How you can unlock third-country access with your US, UK, or Schengen visas
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Many countries "piggyback" onto the visa approval systems of large developed nations, allowing visa-free entry or visas on arrival for Indian travellers holding valid US, UK, Canada, or Schengen visas. If you already possess a residence or even tourist visa issued by the US, UK or Schengen-area country, many third country doors will open for you.
With long wait times for US visas and high costs for UK visas, the Schengen visa offers a practical alternative. The Schengen area, comprising 26 European countries, permits free travel across its member nations with a single visa. A visa issued by any one of them automatically allows you to travel to the others.
However, you may not know that a Schengen visa also lets you travel to some non-Schengen countries. For example, nationals like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cyprus allow entry by Schengen visa holders without needing additional national visa from their own embassies or consulates. Even countries outside Europe like South Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Peru and Saudi Arabia allow such visa holders entry into their borders without requiring a separate visa.
Before taking advantage of this access, check out specific conditions individual countries impose. For example, South Korea allows Schengen visa holders to travel only if it is used as a transit country (you are flying to a Schengen nation from South Korea). Saudi Arabia requires that the Schengen visa be used at least once.
Several countries require that the Schengen visa should have six months validity left at the time of applying or that you should have a multi-entry Schengen visa. A single-entry Schengen visa will not do. Traditionally, this would have been a deal breaker since
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