Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday said that 16 countries provide visa-free entry to Indian passport holders, including Bhutan, Nepal and Mauritius.

The statement was made as a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha sessions on Tuesday.

"There are 16 countries which provide visa-free entry to Indian ordinary passport holders," he said.

The minister further added that there are 43 countries which provide visa-on-arrival facility and 36 countries which provide e-visa facility to Indian ordinary passport holders.

Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Hong Kong SAR, the Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Nepal, Niue Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Senegal, Serbia and Trinidad and Tobago are the 16 countries which provide visa free entry to Indians.

Additionally, the minister pressed on the fact that the government has been making efforts to increase the number of countries that provide visa free travel, visa-on-arrival and e-visa facility so as to ease further international travel for Indians.