Visa-free, visa on arrival, e-Visa, ETA, permit: what the words mean for Indian travellers

In short: "No visa needed" does not always mean "no paperwork", and "visa on arrival" does not always mean "turn up and pay". Here is what each label means in practice, with examples from official government pages, and a category many travellers miss: countries that exempt you only if you hold a US, UK, Schengen or similar visa.

Visa-free

You do not apply for any visa. You may still need a passport with enough validity, a return ticket, proof of funds and an online arrival form.

• Thailand: up to 30 days for tourism.
• Nepal: no visa; only a passport or an original voter ID is accepted for flights.
• Malaysia: up to 30 days, until 31 December 2026, plus the MDAC arrival card.

Visa on arrival

You get the visa at the border, but each country sets conditions.

• Maldives: a prepaid booking at a registered facility, confirmed return tickets and funds, plus the free IMUGA declaration beforehand.
• Indonesia: Rp 500,000 for 30 days, extendable once. An e-VOA can be applied for online before you fly.
• Rwanda: available to all nationalities, with fees capped at US$50 (single entry).
• Timor-Leste: US$30, paid in US dollars cash, for 30 days.
• Cabo Verde: granted on arrival only after pre-registration on the EASE platform.

e-Visa and ETA: approval before you fly

• e-Visa: a visa you apply for online and receive digitally. Vietnam's costs US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry), valid up to 90 days.
• ETA / eTA: an electronic travel authorisation. Sri Lanka's is free for Indians and gives 30 days with double entry; Kenya's costs US$30.

Permits and fees: not a visa

• Bhutan: Indians need no visa, but a permit and a Sustainable Development Fee of Nu. 1,200 per night.

Visa required

You apply before you travel, usually at an embassy or consulate or through an authorised agent: Singapore (S$30), the UAE (through an airline, agent or hotel), the US, UK and Canada, and the Schengen countries.

The category most guides miss: conditional exemptions

Several countries require a visa from Indians but exempt anyone who holds a valid visa or residence from certain richer countries:

• UAE: visa on arrival for Indians with a valid US, EU or UK visa, residence permit or Green Card, and, since 13 February 2025, residence permits from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea or Singapore.
• Peru: no visa if you hold a valid visa from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or a Schengen country with at least six months' validity left, or permanent residence in one of them.
• Colombia: no visa with a valid US or Schengen visa (at least 180 days' validity), or a US/Schengen residence permit.
• The Bahamas: up to 3 months without a Bahamian visa if you hold a valid Canada, UK, US or Schengen visa with 6 months' validity left.
• Mexico: exempt with a valid US, Canada, Japan, UK or Schengen visa or permanent residence.

If you have such a visa, it can save you an application. But check the details: validity, entry type and the stay allowed are different in each country.

How to read any country page (our advice)

1. Find the label (visa-free, VOA, e-Visa, ETA, permit, visa required).
2. Find the stay and the date the rule ends, if any.
3. Look for pre-arrival forms.
4. Look for conditions: validity, tickets, funds, insurance.
5. Confirm on the official site before booking.

What we could not confirm

Rules change often. The countries above were checked on 10 and 11 November 2026; some other countries could not be verified, and their pages say so.

How we checked this

Each example comes from a government or embassy page: the Royal Thai Embassy, Maldives Immigration, Indonesian Immigration, Sri Lanka's ETA site, Vietnam's e-Visa site, Bhutan's Department of Tourism, the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, the Consulate of Peru in New Delhi and Timor-Leste Immigration. See the visa guide for each country's sources.