Foreign Travel

Travel demand in the US has been facing challenges since the beginning of the year as Americans remain wary of depleting savings and rising credit card debt

King Charles III ends the first visit to Australia by a reigning British monarch in 13 years Tuesday with anti-monarchists hoping his journey is a step toward an Australian citizen becoming head of state. Controversy interrupted the visit on Monday when Indigenous independent senator Lidia Thorpe yelled at Charles during a reception that he was not her king and Australia was not his land. Esther Anatolitis, co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement, that campaigns for an Australian citizen to replace the British monarch as Australia's head of state, said while thousands turned out to see the king and Queen Camilla at their public engagements, the numbers were larger when his mother Queen Elizabeth II first visited Australia 70 years ago. An estimated 75% of Australia's population saw the queen in person during the first visit by a reigning British monarch in 1954. It's understandable that Australians would be welcoming the king and queen, we also welcome them, Anatolitis said. B

About 40,000 applications have been submitted in just two weeks for 1,000 spots under Australia's new Working Holiday Maker visa program, Australian Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite said on Monday. The visa, which allows Indians aged 18 to 30 to live, work, and study in Australia for up to 12 months, marks a key step in strengthening ties between the two nations, he said at the launch event of Australian Working Holiday Maker program. The visa ballot process opened on October 1 and will close by the end of the month. Afterward, successful candidates will be randomly selected, and those chosen can begin their stay in Australia early next year, he said. Thistlethwaite noted that the visa offers young Indians an opportunity to immerse themselves in Australian culture and gain work experience across various sectors. "The great thing about the Working Holiday Maker visa is that there are no restrictions on the jobs you can do. Till now, 40,000 applications have bee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for home after wrapping up his "productive" two-day visit to the Laos where he attended the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. Modi arrived in Laos on Thursday and is visiting Lao PDR at the invitation of Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. "Thank you Lao PDR! It's been a productive visit, in line with India's commitment to keep strengthening the relations with ASEAN. Together, we will continue to work towards peace, prosperity, and sustainable development in the region...," Modi said in a post on X. "Strengthening India's Act East Policy, deepening ASEAN-India engagement and India's Indo-Pacific Vision, and enhancing age-old ties with Lao PDR. PM @narendramodi concludes his successful visit to Lao PDR," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi attended the 21st India-ASEAN Summit here and said that India-ASEAN friendship was very important at a time when parts of the world w

Indians are jet-setting like never before, with a 32 per cent jump in multiple international trips annually. Dive into the 2024 travel trends to see how Indians are taking their wanderlust to new heig

With a scorching summer heat taking a toll, Indian travellers desperately want an economical escapade to beautiful destinations abroad. Here's a list of countries you can go to under Rs 1 lakh in 2024

Many countries recently updated their visa policies and requirements which will have a potential impact on Indians. Anyone planning for foreign trips needs to stay informed about the latest updates

The Chinese currency has fallen more than 2% against the dollar since the start of the year, raising costs in yuan terms for Chinese travellers abroad

MakeMyTrip releases most searched foreign locations by Indians this summer

43% of Indians planning on taking a trip in 2024 (vs global average of 30%) are using credit card points to offset flight and hotel expenses

A Schengen visa is your gateway to 27 European countries that have abolished internal border controls. Here's what you need to know about the 5-year multiple-entry Schengen visa

South Korea has the 2nd-largest share of the global chip market and manufactures 60% of global memory chips

Agoda recently announced that Thailand's capital Bangkok is now the most popular outbound city destination for Indians, overtaking Dubai since the visa relaxations came into effect.

The US Consular Team in India processed a record 1.4 million US visas in 2023, which is higher than ever, and has brought down the visitor visa appointment wait times by 75 per cent.The US Embassy and Consulates in India said that Indians now represent one out of every 10 US visa applicants around the world."In 2023, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world," the statement read.Visitor visas (B1/B2) have rebounded to represent the second-highest number of applications in the US Mission's history -- over 7,00,000.Process improvements and investments in staffing have brought the appointment wait time for visitor visas down from an average of 1,000 days to only 250 days around the country with minimal wait time in all categories.The US consular team in .

Foreign nations often do not disclose tales of illegal stays, leaving a data void

The TCS rate hike4 may have a limited impact on demand as expenditure per individual per trip is usually much less than the Rs 7 lakh threshold for over 80% of tour packages.

With the new declaration of Malaysia and Thailand offering visa-free access to Indian residents, Indians can now go to 57 countries visa-free or visas on arrival plans

In September 2023, Indians remitted $3.50 billion overseas, compared to $2.67 billion in September 2022

According to the latest Passport Index by Henley and Partners 2023, Indian passport holders can travel to up to 57 countries without a visa.

The higher rate of 20 per cent TCS to be levied on spending above Rs 7 lakh on foreign tour packages and liberalised remittance scheme (LRS) will kick in from October 1. Currently, funds transferred overseas under the Reserve Bank's LRS attract 5 per cent Tax Collection at Source (TCS) on amounts exceeding Rs 7 lakh. The TCS rate will go up to 20 per cent from October 1. Currently, LRS transfers up to Rs 7 lakh in a fiscal do not attract any TCS. The same provision will continue from October 1. At present, purchase of overseas tour packages currently attracts 5 per cent TCS. From October 1, such spending up to Rs 7 lakh will attract 5 per cent TCS. Above the threshold, TCS rate will be higher at 20 per cent. An assessee can take credit of the TCS amount paid at the time of filing income tax returns for the relevant assessment year. TCS of 5 per cent will continue to be levied on annual expenses exceeding Rs 7 lakh towards medical treatment and education each. For those availing