Malaysia has joined the list of countries offering visa-free travel to Indian nationals to boost tourism.
The Passport Index, a global benchmark for passport strength and travel freedom, has placed India at 137th position in its latest ranking. The index, which assesses passport strength based on the number of countries that citizens can visit without a visa, found that Indian passport holders require a visa to enter 123 countries.
The Passport Index also reveals India’s Passport Power Rank, which stands at 68. While this figure represents a moderate position compared to other nations, it reflects the current state of India’s international mobility in the midst of three South Asian countries deciding to grant visa-free travel to Indian nationals for a period of time.
With a mobility score of 75, the Indian passport allows visa-free travel to 23 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 49 countries, according to the index. However, three more countries have granted visa-free entry to Indian nationals to boost tourism, bringing the total to 26.
Indian passport holders can now travel visa-free to Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Macau, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nepal, Palestinian Territories, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday announced 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese citizens from 1 December, joining Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent weeks in offering such a facility to foreigners to boost tourism. Currently, eight Asean countries also offer 30-day visa-free entry for social visits, tourism and business.
India remains one of the top contributors of tourist arrivals to Malaysia.
Sri Lanka has introduced a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India and six other countries including China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
This initiative will remain in place until 31 March 2024 and aims to boost tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, with the Ministry of Tourism setting a target of attracting five million tourists in the coming years.
Thailand has also lifted visa requirements for visitors from India and Taiwan. Indians can travel to Thailand without a visa and stay for up to 30 days, the government recently announced.
This visa-free access for Indian passport holders is valid from 10 November 2023 to 10 May 2024.
India’s passport ranking is likely to improve following these announcements.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains the world’s strongest passport, with visa-free travel to 116 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 57 countries. The UAE’s overall mobility score reached an impressive 173.
