Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka are easing visa rules for Indian tourists. All you need to know

In a bid to boost the tourism sector further, Vietnam is now considering visa-free entry for Indians and Chinese.

At a conference chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday, he also suggested waivers for visitors from wealthy countries such as Australia, Canada, the U.S., and the remaining 20 members of the 27-member E.U, VnExpress reported last week.

Three things to know about new visa rules: 

• As of now, nationals from Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Finland can travel to Vietnam without a visa. 
• And to other countries, it is offering e-visas with a 90-day validity and multiple entry allowances for individuals from all countries.
• If this visa-free entry policy is implemented, Vietnam will join Sri Lanka and Thailand as one of the few countries offering such convenience to Indian travelers

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Cabinet has approved the issuance of free visas to individuals from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand as a pilot project until March 31, 2024.

“Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March,” posted Sabry on X earlier.

Thailand

Meanwhile, last month, Thailand also announced that the government will allow visa-free entry for tourists from India and Taiwan for a period of six months from November 10 this year to May 10, 2024.

"We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand," Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavision was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

These countries are India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia. The move is aimed at attracting more tourists to the island nation. "We are expecting to increase tourist arrivals to five million over the coming years," the Sri Lankan tourist ministry was quoted as saying by local media outlets.