More Nations Ease Visa Process to Attract Indian Travelers

The visa process for Indian travelers continues to ease. Over the past few months, many countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, have announced visa waivers for Indian passport holders. And for good reason. 

India is emerging as a key player in outbound tourism with annual growth of 11%. “Our data indicates increased interest in countries with visa-free, easy visa, and e-visa options,” Rajeev Kale, president and country head, Holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook (India) had previously told Skift.

The ease of obtaining visas has also led to an increase in Indians leaning toward short getaways, like weekend trips, called ‘minications’.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has fully rolled out the e-visa system for Indians on October 28 this year. It is meant for travelers who want to apply for short-term visits for tourism, business, leisure, medical purposes, and more. The new system was soft launched and beta tested in August 2023. By the end of October 2024, a total of more than 7,000 e-visas were issued to Indian travelers. 

The Philippines also allows Indian nationals holding Japanese, American, Australian, Canadian, Schengen, Singapore, or UK visas or permanent residence permits to enter the country visa