Holders), last updated 27 August 2026.
• Thailand 30 days from 15 September 2026: Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, and All India Radio, 9 September 2026.
• Sri Lanka free 30-day ETA from 25 May 2026: eta.gov.lk.
• Kazakhstan: Embassy of Kazakhstan in New Delhi. Philippines: Philippine DFA advisory on Indian nationals (June 2025). Bhutan: Embassy of India, Thimphu. Jordan: Jordan Pass FAQ. Chile: Embassy of Chile, New Delhi. Argentina: Resolución 353/2025. North Macedonia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Schengen fee: European Commission. Serbia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.
• Rows marked "news" or "check each" rest on news reports or partial official pages; confirm with the embassy before you book. Daily costs: each place's Trip Under page, built on our cost method.

Keep reading

Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.