Kenya abolished visa requirements for Indian passport holders this week. With this, Kenya’s Maasai Mara national reserve which is a popular tourist destination among Indians, can be visited by Indians without a visa. The Maasai Mara is one of the most coveted wildlife destinations in Kenya. The premier conservation area is also one of the few places where wild animals and their ecosystem exist in a highly protected environment.
Additionally this week, Iran also removed visa rules for Indians. This would boost religious tourism into the country from India as Iran holds significance for Muslims and is also the birthplace of Zoroastrian faith. Thus, visa-free travel to Iran means easy access to the most important holy places in Iran for Zoroastrians in Yazd province.
This comes as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, have also granted visa-free entry to Indian passport holders. According to the 2023 Passport Index by Henley and Partners, Indians can now travel to 57 countries without visa. This also includes destinations with visa-free travel, visa-on-arrival facilities, and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
List of countries
Albania, Barbados, Bolivia, Botswana, Burundi, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, Cape Verde Islands, Comoro Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Laos, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Macao (SAR China), Micronesia, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niue, Oman, Palau Islands, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Togo, Tuvalu, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe.
