India: Countries that do not require Indian citizens to obtain an entry visa; of these countries, which are signatories to the United Nations' 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and have a refugee determination system
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 16 February 2011 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IND103701.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: Countries that do not require Indian citizens to obtain an entry visa; of these countries, which are signatories to the United Nations' 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and have a refugee determination system, 16 February 2011, IND103701.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4dd246132.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Sources indicate that there are four countries that do not require tourist visas for Indian citizens, are signatories to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Geneva Convention) and have refugee determination systems:
| Jamaica | Haiti | Guatemala | Ecuador |
(VisasforIndians n.d.b; US 11 Mar. 2010a, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010b, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010c, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010d, Sec. 2d)
Countries That Do not Require Entry Visas for Indians
According to VisasforIndians, a website providing visa and travel information for Indian citizens (VisasforIndians n.d.a), the following countries do not require tourist visas for Indians residing in India:
| Bhutan | Cook Islands | Dominica | Ecuador |
| Fiji | Grenada | Guatemala | Haiti |
| Hong Kong | Jamaica | Jordan | Macau |
| Maldives | Mauritius | Micronesia | Montserrat |
| Nepal | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa |
| Seychelles | Sri Lanka | Vanuatu | - |
(VisasforIndians n.d.b)
Signatories of the 1951 Geneva Convention
Of the countries not requiring an entry visa, the following are listed as signatories to the UN Geneva Convention:
| Dominica | Ecuador | Fiji | Guatemala |
| Haiti | Jamaica | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Samoa | Seychelles | - | - |
(UN 1 Oct. 2008)
Countries Without Refugee Determination Systems
The United States (US) Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009 indicates that the following countries have not developed refugee determination systems:
| Dominica | Fiji | Samoa |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Seychelles |
(US 11 Mar. 2010e, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar 2010f, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010g, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010h, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010i, Sec. 2d; ibid. 11 Mar. 2010j, Sec. 2d)
Countries with Refugee Determination Systems
Country Reports 2009 indicates that Jamaica has a refugee determination system (ibid. 11 Mar. 2010c, Sec. 2d) and that although Haiti has a system, it does not routinely grant asylum (ibid. 11 Mar. 2010d, Sec. 2d). In its section on Guatemala, Country Reports 2009 notes that the country has a refugee determination system, and, in 2009, received six asylum requests and granted protection to one person (ibid. 11 Mar. 2010b, Sec. 2d).
Sources indicate that Ecuador has a refugee determination system and that, in 2009, it granted refugee protection to more than 21,000 people who were primarily from Colombia (ibid. 11 Mar. 2010a, Sec. 2d; USCRI 2009). Country Reports 2009 states that there were 45,820 recognized refugees in Ecuador and that, in 2008, UNHCR and state officials estimated that there were an additional 135,000 people in need of protection, of whom approximately 68,000 were not registered in the system (US 11 Mar. 2010a, Sec. 2d). The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants states that most of Ecuador's asylum applicants are Colombian, but that there are also some from Peru, Cuba, Haiti, Russia, Iraq, Ghana, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Cameroon and Armenia (USCRI 2009).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
United States (US). 11 March 2010a. Department of State. "Ecuador." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010b. Department of State. "Guatemala." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010c. Department of State. "Jamaica." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010d. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010e. Department of State. "Dominica." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010f. Department of State. "Fiji." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010g. Department of State. "Samoa." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010h. Department of State. "Saint Kitts and Nevis." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010i. Department of State. "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
_____. 11 March 2010j. Department of State. "Seychelles." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2009.
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). 2009. "Ecuador." World Refugee Survey 2009.
United Nations (UN). 1 October 2008. Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). States Parties to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
VisasforIndians. N.d.a. "About Us."
_____. N.d.b. "Tourist Visa Summary Sheet."
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Embassy of Ecuador, Ottawa; VisaHQ.com.
