5 Countries That Indians Can Visit More Easily In 2018 (Part 2)

It’s that time of the year when Indians get ready to plan their summer holidays. Thankfully, Indians have more choices than ever before when it comes to selecting their destination in 2018. The start of the year gave major #travelgoals but now the list of countries to choose from is even more wider.

Here are five more countries you can consider travelling to this year on.

Zimbabwe

The latest African country to open its arms to Indian tourists is Zimbabwe. The country whose rate of inflation made more news than its extraordinary tourist sites and unmatched wildlife has finally opened its doors to Indian travelers with visa-on-arrival facility. No need to submit tourist vouchers or individual letter from a host in Zimbabwe any more. It’s time to visit Victoria Falls and camp in Zambezi National Park.

Also Read: How To Travel Right, According To Anthony Bourdain

Israel

Israel – India relations are at an all-time high. Evidence of the two countries’ friendship is now evident in the simpler visa procedure accorded to Indian travelers. From 2018, Indian travelers who have been to any of the Schengen countries, USA, Australia, Canada and Israel will have to submit fewer documents. In effect, travelers will only be needed to submit a cover letter with their travel information apart from regular documents such as passport photos, travel insurance, passport copy, visa application form and a valid passport. Through VFS Global Processing Centres, Israel hopes to further simplify the visa procedure by introducing more visa services in the future.

Jordan

Explore Jordan at your own pace now. King Abdullah II visited India recently and introduced visa on arrival facility for Indian travelers. Earlier, the country offered paid visas for a maximum period of two weeks. Details about the visa on arrival are not immediately clear but I expect a lot of Indians might want to consider visiting Jordan and explore some of its stunning sites such as Petra, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea and other important Christian sites.

Also Read: 5 Offbeat Experiences Every Visitor In Jordan Must Have

Uzbekistan

Known as the best country to experience Silk Road heritage on popular cities such as Samarkhand and Bukhara, Uzbekistan is one of the most immersive countries in Central Asia. The country has decided to open up to tourists and simplified visa procedures for Indian travellers. You can now apply for an Uzbek visa without going through the cumbersome procedure of getting a Letter of Invitation from someone in the host country. Visas will also be issued in a record two working days time period. Uzbekistan will further simplify its visa procedure in July 2018 and introduce e-visas. Once that happens, you just have to upload your travel documents and fill in a form to get your visa at the airport on arrival. Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also committed to axing exit visas by 2019 to boost tourism.

Also Read: How To Make This The Year You Finally Go Places

Morocco

Until last year, the only way to get a Moroccan visa was to fill out the form and send it to the consulate office in New Delhi for processing. However, the country has now outsourced its visa application to Cox and Kings Global Services (CKGS). CKGS, in turn, has opened visa processing centres for those desirous of travelling to Morocco in four cities currently – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai with Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Goa to be added soon. So the next time you plan to visit Morocco, you can rest easy knowing that the visa procedure is as simple as it has ever been.

Which of these countries are you planning to visit? Do let me know in the comments below. 

Do read the first part of the series here. 

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