Family trips from India
Family trips abroad from India: entry rules and fees first
The cheapest international trip from India for a family depends on your own flights and rooms, but the entry rules are fixed and you can check them first. This guide gives the rules and entry costs that official pages state for Thailand, Malaysia and Bhutan, and says plainly which destinations we could not confirm.
Sourced 22 October 2026. We read each official page linked below on 22 October 2026. We do not publish flight, hotel or food prices here, because we cannot source them, so this guide does not rank destinations by total cost. Rules change without notice, so confirm on the official page before you book.
What makes a foreign trip cheap for a family
Most people searching for the cheapest foreign trip from India are comparing four things: the flight, the rooms, the food and what it costs to get in. Only the last one is written down on an official page, so we cover it here. For the other three, put your own quotes into the family trip budget calculator and compare plans on the same footing.
Entry costs matter more with children. A fee charged per person, or per person per night, adds up for four, and a trip that needs a permit or an arrival card needs more planning than one that does not.
Check your passport first
The Ministry of External Affairs guide says to make sure your passport is valid with at least six months of validity from your planned date of return to India (MEA, sourced 22 October 2026). Check every family member's passport, including the children's, before you look at fares. A country can ask for more than this, so read its own page too.
To check the six months against your own dates, use the visa-free finder for Indian passport families.
Entry rules for Indian passport holders: three destinations we confirmed
One row per destination. Every line comes from the linked official page, read on 22 October 2026. The child column says not stated where the page gives no child rule.
| Destination | Rule for Indian passport holders | Forms and fees | Child rules | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | A 30-day visa exemption scheme for Indian passport holders, for tourism, effective 15 September 2026 | Not stated on the page | Not stated | Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Malaysia | A 30-day visa exemption for Indian citizens until 31 December 2026 | The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) is required | Not stated | High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi, sourced 22 October 2026 |
| Bhutan | No visa, but an entry permit. An Indian passport or Voter ID card is needed | Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of Nu 1,200 per person per night, or the equivalent in rupees | Children aged 6 up to 12 pay Nu or INR 600 per night. Children under 6 pay no SDF. Indian nationals under 18 can enter with a passport or a birth certificate and must be accompanied by a legal guardian | Bhutan tourism FAQ, sourced 22 October 2026. The page has no date |
Thailand with kids: what the embassy says
The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi describes a 30-day visa exemption scheme for Indian passport holders for tourism, and says it takes effect on 15 September 2026. The page does not state child rules, passport validity or any arrival form, so check the embassy before you travel. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.)
For the arrival card, the e-visa for longer stays and a checklist, read our Thailand trip from India with family guide.
Malaysia: the exemption has an end date
The High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi says Indian citizens have a 30-day visa exemption until 31 December 2026, and that the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card is required. If your return date falls after 31 December 2026, check what applies before you book. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.) The page does not explain either point further, so read the High Commission's announcements and the MDAC portal.
Bhutan: a fee per night, with child concessions
Bhutan's entry cost is the Sustainable Development Fee, charged per person per night. The official FAQ puts it at Nu 1,200 for Indian nationals showing a valid Indian passport or Voter ID, or the equivalent in rupees. Children aged 6 up to 12 pay Nu or INR 600 per night, and children under 6 pay nothing. Indian nationals under 18 can use a passport or a birth certificate and must be accompanied by a legal guardian. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.)
Because the fee is charged per night, a longer stay costs more in fees. The visa-free finder adds up the fee for your own family and number of nights from these rates.
Nepal, Vietnam and the Maldives
- Nepal: the Ministry of External Affairs lists Nepal as visa-free for Indian nationals, with no time limit listed. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.)
- Vietnam: the Immigration Department's e-visa portal says the e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry, and India is on its list of countries allowed e-visa issuing. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.)
- Maldives: Maldives Immigration says a tourist visa is granted on arrival with no pre-approval, and every traveller, children included, files a Traveller Declaration up to 96 hours before arrival. The page does not name India or state the days. (source, sourced 22 October 2026.)
The MEA table says its information is sourced from public sources as on 2 February 2026 and that the Ministry is not responsible for its accuracy, so check each embassy's page before you book. The visa-free finder lists these three with Sri Lanka, Indonesia and more, each with its official link.
Plan the money and the paperwork
- Start with the six-month passport check for every traveller.
- Open the official page for your destination and read it again close to the day you book.
- Fill in any arrival form the page names, such as the MDAC for Malaysia.
- Get your own quotes for flights, rooms and food, then total them in the family trip budget calculator.
- Weighing a resort stay? See all-inclusive family resorts and their kids club ages.
- If a baby is travelling, compare the airlines in airline bassinet limits on long-haul flights.
Ula, your AI travel companion, plans and books trips with your OK and remembers how you travel. It is in early access, and you can join the waitlist. The finder and the calculator work without it.
What we left out
We left out flight, hotel and food prices, any ranking of destinations by cost, and any rupee conversion other than the Bhutan fee as the official page states it.
Sources
- Ministry of External Affairs, Guide to Consular Services: mea.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi: newdelhi.thaiembassy.org, sourced 22 October 2026
- High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi: kln.gov.my, sourced 22 October 2026
- Bhutan tourism FAQ: bhutan.travel, sourced 22 October 2026
- Ministry of External Affairs, Visa Facility for Indian Nationals: mea.gov.in, sourced 22 October 2026
- Vietnam Immigration Department e-visa portal: evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, sourced 22 October 2026
- Maldives Immigration, tourist visa: immigration.gov.mv, sourced 22 October 2026
Questions
What is the cheapest international trip from India for a family?
We cannot name one, because the total depends on your flights, rooms and food, and we do not publish prices we cannot source. We can say what official pages state about entry for Thailand, Malaysia and Bhutan. Use the family trip budget calculator with your own quotes to compare.
Which of these trips abroad need no visa for Indian passport holders?
Official pages say Thailand has a 30-day visa exemption scheme for Indian passport holders for tourism, effective 15 September 2026, and Malaysia has a 30-day visa exemption for Indian citizens until 31 December 2026. Bhutan needs no visa but does need an entry permit. Sourced 22 October 2026. Confirm with each official source before you book.
Is Malaysia visa-free for Indians?
The High Commission of Malaysia in New Delhi says Indian citizens have a 30-day visa exemption until 31 December 2026, and that the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card is required. Sourced 22 October 2026.
How much is the Bhutan fee for a family?
The official FAQ states Nu 1,200 per person per night for Indian nationals, or the equivalent in rupees. Children aged 6 up to 12 pay Nu or INR 600 per night, and children under 6 pay nothing. Multiply by your own nights and travellers. Sourced 22 October 2026.
How long must a passport be valid for an international trip?
The Ministry of External Affairs guide says at least six months of validity from your planned date of return to India. A country can ask for more, so check its page. Sourced 22 October 2026.