New Year 2027 trips from India: what each popular destination asks of you

In short: The two long weekends around New Year fall neatly this year: Friday 25 December starts a three-day Christmas weekend, and Friday 1 January starts another. Most popular short-haul destinations let Indians in without a visa or with a quick online step, but the details differ, and one of them, Malaysia's visa-free entry, is currently set to end on 31 December 2026. Here is what each destination asks of you, as published by its own government.

The calendar

31 December 2026 is a Thursday and 1 January 2027 is a Friday, so anyone whose office is closed on 1 January gets a Friday-to-Sunday weekend, and Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) gives a three-day weekend as well. Whether 1 January is a holiday depends on your employer. Book flights soon: these are the dates when fares and hotels are most in demand.

Easiest entry: no visa, but read the small print

• Thailand. Indian ordinary passport holders can visit for tourism without a visa for up to 30 days. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi says the 30-day exemption took effect on 15 September 2026 and stays "until further announcement". Want longer? A Tourist (TR) visa allows up to 60 days per entry: single entry costs Rs 3,000, multiple entry Rs 13,500, applied for only on thaievisa.go.th.
• Malaysia. Visa-free for up to 30 days, but the exemption runs until 31 December 2026, according to the High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi. We did not find an extension as of 11 November. If your trip starts on or after 1 January 2027, check the immigration department before you book. You also need a passport valid for at least 6 months, a confirmed return ticket and hotel booking, and the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) submitted 3 days before arrival.
• Nepal. No visa. For flights between India and Nepal the Embassy of India in Kathmandu accepts only a valid Indian passport or an original voter ID card. Aadhaar, PAN card and driving licence are not accepted.
• Bhutan. No visa, but a free entry permit and the Sustainable Development Fee: Nu. 1,200 (or the same in rupees) per person per night, children aged 6 to 11 half price, under-6s free. A passport or voter ID card works for adults, and a certified guide is mandatory.

Online approval before you fly

• Sri Lanka. An Electronic Travel Authorization is required, but since 25 May 2026 it is free for Indian nationals: 30 days, with a double-entry facility. Apply on eta.gov.lk.
• Vietnam. The e-Visa from evisa.gov.vn is valid up to 90 days: US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry.
• Singapore. A visa is required. It costs S$30 and is usually processed within three working days. Apply within 30 days before you arrive, through an authorised visa agent, a Singapore mission or a local contact. ICA does not accept visa applications at the airport. Also submit the free SG Arrival Card within 3 days before arrival.

Visa on arrival

• Maldives. A tourist visa is granted on arrival if you have a passport valid for at least 1 month, confirmed return tickets, a prepaid booking at a registered facility and sufficient funds. Every traveller, including children, must submit the free Traveller Declaration on imuga.immigration.gov.mv within 96 hours before arrival.
• Indonesia (Bali). India is on Indonesian Immigration's list for visa on arrival. The visa on arrival or e-VOA costs Rp 500,000 for 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days. Fill the arrival declaration on All Indonesia from three days before you arrive.

Visa needed in advance

• UAE. Indian passport holders need a visa, but UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas: you get one through a UAE airline, a licensed travel agent or a hotel. Dubai's single-entry tourist visa is AED 200 for 30 days or AED 300 for 60 days, plus 5% VAT, normally issued in 48 hours. Indians who hold a valid US, UK or EU visa, residence permit or Green Card can get a visa on arrival instead. See our UAE guide.
• Japan. Indians living in India can apply for a JAPAN eVISA for tourism (single entry, up to 90 days) through VFS. For Indian nationals the visa fee is Rs 500 for applications from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027, plus the VFS service charge. We did not find a processing time, so apply early.

A short checklist (our advice)

1. Check the passport. Several of these destinations ask for at least 6 months' validity.
2. Save every approval on your phone and as a printout: ETA, e-Visa, IMUGA, SG Arrival Card, MDAC.
3. Use only official websites for visas and arrival forms. See our guide to spotting fake visa websites.
4. Know your refund rights before booking: our DGCA flight refund guide explains the free 48-hour look-in window.
5. Keep a day of slack on flights from north India in winter: our fog-season guide explains why.

What we could not confirm

• Whether Malaysia will extend its visa-free entry beyond 31 December 2026.
• The UAE visa-on-arrival duration and fee: the official pages we read do not state them.
• Japan's processing time and the VFS service charge.
• Fares and flight availability. We have not checked prices.

How we checked this

Every rule above was read on a government page: the Royal Thai Embassy, the High Commission of Malaysia, Sri Lanka's ETA site, Maldives Immigration, Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the UAE government portal and GDRFA Dubai, Vietnam's national e-Visa site, Indonesian Immigration, Bhutan's Department of Tourism, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu and the Embassy of Japan in India. We checked them on 10 and 11 November 2026. Rules change often: confirm on the official site before you book, and see the individual country pages in our visa guide for sources and dates.