New Delhi, September 22: Sixteen countries, including Nepal, Bhutan and Mauritius, provide visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said there are 43 countries which provide visa-on-arrival facility and there are 36 countries which provide e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders. Also Read | What is a Bill? How Is It Introduced in Parliament? How Is a Legislation Enacted Into Law?.

"There are 16 countries which provide visa-free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders," Muraleedharan said. Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Hong Kong SAR, the Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Nepal, Niue Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Serbia and Trinidad and Tobago, provide visa free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders, according to the information provided by the minister.

Iran, Indonesia and Myanmar were among the 43 countries which provide visa-on-arrival facility to Indian ordinary passport holders. Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Malaysia are among the are 36 countries which provide e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders, according to the information provided by the minister.

The government has been making efforts to increase the number of countries that provide visa free travel, visa-on-arrival and e-visa facility so as to further ease international travel for Indians, Muraleedharan said. Rajya Sabha Passes 7 Crucial Bills Across Several Key Spectrums Even as Opposition Boycotts Session; Here is List of Bills Cleared by The Upper House Today.

While issuance of visa and visa related process is the sovereign and unilateral decision of the respective country, the matter regarding easier and liberalised visa policy for Indian nationals is taken up regularly in bilateral meetings and forums with foreign countries, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)