India’s passport ranking has seen ups and downs over recent years. After a slight improvement in 2024, it fell to 85th place in 2025, a decline of five positions from 80th. This drop is highlighted in the Henley Passport Index 2025, which ranks passports based on how many countries their holders can visit without requiring a visa. The rankings use exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Indian passport holders currently have visa-free access to 57 countries, sharing the 85th position with Equatorial Guinea and Niger. In comparison, Singapore continues to hold the top spot, offering its citizens visa-free entry to an impressive 195 countries.
The rankings for some of the world's strongest passports are as follows:
- Singapore (195 destinations)
- Japan (193)
- France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, South Korea (192)
- Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway (191)
- Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom (190)
- Greece, Australia (189)
- Canada, Poland, Malta (188)
- Hungary, Czechia (187)
- Estonia, United States (186)
- Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, UAE (185)
European countries dominate the top 10, with Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, and Spain all securing high rankings. Notably, the UAE made a remarkable leap of 32 spots, reaching the 10th position, with access to 185 destinations.
A surprising change came for the United States, which fell seven places from 2nd to 9th. Experts believe this shift is linked to a growing isolationist political climate in the US, with Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, attributing the decline to a narrative promoted during the 2024 presidential campaign that America could and should function independently.
On the other side of the spectrum, countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan still face severe travel restrictions, with very limited visa-free access. Afghanistan, in particular, remains at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with its citizens facing the largest mobility gap in the 19-year history of the rankings.
India’s passport ranking has fluctuated significantly over the years, peaking at 71st place in 2006. It suffered a sharp drop in 2021, likely due to the travel disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While India’s ranking showed some recovery in 2024, it has slipped again in 2025, highlighting the shifting landscape of global travel.
