The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) plays a key role in raising the issue of visa facilitation during bilateral engagements with foreign governments.
Travel has become an essential part of modern life, and the ease of moving across borders plays a crucial role in fostering international relations. For Indian citizens, obtaining visas can often be time-consuming. However, the Indian government is actively working to increase the number of countries offering visa-free and visa-on-arrival facilities, making international travel more accessible for its citizens.
In a Rajya Sabha session, MP Kartikeya Sharma raised a key question regarding the government’s efforts to expand these facilities. In response on November 28, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh outlined the government’s ongoing initiatives in pursuing easier international travel for Indians through bilateral negotiations, principles of reciprocity, and strategies on promoting awareness.
With a reference to the above question, Kirti Vardhan Singh has been of the view that giving visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival facility is strictly at the sovereign discretion of the recipient nation. He underscored that Government of India has been always working hard in increasing countries where the citizens of India will be allowed relaxation in their visa protocol. These are part of India’s overall diplomatic strategy: to improve global mobility, reduce barriers to travel, and open up more tourism opportunities for its citizens.
The country’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is actively involved in discussions at various levels of diplomacy to push for more liberalized visa policies for Indian nationals. The country’s foreign missions continually raise the issue of more favorable visa terms for Indian travelers during bilateral talks.
The response statement also covered the bilateral developments with specific countries regarding agreement recently made to allow Indian visitors visa-free or on their arrival. Though not in particular, the names of respective countries and agreements have been kept hidden, but the MEA ensures that better international relationships facilitate the travel environment of people from India.
Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh further pointed towards the Government’s intention of educating the people of India about which countries do not require Indian nationals to secure any form of visa or that do so at the ports of entry. The Minister for External Affairs stated in reply that this information is also being provided periodically through and uploaded onto the ministry’s official website, where an Indian national may also log in for full particulars relating to visa-free, visa-on-arrival and e-Visa for those holders of Indian ordinary passport.
In addition, traveling guidelines for Indians who would be visiting specific countries are already available on the websites of Indian embassies and consulates abroad. Through this effort, Indian travelers have access to updated travel information, such as travel requirements, before making decisions for international travels.
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