Indian passport: Awful for travel, outstanding for making friends!

India's passport: Your portal to travel constraints?
Indian tourists typically grumble that they face great deals of restrictions on their journeys as a result of the constraints of the Indian key. Indeed of the 103 nations indexed by Henley's Visa constraints index, India places # 82nd. This is a poor rating because only 51 nations will enable Indian citizens to either travel there without visa or get a visa on arrival. In comparison, residents of Denmark could enter 169 nations and also Afghans could enter only 26 without should obtain a visa prior to departure.

Nevertheless, allow's take a look at the silver lining shall we? Over a number of years of travelling, I did uncover some advantages as well as experienced appealing scenarios as a direct result or an indirect consequence of having an Indian key. Continue reading in this lightly humoured post!

Taking a trip with an Indian key? Indeed there are advantages!
1. Travel to Bhutan
Lots of people do unknown where Bhutan is: It's a little Himalayan autonomous kingdom tucked between India and Tibet (China) that measures it's success based on a 'Gross National Happiness' scale. The location is untouched, uncharted and also 'off the ruined course' in perhaps the truest feeling of that tired expression.

For people of many nations on the planet, it sets you back anywhere between $200-$250 a day to see Bhutan as well as they can only do so in directed tours except for special conditions. Indians, on the other hand, can take a trip primarily openly. I had a good time there-- backpacking, hitchhiking and going to penis temples. visiting this nation is a golden opportunity and also Indian citizens could do it cheaply!

2. Collect vibrant visas, not just entrance stampsWhen I reveal my passport to travellers from Europe or North America, they are quite shocked by its vivid pages. Without a doubt, as an incentive for all the trouble of preparation and securing travel visas in advance, you reach display colourful stickers along with common entry and exit stamps in your passport.

One more nice things concerning visa sticker labels is that it ends up being simple to remember the exact days of your traveling. Many vacationer visas stand for brief periods, like 2 weeks or a month. My United States visa on the other hand is valid for 10 years; I could travel there anytime.

So you obtain a qualitative incentive for quantitative initiatives ... I would gladly trade but considering that I cannot, in the interim, I will take pleasure in the colorful visa sticker labels.

3. Cheaper visa-on-arrival charges
Numerous nations will issue a traveler visa on arrival at the perimeter or at the airport terminal for a fee. Normally the charge for these type of visas relies on reciprocal contracts between both countries, so typically the cost of a visa is various for various nations. For example, when I took a trip to Turkey previously this year, I paid approximately $20 in access costs. For Canadians the entrance charge is about $60. That's something!

4. Ignite individuals's curiosity
It's uncommon ahead across Indian backpackers when you are travelling. I have met a fellow Indian citizen by coincidence just once. I did find individuals of Indian beginning who were naturalized citizens of the first globe, however obviously they do not take a trip on Indian passports so it doesn't count. As an outcome, each time you blink your Indian passport, you could be guaranteed that border officials, hostel managers, law enforcement agents, etc. will certainly be genuinely thinking about chatting with you. I obtained a dinner invite once, numerous offered tea, and after that once a Russian cop allow me go without any perk.

It always surprises me that India has efficiently maintained her 'amazing' oriental picture to a degree. While there is absolutely nothing magical or exotic regarding India-- you'll know that within a minute of arriving there-- people will still ask you fascinating inquiries esp after seeing your ticket. You can consistently depend on concerns about eating beef or why Indian gods and also sirens have many hands. Various other concerns consist of Bollywood, circumcision and also wearing a mark on one's forehead.

5. Power up by pairing with an additional certification
Did you understand that an Indian key without another record, such as a visa from USA/Schengen area or an irreversible resident card of UK/Canada, will open up numerous brand-new nations for travel? For sure, I could obtain a visa-on-arrival at Istanbul since I have a valid United States travel visa + Indian ticket. Similarly I might take a trip to Mexico using my Canadian irreversible resident card + Indian key. Over a dozen new countries instantly came to be a lot more available to me, not calling for a visa authorization prior to separation anymore.

6. Come to be an unsightly target for kidnappings
As well as I am significant here! When I was going to the West Bank from Israel correct, many individuals warned me considering that I looked somewhat Israeli. I backpack and take a trip cheaply, so it is clear that I do not have a lots of non reusable income, however that's a different tale. Travelers all over the world do get kidnapped from time to time.

However, without over 6,000 Indian nationals languishing behind bars of foreign countries, from a populace of 1.2 billion, it is clear that the federal government of India deals with resource and logistical (and also mindset) challenges to look after all its people. So if you get kidnapped, best of luck, your government is neither pertaining to your rescue nor paying a ransom ... seems so assuring!

Taking a trip on an Indian ticket-- it's not that bad afterall.
Other suggestions about the originality of your passport that you would certainly appreciate to add?