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Disclaimer: Visa rules may change without enough notice, readers are advised to get the latest information from respective country consulates.
For many Indian travellers, visas remain one of the biggest hurdles in planning international trips. But several regions now offer visas that unlock more one destination, making travel smoother, cheaper and far more flexible.
These visa arrangement are designed to encourage tourism, improve cross-border mobility and allow visitors to explore entire regions instead of a single country.
Understanding these multi-country visas can help travellers plan smarter and get more value from a single application.
Under the British Irish Visa Scheme, Indian travellers holding certain UK visas can also visit Ireland without applying for a separate Irish visa, as long as they enter the UK first. This allows visitors to combine England, Scotland, or Wales with Dublin or other Irish destinations in one trip.
A valid UK (multi-entry) visa also allows entry to several countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Georgia, and various Caribbean nations like the Bahamas and Bermuda. Some Asian and Middle Eastern countries, such as Oman, Qatar, and Turkey, also offer simplified entry procedures or eVisas to UK visa holders.
The Schengen visa is the most popular multi-country visa for Indian travellers. Issued by any one of the 27 Schengen countries, it allows free movement across most of Europe for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Travellers can enter through one country and move seamlessly between others without internal border checks.
A valid US tourist visa allows travellers to move freely across all 50 states. In addition, it covers certain US territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Island which do not require separate visas.
For travellers interested in wildlife and nature, the East Africa tourist visa offers excellent value. Issued jointly by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, this single visa allows travel between all three countries. It is particularly popular for safari circuits,, gorilla trekking and cross-border road trips in East Africa.
An Australian visa allows travel across all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.
While it covers one country, the scale and diversity of Australia make it feel like multiple destinations in one trip, from cities and beaches to deserts and rainforests.
Similarly, a New Zealand tourist visa allows entry to both the North and South islands. Travellers can explore urban centres like Auckland and Wellington alongside natural attractions such fjords, glaciers and alpine landscapes without needing additional permits.
The GCC unified visa, also known as the GCC Grand tourist visa, is a new initiative that allows non-Gulf country citizens to visit one or all six GCC nations with a single visa. With this visa, you can enter:
Instead of applying for separate visas for each country, you can move between these Gulf nations using just the GCC unified visa, which can be both time and cost-efficient.
The GCC countries officially approved the Unified Tourist Visa “GCC Grand Tours” in 2023. The main goal is to make it simple for non-GCC nationals, even those already living in one Gulf country, to travel around the area without extra paperwork.
The GCC visa application is expected to open in late 2026, though the exact start date is not set yet.
Adopted in 2016, the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption exempts citizens of other ASEAN Member States holding valid national passports from visa requirement for a period of stay of up to 14 days from the date of entry, provided that such stay shall not be used for purposes other than visit.
Meanwhile, the implementation of ASEAN Lanes at major international airports in the region provides ASEAN citizens with an expedited immigration processing lane to facilitate the travel of nationals from the ASEAN Member States and to boost tourism.
ASEAN is also actively developing a 'Schengen-style' single visa, often referred to as the "ASEAN Super-Visa," to allow international travelers to visit multiple Southeast Asian nations with one permit
Multi-country visas usually come with specific entry rules, such as entering through the country that issued the visa or following a fixed travel sequence.
For Indian travellers, these visas offer a chance to see more of the world with less paperwork, fewer applications, and better travel value.
For many Indian travellers, visas remain one of the biggest hurdles in planning international trips. But several regions now offer visas that unlock more one destination, making travel smoother, cheaper and far more flexible.
These visa arrangement are designed to encourage tourism, improve cross-border mobility and allow visitors to explore entire regions instead of a single country.
Understanding these multi-country visas can help travellers plan smarter and get more value from a single application.
UK visa
Under the British Irish Visa Scheme, Indian travellers holding certain UK visas can also visit Ireland without applying for a separate Irish visa, as long as they enter the UK first. This allows visitors to combine England, Scotland, or Wales with Dublin or other Irish destinations in one trip.
A valid UK (multi-entry) visa also allows entry to several countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Georgia, and various Caribbean nations like the Bahamas and Bermuda. Some Asian and Middle Eastern countries, such as Oman, Qatar, and Turkey, also offer simplified entry procedures or eVisas to UK visa holders.
Schengen visa
The Schengen visa is the most popular multi-country visa for Indian travellers. Issued by any one of the 27 Schengen countries, it allows free movement across most of Europe for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
United States Visa
A valid US tourist visa allows travellers to move freely across all 50 states. In addition, it covers certain US territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Island which do not require separate visas.
East Africa Tourist Visa
For travellers interested in wildlife and nature, the East Africa tourist visa offers excellent value. Issued jointly by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, this single visa allows travel between all three countries. It is particularly popular for safari circuits,, gorilla trekking and cross-border road trips in East Africa.
Australia visa
An Australian visa allows travel across all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory.
While it covers one country, the scale and diversity of Australia make it feel like multiple destinations in one trip, from cities and beaches to deserts and rainforests.
New Zealand visa
Similarly, a New Zealand tourist visa allows entry to both the North and South islands. Travellers can explore urban centres like Auckland and Wellington alongside natural attractions such fjords, glaciers and alpine landscapes without needing additional permits.
GCC unified visa
The GCC unified visa, also known as the GCC Grand tourist visa, is a new initiative that allows non-Gulf country citizens to visit one or all six GCC nations with a single visa. With this visa, you can enter:
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Saudi Arabia
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Oman
Instead of applying for separate visas for each country, you can move between these Gulf nations using just the GCC unified visa, which can be both time and cost-efficient.
The GCC countries officially approved the Unified Tourist Visa “GCC Grand Tours” in 2023. The main goal is to make it simple for non-GCC nationals, even those already living in one Gulf country, to travel around the area without extra paperwork.
The GCC visa application is expected to open in late 2026, though the exact start date is not set yet.
ASEAN Framework
Adopted in 2016, the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption exempts citizens of other ASEAN Member States holding valid national passports from visa requirement for a period of stay of up to 14 days from the date of entry, provided that such stay shall not be used for purposes other than visit.
Meanwhile, the implementation of ASEAN Lanes at major international airports in the region provides ASEAN citizens with an expedited immigration processing lane to facilitate the travel of nationals from the ASEAN Member States and to boost tourism.
ASEAN is also actively developing a 'Schengen-style' single visa, often referred to as the "ASEAN Super-Visa," to allow international travelers to visit multiple Southeast Asian nations with one permit
For Indian travellers, these visas offer a chance to see more of the world with less paperwork, fewer applications, and better travel value.
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